20

25

Axylus, hofpitable, rich, and good:
In fair Arifbe's walls (his native place)
He held his feat; friend to human race.
Faft by the road, his ever-open door
Oblig'd the wealthy, and reliev'd the poor.
To ftern Tydides now he falls a prey,
No friend to guard him in the dreadful day!
Breathlefs the good man fell, and by his fide
His faithful fervant, old Calefius, dy'd.
By great Euryalus was Drefus flain,
And next he laid Opheltius on the plain.
Two twins were near, bold, beautiful, and young,
From a fair Naiad and Bucolion fprung:
(Laomedon's white flocks Bucolion fed,
That monarch's first-born by a foreign bed;
In fecret woods he won the Naiad's grace,
And two fair infants crown'd his strong embrace.)
Here dead they lay in all their youthful charms;
The ruthless victor ftripp'd their fhining arms.
Aftyalus by Polypœtes fell;

30

35

40

Who held in Pedafus his proud abode,

55

60

Wide o'er the field, refiftlefs as the wind,
For Troy they fly, and leave their lord behind,
Prone on his face he finks beside the wheel;
Atrides o'er him shakes his vengeful steel;
The fallen chief in fuppliant pofture prefs'd
The victor's knees, and thus his prayer addrefs'd:
Oh, fpare my youth! and for the life I owe
Large gifts of price my father shall bettow.
When fame fhall tell, that not in battle flain,
Thy hollow fhips his captive fon detain;
Rich heaps of brafs fhall in thy tent be told,
And steel well temper'd, and perfuafive gold.
He faid: compaflion touch'd the hero's heart;
He stood, fufpended, with the lifted dart:
As pity pleaded for his vanquish'd prize,
Stern Agamemnon fwift to vengeance flies,
And furious thus: Oh impotent of mind!
Shall thefe, fhall these Atrides' mercy find?
Well haft thou known proud Troy's perfidious
land,

65

And well her natives merit at thy hand!
Not one of all the race, nor fex, nor age,
Shall fave a Trojan from our boundless rage:
Ilion fhall perish whole, and bury all;
Her babes, her infants at the breaft, fhall fall.
A dreadful leffon of exampled fate,
To warn the nations, and to curb the great!
The monarch spoke; the words with warmth
addreft,

70

75

To rigid juftice fteel'd his brother's breast.
Fierce from his knees the hapless chief he thrust;
The monarch's javelin ftretch'd him in the duft,

And now had Greece eternal fame acquir'd, And frighten'd Troy within her walls retir'd; 90 Had not fage Helenus her ftate redreft, Taught by the Gods that mov'd his facred breast. Where Hector food, with great Eneas join'd, The feer reveal'd the counfels of his mind:

Ye generous chiefs! on whom th' immortals

lay

95

The cares and glories of this doubtful day; On whom your aids, your country's hopes depend;

Wife to confult, and active to defend !

50

Here, at our gates, your brave efforts unite,
Turn back the routed, and forbid the flight; 100
Ere yet their wives' foft arms the cowards gain,
The port and infult of the hoftile train.

When your commands have hearten'd every band, Ourfelves, here fix'd, will make the dangerous stand;

105

Preft as we are, and fore of former fight,
Thefe ftraits demand our laft remains of might.
Meanwhile, thou, Hector, to the town retire,
And teach our mother what the Gods require:
Direct the queen to lead th' affembled train
Of Troy's chief matrons to Minerva's fane; 110
Unbar the facred gates, and feek the power
With offer'd vows, in lion's topmoft tower.
The largest mantle her rich wardrobes hold,
Moft priz'd for art, and labour'd o'er with gold,
Before the Goddefs' honour'd knees be spread; 115
And twelve young heifers to her altar led:
If fo the power, aton'd by fervent prayer,
Our wives, our infants, and our city fpare,
And far avert Tydides' wafteful ire,

That mows whole troops, and makes all Troy retire.

Not thus Achilles taught our hofts to dread,
Sprung though he was from more than mortal bed;
Not thus refiftlefs rul'd the ftream of fight,
In rage unbounded, and unmatch'd in might.

Hector obedient heard; and with a bound, 125
Leap'd from his trembling chariot to the ground;
Through all his hoft, infpiring force, he flies,
And bids the thunder of the battle rise.
With rage recruited the bold Trojans glow,
And turn the tide of conflict on the foe:
Fierce in the front he thakes two dazzling fpears:
All Greece recedes, and 'midft her triumphs fears;
Some God, they thought, who rul'd the fate of

wars

Shot down avenging, from the vaults of stars.

