Whose visionary form like Nestor came,
The same in habit, and in mien the same.
The heavenly phantom hover'd o'er my head, 75
And, dost thou sleep, oh Atreus' son? (he said)
Ill fits a chief who mighty nations guides,
Directs in council, and in war presides,
To whom its safety a whole people owes ;
To waste long nights in indolent repose.
Monarch, awake! 'tis Jove's command I bear,
Thou and thy glory claim his heavenly care.
In just array draw forth th' embattled train,
And lead the Grecians to the dusty plain;
Ev'n now, O king! 'tis given thee to destroy
The lofty towers of wide-extended Troy.
For now no more the Gods with fate contend,
At Juno's suit the heavenly factions end.
Destruction hangs o'er yon devoted wall,
And nodding Ilion waits th' impending fall.
This hear observant, and the Gods obey!
The vision spoke, and past in air away.
Now, valiant chiefs! since heaven itself alarms;
Unite, and rouze the sons of Greece to arms.
But first with caution try what yet they dare, 95
Worn with nine years of unsuccessful war:
To move the troops to measure back the main,
Be mine; and yours the province to detain.
He spoke, and sat; when Nestor rising said,
(Nestor, whom Pylos' sandy realms obey'd)
Princes of Greece, your faithful ears incline,
Nor doubt the vision of the powers divine;
Sent by great Jove to him who rules the host,
Forbid it heaven! this warning should be lost!
Then let us haste, obey the God's alarms, 105
And join to rouse the sons of Greece to arms.
Thus spoke the sage: the kings without delay
Dissolve the council, and their chief obey :
The sceptred rulers lead; the following host
Pour'd forth by thousands, darkens all the coast.
As from some rocky cleft the shepherd sees 111
Clustering in heaps on heaps the driving bees,
Rolling, and blackening, swarms succeeding swarms,
With deeper murmurs and more hoarse alarms;
Dusky they spread, a close embody'd crowd, 115
And o'er the vale descends the living cloud.
Book II. So, from the tents and ships, a lengthening train Spreads all the beach, and wide o'ershades the plain: Along the region runs a deafening sound; Beneath their footsteps groans the trembling ground. Fame flies before, the messenger of Jove, And shining soars, and claps her wings above. Nine sacred heralds now, proclaiming loud The monarch's will, suspend the listening crowd. Soon as the throngs in order raug'd appear, And fainter murmurs dy'd upon the ear, The King of Kings his awful figure rais'd; High in his hand the golden sceptre blaz'd: The golden sceptre, of celestial frame,
By Vulcan form'd, from Jove to Hermes came : 130
To Pelops he th' immortal gift resign'd;
Th' immortal gift great Pelops left behind,
In Atreus' hand, which not with Atreus ends,
To rich Thyestes next the prize descends;
And now the mark of Agamemnon's reign,
Subjects all Argos, and controls the maiu.
On this bright sceptre now the king reclin'd,
And artful thus pronounc'd the speech design'd.
Ye sons of Mars! partake your leader's care,
Heroes of Greece, and brothers of the war!
Of partial Jove with justice I complain,
And heavenly oracles believ'd in vain.
A safe return was promis'd to our toils,
Renown'd, triumphant, and enrich'd with spoils.
Now shameful flight alone can save the host, 145
Our blood, our treasure, and our glory lost.
So Jove decrees, resistless lord of all!
At whose command whole empires rise or fall:
He shakes the feeble props of human trust,
And towns and armies humbles to the dust.
What shame to Greece a fruitless war to wage,
Oh lasting shame in every future age!
Once great in arms, the common scorn we grow,
Repuls'd and baffled by a feeble foe.
So small their number, that if wars were ceas'd, 155
And Greece triumphant held a general feast,
All rank'd by tens; whole decads when they dine
Must want a Trojan slave to pour the wine.
But other forces have our hopes o'erthrown,
And Troy prevails by armies not her own. 160
Now nine long years of mighty Jove are run,
Since first the labors of this war begun:
Our cordage torn, decay'd our vessels lie,
And scarce ensure the wretched power to fly.
Haste then, for ever leave the Trojan wall!
Our weeping wives, our tender children call:
Love, duty, safety, summon us away,
'Tis nature's voice, and nature we obey.
Our shatter'd barks may yet transport us o'er,
Safe and inglorious, to our native shore.
Fly, Grecians, fly! your sails and oars employ,
And dream no more of heaven-defended Troy.
His deep design unknown, the hosts approve
Atrides' speech. The mighty numbers move.
So roll the billows to th' Icarian shore,
175
From East and South when winds begin to roar,
Burst their dark mansions in the clouds, and sweep
The whitening surface of the ruffled deep.
And as on corn when western gusts descend,
Before the blast the lofty harvests bend:
Thus o'er the field the moving host appears,
With nodding plumes and groves of waving spears.
The gathering murmur spreads, their trampling feet
Beat the loose sands, and thicken to the fleet.
