Part 22 (2/2)
Then sunk Eioneus to the shades below, Beneath his steely casque he felt the blow(177) Full on his neck, fro the land
By Glaucus' spear the bold Iphmous bleeds, Fix'd in the shoulder as hehe tumbles: his slack nerves unbound, Drop the cold useless ives slain, Fro plain Fierce she descends: Apollo ht, Nor shot less swift froht
Radiant they met, beneath the beechen shade; When thus Apollo to the blue-eyed hty Jove!
Thus wings thy progress from the realms above?
Once ive to Greece the long divided day?
Too e, and hush the stern debate; This day, the business of the field suspend; War soon shall kindle, and great Ilion bend; Since vengeful Goddesses confederate join To raze her walls, though built by hands divine”
To whoeny of Jove replies: ”I left, for this, the council of the skies: But who shall bid conflicting hosts forbear, What art shall calm the furious sons of war?”
To her the God: ”Great Hector's soul incite To dare the boldest Greek to single fight, Till Greece, provoked, from all her numbers shoarrior worthy to be Hector's foe”
At this agreed, the heavenly poithdrew; Sage Helenus their secret counsels knew; Hector, inspired, he sought: to him address'd, Thus told the dictates of his sacred breast: ”O son of Priam! let thy faithful ear Receive my words: thy friend and brother hear!
Go forth persuasive, and a while engage The warring nations to suspend their rage; Then dare the boldest of the hostile train To mortal combat on the listed plain
For not this day shall end thy glorious date; The Gods have spoke it, and their voice is fate”
He said: the warrior heard the ith joy; Then with his spear restrain'd the youth of Troy, Held by the midst athwart On either hand The squadrons part; the expecting Trojans stand; Great Agamemnon bids the Greeks forbear: They breathe, and hush the tulorious God of day,(178) With silent joy the settling hosts survey: In forht They sit conceal'd, and wait the future fight
The thronging troops obscure the dusky fields, Horrid with bristling spears, and gleaeneral darkness veils thethe at'ry plain,) The waves scarce heave, the face of ocean sleeps, And a still horror saddens all the deeps; Thus in thick orders settling wide around, At length coround
Great Hector first amidst both armies broke The solemn silence, and their powers bespoke:
”Hear, all ye Trojan, all ye Grecian bands, What my soul prompts, and what some God commands
Great Jove, averse our warfare to compose, O'erwhelms the nations with new toils and woes; War with a fiercer tide once more returns, Till Ilion falls, or till yon navy burns
You then, O princes of the Greeks! appear; 'Tis Hector speaks, and calls the Gods to hear: Froht, And hiht
Here if I fall, by chance of battle slain, Be his my spoil, and his these arms remain; But let my body, to my friends return'd, By Trojan hands and Trojan flames be burn'd
And if Apollo, in whose aid I trust, Shall stretch your daring chalory to despoil the foe; On Phoebus' temple I'll his arms bestow: The breathless carcase to your navy sent, Greece on the shore shall raise a monument; Which when some futureseas, Thus shall he say, 'A valiant Greek lies there, By Hector slain, the hty man of war,'
The stone shall tell your vanquish'd hero's naes learn the victor's fame”
This fierce defiance Greece astonish'd heard, Blush'd to refuse, and to accept it fear'd
Stern Menelaus first the silence broke, And, inly groaning, thus opprobrious spoke:
”Women of Greece! O scandal of your race, Whose coward souls your e shall know That not a Grecian met this noble foe!
Go then! resolve to earth, frolorious crew!
Be what ye seeer of the day; 'Tis enerous strife to try, But in the hands of God is victory”
These words scarce spoke, with generous ardour press'd, His manly limbs in azure arms he dress'd
That day, Atrides! a superior hand Had stretch'd thee breathless on the hostile strand; But all at once, thy fury to cos of Greece, an awful band, arose; Even he their chief, great Aga hand, and this advice address'd: ”Whither, O Menelaus! wouldst thou run, And teh thou art, forbear the rash design; Great Hectors arhtier far than thine: Even fierce Achilles learn'd its force to fear, And tre met this dreadful son of war
Sit thou secure, amidst thy social band; Greece in our cause shall arhtiest warrior of the Achaian na with desire of fareat the danger, and so brave the foe”