And anxious, (helpless as he lies, and bare) 10 His broad shield glimmers, and his lances flame.. This remarkable, that the feveral comparisons to illuftrate the concern for Patroclus are taken from the moft tender fentiments of nature. Achilles, in the beginning of his fixteenth book, con fiders him as a child, and himself as his mother. The forrow of Menelaus is here defcribed as that of a heifer for her young one. Perhaps these are defign'd to intimate the excellent temper and goodness of Patroclus, which is exprefs'd in that fine elogy of him in this book, v. 671. Πᾶσιν δ' επίςατο μείλιχος είναι He knew how to be good-natur'd to all men. This gave all mankind these fentiments for him, and no doubt the fame is ftrongly pointed at by the uncommon concern of the whole army to rescue his body. The diffimilitude of manners between thefe two friends, Achilles and Patroclus, is very obfervable: Such friendships are not uncommon, and I have often affign'd this reafon for them, that it is natural for men to feek the affiftance of thofe qua lities in others which they want themfelves. That is ftill better if apply'd to providence, which affociates men of different and contrary qualities, in order to make a more perfect fyftem. But, whatever is customary in nature, Homer had a good poetical rea fon for it; for it affords many incidents to illuftrate the manners of them both more strongly; and is what they call a contrafte in painting. V. 11. The fon of Panthus.] The condu&t of Homer is admirable, in bringing Euphorbus and Menelaus together upon this occafion; for hardly any thing but fuch a fignal revenge for the death of his brother, could have made Euphorbus ftand the encounter. Menelaus putting him in mind of the death of his brother, gives occafion (I think) to one of the finest anfwers in all Homer; in which the infolence of Menelaus is retort As ed This hand, Atrides, laid Patroclus low; Warrior! defift, nor tempt an equal blow: 15 To me the spoils my prowess won, resign; Depart with life, and leave the glory mine. The Trojan thus: The Spartan monarch burn'd With gen'rous anguish, and in fcorn return'd. Laugh'ft thou not, Jove! from thy fuperior throne, 20 When mortals boast of prowess not their own? Not thus the lion glories in his might, 25 Nor panther braves his fpotted foe in fight, These fons of Panthus vent their haughty mind. Against our arm which rafhly he defy'd, 30 Vain was his vigour, and as vain his pride. These eyes beheld him on the duft expire, No more to chear his spouse, or glad his fire. ed in a way to draw pity from every reader; and I believe there is hardly one, after fuch a speech, that would not with Euphorbus had the better of Menelaus: A writer of Romances would not have fail'd to have giv'n Euphorbus the victory. But however, it was fitter to make Menelaus, who had receiv'd the greatest injury, do the most revengeful actions. Prefump Presumptuous youth! like his shall be thy doom, Go, wait thy brother to the Stygian gloom; 35 Or while thou mayft, avoid the threatn'd fate; . Fools ftay to feel it, and are wife too late. 40 Unmov'd, Euphorbus thus: That action known, Come, for my brother's blood repay thy own. His weeping father claims thy deftin'd head, And spouse, a widow in her bridal bed. On these thy conquer'd spoils I fhall bestow, To footh a confort's and a parent's woe... No longer then defer the glorious ftrife, Let heav'n decide our fortune, fame, and life. Swift as the word the miffile lance he flings, 45. The well-aim'd weapon on the buckler rings, But blunted by the brafs innoxious falls. On Jove the father, great Atrides calls. Nor flies the jav'lin from his arm in vain, It pierc'd his throat, and bent him to the plain; Wide thro' the neck appears the grizly wound, Prone finks the warrior, and his arms refound. The shining circlets of his golden hair, Which ev'n the Graces might be proud to wear, 55 Inftarr'd with gems and gold, beftrow the shore, With duft dishonour'd, and deform'd with gore. As the young olive, in fome fylvan scene, Crown'd by fresh fountains with eternal green, Lifts the gay head, in fnowy flourets fair, 60 And plays and dances to the gentle air; When lo! a whirlwind from high heav'n invades A lovely ruin, now defac'd and dead. v. 55. Inftarr'd with gems and gold.] We have here a Tro jan who ufes gold and filver to adorn his hair; which made Pliny fay, that he doubted whether the women were the first that us'd thofe ornaments. Eft quidem apud eundem [Home. rum] virorum crinibus aurum implexum, ideo nefcio an prior ufus à faminis coeperit. lib. 33. cap. 1. He might likewife have ftrengthen'd his doubt by the cuftom of the Athenians, who put into their hair little grafhoppers of gold. Dacier. v. 57. As the young olive, &c. This exquifite fimile finely illuftrates the beauty and fudden fall of Euphorbus, in which the allufion to that Circumftance of his comely hair is peculiarly happy. Porphyry and Jamblicus acquaint us of the particular affection Pythagoras had for thefe verses, which he fet to the harp, and us'd to repeat as his own Epicedion. Per haps it was his fondness of them, which put it into his head to fay, that his foul tranfmigrated to him from this hero. However it was, this conceit of Pythagoras is famous in antiquity, and has given occafion to a dialogue in Lucian entitled The Cock, which is, I think, the finest piece of that auCahor. Thus 65 Thus young, thus beautiful Euphorbus lay, While the fierce Spartan tore his arms away. Flies, as before fome mountain lion's ire 70 The village curs, and trembling fwains retire; 75 Meanwhile Apollo view'd with envious Eyes, And urg❜d great Hector to dispute the prize, (In Mentes shape, beneath whose martial care The rough Ciconians learnt the trade of war) Forbear, he cry'd, with fruitlefs fpeed to chace 80 Achilles' courfers of ethereal race; v. 65. Thus young, thus beautiful Euphorbus lay.] This is the only Trojan whofe death the Poet laments, that he might do the more honour to Patroclus, his hero's friend. The com parifon here ufed is very proper, for the olive always preTerves its beauty. But where the Poet fpeaks of the Lapitha, a hardy and warlike people, he compares them to oaks, that ftand unmov'd in ftorms and tempefts; and where Hector falls by Ajax, he likens him to an oak ftruck down by Jove's thunder. Juft after this foft comparifon upon the beauty of Euphorbus, he paffes to another full of strength and terror, that of the lian. Euftathius. They |