With long-resounding cries they urge the train 185
To fit the ships; and launch into the main.
They toil, they sweat, thick clouds of dust arise,
The doubling clamors echo to the skies.
Ev'n then the Greeks had left the hostile plain,
And fate decreed the fall of Troy in vain ; 190
But Jove's imperial queen their flight survey'd,
And sighing thus bespoke the blue-ey'd maid.
Shall then the Grecians fly! O dire disgrace!
And leave unpunish'd this perfidious race?
Shall Troy, shall Priam, and th' adulterous spouse,
In peace enjoy the fruits of broken vows?
And bravest chiefs, in Helen's quarrel slain,
Lie unreveng'd on yon detested plain?
No: let my Greeks, unmov'd by vain alarms,
Once more refulgent shine in brazen arms.
Haste, Goddess, haste! the flying host detain,
Nor let one sail be hoisted on the main.
Pallas obeys, and from Olympus' height
Swift to the ships precipitates her flight;
Ulysses, first in public cares, she found,
For prudent counsel like the Gods renown'd;
Oppress'd with generous grief the hero stood,
Nor drew his sable vessels to the flood.
And is it thus, divine Laërtes' son!
Thus fly the Greeks (the martial maid begun) 210
Thus to their country bear their own disgrace,
And fame eternal leave to Priam's race?
Shall beauteous Helen still remain unfreed,
Still unreveng'd, a thousand heroes bleed?
Haste, generous Ithacus! prevent the shame, 215 Recal your armies, and your chiefs reclaim. Your own resistless eloquence employ, And to th' immortals trust the fall of Troy. The voice divine confess'd the warlike maid, Ulysses heard, nor uninspir'd obey'd: Then meeting first Atrides, from his hand Receiv'd th' imperial sceptre of command. Thus grac'd, attention and respect to gain, He runs, he flies through all the Grecian train, 224 Each prince of name, or chief in arms approv'd, He fir'd with praise, or with persuasion mov'd. Warriors like you, with strength and wisdom blest, By brave examples should confirm the rest. The monarch's will not yet reveal'd appears; He tries our courage, but resents our fears. Th' unwary Greeks his fury may provoke; Not thus the king in secret council spoke, Jove loves our chief, from Jove his honor springs, Beware! for dreadful is the wrath of kings. But if a clamorous vile plebeian rose,
Him with reproof he check'd, or tam'd with blows. Be still, thou slave, and to thy betters yield; Unknown alike in council and in field!
Ye Gods, what dastards would our host command?
Swept to the war, the lumber of a land.
Be silent, wretch, and think not here allow'd
That worst of tyrants, an usurping crowd.
To one sole monarch Jove commits the sway;
His are the laws, and him let all obey.
With words like these the troops Ulysses rul'd, The loudest silenc'd, and the fiercest cool'd. 246 Back to th' assembly roll the thronging train, Desert the ships, and pour upon the plain.
Murmuring they move, as when old Oceán roars,
And heaves huge surges to the trembling shores :
The groaning banks are burst with bellowing sound,
The rocks remurmur, and the deeps rebound.
At length the tumult sinks, the noises cease,
And a still silence lulls the camp to peace.
Thersites only clamor'd in the throng,
Loquacious, loud, and turbulent of tongue :
Aw'd by no shame, by no respect control'd,
In scandal busy, in reproaches bold:
With witty malice studious to defame;
Scorn all his joy, and laughter all his aim.
But chief he glory'd with licentious style,
To lash the great, and monarchs to revile.
His figure such as might his soul proclaim;
One eye was blinking, and one leg was lame:
His mountain-shoulders half his breast o'erspread,
Thin hairs bestrew'd his long mis-shapen head. 266
Spleen to mankind his envious heart possest,
And much he hated all, but most the best.
Ulysses or Achilles still his theme;
But royal scandal his delight supreme.
Long had he liv'd the scorn of every Greek,
Vext when he spoke, yet still they heard him speak.
Sharp was his voice; which, in the shrillest tone,
Thus with injurious taunts attack'd the throne.
Amidst the glories of so bright a reign,
What moves the great Atrides to complain?
Tis thine whate'er the warrior's breast inflames,
The golden spoil, and thine the lovely dames.
With all the wealth our wars and blood bestow,
Thy tents are crowded, and thy chests o'erflow. 280
Thus at full ease in heaps of riches roll'd,
What grieves the monarch? Is it thirst of gold?
Say, shall we march with our unconquer'd powers,
(The Greeks and I) to Ilion's hostile towers,
And bring the race of royal bastards here,
'For Troy to ransom at a price too dear?
But safer plunder thy own host supplies;
Say, wouldst thou seize some valiant leader's prize?
Or, if thy heart to generous love be led,
Somé captive fair, to bless thy kingly bed?
Whate'er our master craves, submit we must,
Plagu'd with his pride, or punish'd for his lust.
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