He faid; Saturnia, ardent to obey,
Lash'd her white steeds along th' aërial way.
Swift down the steep of heaven the chariot rolls,
Between th' expanded earth and starry poles.
Far as a fhepherd, from fome point on high,
O'er the wide main extends his boundless eye;
Through fuch a fpace of air, with thundering found,
At every leap th' immortal courfers bound:
Troy now they reach'd, and touch'd those banks divine Where filver Simoïs and Scamander join.
There Juno stopp'd, (and her fair steeds unloos'd)
Of air condens'd a vapour circumfus'd:
For thefe, impregnate with celestial dew
On Simoïs' brink ambrofial herbage grew.
Thence to relieve the fainting Argive throng,
Smooth as the failing doves, they glide along.
The best and bravest of the Grecian band
(A warlike circle) round Tydides stand:
Such was their look as lions bath'd in blood,
Or foaming boars, the terrour of the wood.
Heaven's emprefs mingles with the mortal croud,
And shouts, in Stentor's founding voice, aloud :
Stentor the strong, endued with brazen lungs,
Whose throat furpafs'd the force of fifty tongues.
Inglorious Argives! to your race a shame,
And only men in figure and in name!
Once from the walls your timorous foes engag'd,
While fierce in war divine Achilles rag'd;
Now iffuing fearlefs they poffefs the plain,
Now win the fhores, and fcarce the feas remain.
Swift at the fcourge th' ethereal courfers fly,
While the smooth chariot cuts the liquid sky.
Heaven's gates fpontaneous open to the powers;
Heaven's golden gates, kept by the winged hours;
Commiffion'd in alternate watch they stand,
The fun's bright portals and the fkies command,
Involve in clouds th' eternal gates of day,
Or the dark barrier roll with ease away.
The founding hinges ring; on either fide
The gloomy volumes pierc'd with light, divide.
The chariot mounts, where deep in ambient skies
Confus'd, Olympus' hundred heads arise;
Where far apart the Thunderer fills his throne;
O'er all the Gods fuperiour and alone.
There with her fnowy hand the Queen restrains
The fiery fteeds, and thus to Jove complains :
O Sire! can no refentment touch thy foul ?
Can Mars rebel, and does no thunder roll?
What lawless rage on yon forbidden plain,
What rafh deftruction! and what heroes flain!
Venus, and Phoebus with the dreadful bow,
Smile on the flaughter, and enjoy my woe.
Mad, furious power! whofe unrelenting mind
No God can govern, and no justice bind.
Say, mighty father! fhall we scourge his pride, 950
And drive from fight th' impetuous homicide?
To whom affenting, thus the Thunderer said ;
Go! and the great Minerva be thy aid.
To tame the monster-god Minerva knows,
And oft afflicts his brutal breaft with woes,
He faid; Saturnia, ardent to obey,
Lash'd her white steeds along th' aërial way.
Swift down the steep of heaven the chariot rolls,
Between th' expanded earth and starry poles.
Far as a fhepherd, from fome point on high,
O'er the wide main extends his boundless eye;
Through fuch a fpace of air, with thundering found,
At every leap th' immortal courfers bound:
Troy now they reach'd, and touch'd thofe banks divine Where filver Simoïs and Scamander join.
There Juno stopp'd, (and her fair steeds unloos'd)
Of air condens'd a vapour circumfus'd:
For thefe, impregnate with celeftial dew
On Simoïs' brink ambrosial herbage grew.
Thence to relieve the fainting Argive throng,
Smooth as the failing doves, they glide along.
The best and braveft of the Grecian band
(A warlike circle) round Tydides stand :
Such was their look as lions bath'd in blood,
Or foaming boars, the terrour of the wood.
Heaven's emprefs mingles with the mortal croud,
And shouts, in Stentor's founding voice, aloud:
Stentor the strong, endued with brazen lungs,
Whose throat furpass'd the force of fifty tongues.
Inglorious Argives! to your race a shame,
And only men in figure and in name!
Once from the walls your timorous foes engag'd,
While fierce in war divine Achilles rag'd;
Now iffuing fearlefs they poffefs the plain,
Now win the fhores, and fcarce the feas remain.
Her fpeech new fury to their hearts convey'd ;
While near Tydides ftood th' Athenian maid;
The king befide his panting steeds the found,
O'erspent with toil, repofing on the ground:
To cool his glowing wound he fat apart
(The wound inflicted by the Lycian dart) ;
Large drops of fweat from all his limbs defcend;
Beneath his ponderous fhield his finews bend,
Whofe ample belt, that o'er his shoulders lay,
He eas'd, and wash'd the clotted gore away.
The Goddess leaning o'er the bending yoke,
Befide his courfers, thus her filence broke:
Degenerate prince! and not of Tydeus' kind,
Whose little body lodg'd a mighty mind;
Foremost he prefs'd in glorious toils to share,
And fcarce refrain'd when I forbade the war.
Alone, unguarded, once he dar'd to go
And feast, encircled by the Theban foe;
There bray'd, and vanquish'd, many a hardy knight; Such nerves I gave him, and fuch force in fight. 1005 Thou too no lefs haft been my constant care;
Thy hands I arm'd, and sent thee forth to war :
But thee or fear deters, or floth detains ;
No drop of all thy father warms thy veins.
The chief thus anfwer'd mild: Immortal maid!
I own thy prefence, and confefs thy aid.
Not fear, thou know'ft, withholds me from the plains,
Nor floth hath feiz'd me, but thy word restrains :
From warring Gods thou bad'ft me turn my spear,
And Venus only found refiftance here.
Hence, Goddess! heedful of thy high commands,
Loth I gave way, and warn'd our Argive bands:
For Mars, the homicide, these eyes beheld,
With flaughter red, and raging round the field.
Then thus Minerva. Brave Tydides, hear! 1020
Not Mars himself, nor aught immortal, fear.
Full on the God impel thy foaming horse :-
Pallas commands, and Pallas lends thee force..
Rash, furious, blind, from these to thofe he flies,
And every fide of wavering combat tries;
1025 Large promife makes, and breaks the promise made; Now gives the Grecians, now the Trojans aid.
She faid, and to the steeds approaching near, Drew from his feat the martial charioteer,
The vigorous power the trembling car afcends, 1030 Fierce for revenge, and Diomed attends.
The groaning axle bent beneath the load;
So great a Hero, and so great a God.
She fnatch'd the reins, the lash'd with all her force, And full on Mars impell'd the foaming horse : 1035 But first to hide her heavenly visage spread
Black Orcus' helmet o'er her radiant head.
Juft then gigantic Periphas lay flain,
The strongest warriour of th' Ætolian train;
The God, who flew him, leaves his proftrate prize
Stretch'd where he fell, and at Tydides flies.
Now, rufhing fierce, in equal arms appear,
The daring Greek; the dreadful God of war!
Full at the chief, above his courfer's head,
From Mars's arm th' enormous weapon fled :
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