The ARGUMENT. The feventh battel, for the body of Patroclus: The acts of Menelaus. M ENELAUS, upon the death of Patroclus, defends his body from the enemy: Euphorbus who attempts it, is flain. He&tor advancing, Menelaus retires; but foon returns with Ajax, and drives him off. This Glaucus objects to Hector as a flight, who thereupon puts on the armour he had won from Patroclus, and renews the battel. The Greeks give way, till Ajax rallies them: Æneas fuftains the Trojans. Æneas and Hector attempt the chariot of Achilles, which is borne off by Automedon. The horses of Achilles deplore the loss of Patroclus: Jupiter covers his body with a thick darkness: The noble prayer of Ajax on that occafion. Menelaus fends Antilochus to Achilles, with the news of Patroclus's death: Then returns to the fight, where, tho' attack'd with the utmoft fury, be, and Meriones affifted by the Ajaxes, bear off the body to the Ships. The time is the evening of the eight and twentieth day. The fcene lies in the fields before Troy. THE Kirkall su Patroclus being kilid, & stript of Achilles's Armour, both Sides hav ing a long time fought for his Body the Greeks at length carry it off, while the two Ajaxes courageously sustain the Efforts of the Trojans. BJ7. THE SEVENTEENTH BOOK OF THE I LIAD O N the cold earth divine Patroclus spread, Lies pierc'd with wounds among the vulgar dead. Great This is the only book of the Iliad which is a continued defcription of a battel, without any digreffion or epifode, that ferves for an interval to refrefh the reader. The hea venly machines too are fewer than in any other. Homer feems to have trufted wholly to the force of his own genius, as fuffici ent to fupport him, whatsoever lengths he was carried by it. But that fpirit which animates the original, is what I am fen fible evaporates fo much in my hands; that, tho' I can't think my author tedious, I fhould have made him feem fos if I had not trandated this book with all poffible concifenefs. A 4 I hope 5 Great Menelaus, touch'd with gen'rous woe, Springs to the front, and guards him from the foe: young And I hope there is nothing material omitted, though the version confifts but of fixty five lines more than the original. However, one may observe there are more turns of fortune, more defeats, more rallyings, more accidents, in this battel, than in any other; because it was to be the last wherein the Greeks and Trojans were upon equal terms, before the return of Achilles: And befides, all this ferves to introduce the chief hero with the greater pomp and dignity. v. 3. Great Menelaus. - The Post here takes occafion to clear Menelaus from the imputations of idle and effeminate, caft on him in fome parts of the Poem; he fets him in the front of the army, expofing himfelf to dangers in defending the body of Patroclus, and gives him the conqueft of Euphor bus, who had the first hand in his death. He is represented as the foremost who appears in his defence, not only as one of a like difpofition of mind with Patroclus, a kind and generous Friend; but as being more immediately concern'd in he nour to protect from injuries the body of a hero that fell in his caufe. Euftathius. See the Note on v. 271. of the third book. v. 5. Thus round her new-fal'n young, &c.] In this comparifon, as Euftathius has very well obferved, the Poet accommodating himself to the occafion, means only to defcribe the affection Menelaus had for Patroclus, and the manner in which he prefented himself to defend his body: And this comparifon is fo much the more juft and agreeable, as Menelaus was a Prince full of goodnefs and mildnefs. He must have little fenfe or knowledge in Poetry; who thinks that it ought to be fupprefs'd. It is true, we fhould not use it nowa-days, by reafon of the low ideas we have of the animals from which it is derived; but thofe not being the ideas of Ho mer's time, they could not hinder him from making a proper use of fuch a comparifon. Dacier. v. id. Thus round her new-fal'n young, &c.] It seems to me remarkable, |