(In Mentes' fhape, beneath whose martial care The rough Ciconians learn'd the trade of war) Forbear, he cry'd, with fruitless speed to chace

Achilles' courfers of æthereal race;

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They ftoop not, these, to mortal man's command,
Or ftoop to none but great Achilles' hand.

Too long amus'd with a pursuit so vain,

Turn, and behold the brave Euphorbus flain!

By Sparta flain! for ever now fuppreft

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The fire which burn'd in that undaunted breast!

Thus having spoke, Apollo wing'd his flight, And mix'd with mortals in the toils of fight: His words infix'd unutterable care

Deep in great Hector's foul: Thro' all the war

He darts his anxious eye; and instant, view'd

The breathless hero in his blood imbru'd;

(Forth welling from the wound, as prone he lay) And in his victor's hands the shining prey.

Sheath'd in bright arms, thro' cleaving ranks he flies, 95

And fends his voice in thunder to the skies:

Fierce as a flood of flame by Vulcan sent,

It flew, and fir'd the nations as it went..
Atrides from the voice the storm divin'd,.
And thus explor'd his own unconquer'd mind.
Then fhall I quit Patroclus on the plain,
Slain in my cause, and for my honour slain?”

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Defert:

Defert the arms, the relicks of my friend?.

Or fingly, Hector, and, his troops attend?.

Sure where fuch partial favour heav'n bestow'd,
To brave the hero were to brave the God:
Forgive me, Greece, if once I quit the field:
'Tis not to Hector, but to heav'n I yield,

Yet, nor the God, nor heav'n, fhould give me fear,
Did but the voice of Ajax reach my ear:

Still would we turn, ftill battle on the plains,
And give Achilles all that yet remains

Of his and our Patroclus This, no more,
The time allow'd: Troy thicken'd on the shore,
A fable scene! The terrors Hector led.
Slow he recedes, and fighing, quits the dead.
So from the fold th' unwilling lion parts,
Forc'd by loud clamours, and a form of dartss

V. 110. Did but the voice of Ajax reach my ear.] How obfervable is Homer's art of illuftrating the valour and glory of his heroes? Menelaus, who fees Hector and all the Trojans rufhing upon him, would not retire if Apollo did not fupport them; and though Apollo does fupport them, he would oppofe even Apollo, were Ajax but near him. This is glorious for Menelaus, and yet more glorious for Ajax, and very fuitable to his character; for Ajax was the braveft of the Greeks, next to Achilles. Dacier, Euftathius,

V. 117. So from the fold th' unwilling lion.] The beauty of the retreat of Menelaus is worthy notice. Homen is a. great obferver of natural imagery, that brings the thing reprefented before our view, It is indeed true, that lions, tygers, and beafts of prey are the only objects that can properly reprefent warriors; and therefore it is, no. wonder they are fo often introduced: The inanimate things, as floods, fires, and ftorms, are the best, and only images of battels,

Не

He flies indeed; but threatens as he flies,
With heart indignant and retorted eyes.
Now enter'd in the Spartan ranks, he turn'd
His manly breast, and with new fury burn'd,
O'er all the black battalions fent his view,
And thro' the cloud the god-like Ajax knew;
Where lab'ring on the left the warrior flood,
All grim in arms, and cover'd o'er with blood,
There breathing courage, where the God of day
Had funk each heart with terror and dismay.

To him the King. Oh Ajax, oh my friend; Hafte, and Patroclus' lov'd remains defend: The body to Achilles to rettore,

Demands our care; alas, we can no more!

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For naked now, defpoil'd of arms he lies ;

And Hector glories in the dazling prize.

He faid, and touch'd his heart. The raging pair
Pierce the thick battel, and provoke the war.

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Already had ftern Hector feiz'd his head,

And doom'd to Trojan dogs th" unhappy dead;

V. 137. Already had fern Hector, &c.] Homer takes care, fo long before-hand, to leffen in his reader's mind the horror he may conceive from the cruelty that Achilles will exercife upon the body of Hector. That cruelty will be only the punishment of this which Hector here exercifes upon the body of Patroclus; he drags him, he defigns to cut off his head, and to leave his body upon the ramparts, expofed to dogs and birds of prey. Euflatbius.

But

But foon as Ajax rear'd his tow'r-like shield,

Sprung to his car, and measur'd back the field.

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His train to Troy the radiant armour bear,

To ftand a trophy of his fame in war.

Meanwhile great Ajax (his broad fhield display'd) Guards the dead hero with the dreadful fhade;

And now before, and now behind he stood;

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Thus in the center of fome gloomy wood,
With many a step the lionefs furrounds

Her tawny young, befet by men and hounds;

Elate her heart, and rouzing all her pow'rs,

Dark o'er the fiery balls each hanging eye-brow low'rs. 150 Faft by his fide, the gen'rous Spartan glows

With great revenge, and feeds his inward woes.

But Glaucus, leader of the Lycian aids,
On Hector frowning, thus his flight upbraids.
Where now in Hector fhall we Hector find?
A manly form, without a manly mind..
Is this, O Chief! a hero's boafted fame?
How vain, without the merit, is the name?
Since battel is renounc'd, thy thoughts employ
What other methods may preferve thy Troy:
"Tis time to try if Ilion's ftate can stand
By thee alone, nor ask a foreign hand;
Mean, empty boaft! but fhall the Lycians ftake
Their lives for you? thofe Lycians you forfake?

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What

What from thy thankless arms can we expect!
Thy friend Sarpedon proves thy base neglect:
Say, fhall our slaughter'd bodies guard your walls,
While unreveng'd the great Sarpedon falls?

Ev'n where he dy'd for Troy, you left him there,
A feast for dogs, and all the fowls of air.
On my command if any Lycian wait,

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170

Hence let him march, and give up Troy to fate.
Did fuch a fpirit as the Gods impart

Impel one Trojan hand, or Trojan heart;

(Such, as fhou'd burn in ev'ry foul, that draws

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The sword for glory, and his country's caufe)
Ev'n yet our mutual arms we might employ,
And drag yon' carcass to the walls of Troy.

Oh! were Patroclus ours, we might obtain
Sarpedon's arms, and honour'd corse again!
Greece with Achilles' friend fhould be repaid,
And thus due honours purchas'd to his shade.
But words are vain-Let Ajax once appear,
And Hector trembles and recedes with fear;
Thou dar'ft not meet the terrors of his eye;
And lo! already thou prepar'ft to fly.

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* V. 169. You left him there A prey to dogs.] It was highly dishonourable in Hector to forfake the body of a friend and gueft, and against the laws of Jupiter Xenius, or hofpitalis. For Glaucus knew nothing of Sarpedon's being honoured with burial by the Gods, and fent embalmed into Lycia. Euftathius.

The