The ARGUMEN T. The grief of Achilles, and new armour made him by Vulcan. THE HE news of the death of Patroclus, is brought to Achilles by Antilochus. Thetis hearing his lamentations, comes with all her fea-nymphs to comfort him. The Speeches of the mother and fon on this occafion. Iris appears to Achilles by the command of Juno, and orders him to fhew himself at the head of the intrenchments. The fight of him turns the fortune of the day, and the body of Patroclus is carried off by the Greeks. The Trojans call a council, where Hector and Polydamas difagree in their opinions; but the advice of the former prevails, to remain encamped in the field: the grief of Achilles over the body of Patroclus. Thetis goes to the Palace of Vulcan to obtain new arms for her fon. The defcription of the wonderful works of Vulcan; and lastly, that noble one of the fhield of Achilles. The latter part of the nine and twentieth day, and the night enfuing, take up this book. The scene is at Achilles's tent on the fea-fhore, from whence it changes to the palace, of Vulcan. And now it rifes, now it finks by turns. Meanwhile, where Hellefpont's broad waters flow, Stood Neftor's fon, the meffenger of woe: 1. Thus like the rage of fire, &c.] This phrafe is ufual in our Author, to fignify a fharp battle fought with heat and fu→ ry on both parts; fuch an engagement like a flame, preying upon all fides, and dying the fooner, the fiercer it burns. Euftathius. There fat Achilles, fhaded by his fails, On hoisted yards extended to the gales ; Rofe in fad profpect to his boding mind. 4. 6. On hoisted yards.] The epithet longaigaw in this place has a more than ordinary fignification. It implies that the failyards were hoifted up, and Achilles's fhips on the point to fet fail. This fhews that it was purely in compliance to his friend that he permitted him to fuccour the Greeks; he meant to leave them as foon as Patroclus returned; he ftill remembered what he told the embaffadors in the ninth book; . 360 of the original. To-morrow you shall see my fleet fet fail. Accordingly this is the day appointed, and he is fixed to his refolution: this circumstance wonderfully frengthens his implacable character. . 7. Penfive he fat.] Homer in this artful manner prepares Achilles for the fatal meffage, and gives him these forebodings of his misfortunes, that they might be no less than he expected. His expreffions are fuitable to his concern, and delivered confufedly. "I bad him (fays he) after he had saved the fhips, and repulfed the Trojans, to return back, and not 66 engage himself too far." Here he breaks off, when he fhould have added; "But he was fo unfortunate as to forget my advice." As he is reafoning with himself, Antilochus comes in, which makes him leave the fenfe imperfect. Euftathius. (So Thetis warn'd) when by a Trojan hand The bravest of the Myrmidonian band Should lose the light? Fulfill'd is that decree; 15 In vain I charg'd him foon to quit the plain, *. 15. Fulfill'd is that decree; Slain is the warriour, and Patroclus be! 20 It may be objected, that Achilles feems to contradict what had been faid in the foregoing book, that Thetis concealed from her fon the death of Patroclus in her prediction. Whereas here he fays, that he had foretold he fhould lofe the bravest of the Theffalians. There is nothing in this but what is natural and common among mankind: and it is ftill more agreeable to the hafty and inconsiderate temper of Achilles, not to have made that reflection till it was too late. Prophecies are only marks of divine prescience, not warnings to prevent human misfortunes; for if they were, they must hinder their own accomplishment. . 21. Sad tidings, fon of Peleus !] This fpeech of Antilochus ought to serve as a model for the brevity with which fo dreadful a piece of news ought to be delivered; for in two verfes it comprehends the whole affair of the death of Patroclus, the person that killed him, the conteft for his body, and his arms in the poffeffion of his enemy. Befides, it should be Dead is Patroclus! For his corfe they fight; A fudden horrour fhot thro' all the chief, 25 And wrapt his senses' in the cloud of grief; obferved that grief has fo crouded his words, that in these two verfes he leaves the verb páxortar, they fight, without its Nominative, the Greeks or Trojans. Homer obferves this brevity upon all the like occafions. The Greek tragick Poets have not always imitated this difcretion. In great diftreffes there is nothing more ridiculous than a messenger who begins a long story with pathetick defcriptions; he speaks without being heard; for the perfon to whom he addreffes himself has no time to attend him: the first word, which difcovers to him his misfortune, has made him deaf to all the reft. Euftathius. . 25. A fudden horrour, &c.] A modern French writer has drawn a parallel of the conduct of Homer and Virgil, in relation to the deaths of Patroclus and of Pallas. The latter is killed by Turnus, as the former by Hector; Turnus triumphs in the spoils of the one, as Hector is clad in the arms of the other; Æneas revenges the death of Pallas by that of Turnus, as Achilles the death of Patroclus by that of Hector. The grief of Achilles in Homer, on the score of Patroclus, is much greater than that of Eneas in Virgil for the fake of Pallas. Achilles gives himself up to despair, with a weakness which Plato could not pardon in him, and which can only be excused on account of the long and close friendship between them that of Eneas is more difcreet, and feems more worthy of a hero. It was not poffible that Eneas could be fo deeply interested for any man, as Achilles was interested for Patroclus: for Virgil had no colour to kill Afcanius, who was little more than a Child; befides that, his hero's interest in the war of Italy was great enough of itself, not to need to be animated by fo touching a concern as the fear of lofing his : |