130

Then thus, aloud: Ye dauntlefs Dardans, hear! 135

140

And you whom diftant nations fend to war!
Be mindful of the ftrength your fathers bore;
Be still yourselves, and Hector asks no more.
One hour demands me in the Trojan wall,
To bid our altars flame, and victims fall:
Nor fhall, I truft, the matrons holy train
And reverend elders, feek the Gods in vain.
This faid, with ample ftrides the hero paft;
The fhield's large orb behind his fhoulder caft,
His neck o'erthading, to his ancle hung;
And as he march'd, the brazen buckler rung.
Now paus'd the battle (god-like Hector gone)
When daring Glaucus and great Tydeus' fon
Between both armies met: the chiefs from far
Obferv'd each other, and had mark'd for war. 150
Near as they drew, Tydides thus began:

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155

What art thou, boldeft of the race of man? Our eyes, till now, that afpect ne'er beheld, Where fame is reap'd amid th' embattled field; Yet far before the troops thou dar'ft appear, And meet a lance the fierceft heroes fear. Unhappy they, and born of luckiefs fires, Who tempt our fury when Minerva fires! But if from heaven, celeftial, thou defcend; Know, with Immortals we no more contend. 160 Not long Lycurgus view'd the golden light, That dating man who mix'd with Gods in fight. Bacchus, and Bacchus' votaries, he drove, With brandifh'd feel from Nyffa's facred grove:

Their confecrated fpears lay fcatter'd round, 165
With curling vines and twisted ivy bound;
While Bacchus headlong fought the briny flood,
And Thetis' arm receiv'd the trembling God.
Nor fail'd the crime th' immortals wrath to move,
(Th' immortals bleft with endless ease above) 170
Depriv'd of fight by their avenging doom,
Chearless he breath'd, and wander'd in the gloom:
Then funk unpity'd to the dire abodes,
A wretch accurft, and hated by the Gods!
I brave not heaven: but if the fruits of earth 175
Suftain thy life, and human be thy birth;
Bold as thou art, too prodigal of breath,
Approach, and enter the dark gates of death.

What, or from whence I am, or who my fire, (Reply'd the chief) can Tydeus' fon enquire? 180 Like leaves on trees the race of man is found, Now green in youth, now withering on the ground;

Another race the following spring supplies;
They fall fucceffive, and fucceffive rife:
So generations in their courfe decay;
So flourish thefe, when thofe are past away.
But if thou ftill perfift to fearch my birth,
Then hear a tale that fills the fpacious earth.

185

A city ftands on Argos' utmost bound, (Argos the fair, for warlike steeds renown'd) 190 Eolian Sifyphus, with wifdom bleft, In ancient time the happy walls poffeft, Then call'd Ephyre: Glaucus was his fon; Great Glaucus, father of Bellerophon, Who o'er the fons of men in beauty thin'd, 195 Lov'd for that valour which preferves mankind. Then mighty Prætus Argos' fceptres fway'd, Whofe hard command Bellerophon obey'd. With direful jealoufy the monarch rag`d, And the brave prince in numerous toils engag'd.

200

205

For him Antæa burn'd with lawless flame,
And ftrove to tempt him from the paths of fame :
In vain the tempted the relentless youth,
Endued with wifdom, facred fear, and truth.
Fir'd at his fcorn the queen to Prætus fled,
And begg'd revenge for her infulted bed:
Incens'd he heard, refolving on his fate;
But hofpitable laws reftrain'd his hate:
To Lycia the devoted youth he fent,
With tablets feal'd, that told his dire intent. 210
Now, bleft by every power who guards the good,
The chief arriv'd at Xanthus' filver flood:
There Lycia's monarch paid him honours due,
Nine days he feafted, and nine bulls he flew.
But when the tenth bright morning orient glow'd,

Then met in arms the Solymaan crew, (Fierceft of men) and thofe the warriour flew. Next the bold Amazon's whole force defy'd; And conquer'd still, for Heaven was on his fide. 230

Nor ended here his toils; his Lycian foes
At his return, a treacherous ambush rofe,
With levell'd fpears along the winding shore;
There fell they breathlefs, and return'd no more,
At length the monarch with repentant grief
235

Confeis'd the Gods, and God-defcended chief;
His daughter gave, the ftranger to detain,
With half the honours of his ample reign:
The Lycians grant a chofen space of ground,
With woods, with vineyards, and with harvests
crown'd,

There long the chief his happy lot poffefs'd.
With two brave fons and one fair daughter blefs'd;
(Fair even in heavenly eyes; her fruitful love
Crown'd with Sarpedon's birth th' embrace of
Jove)

But when at laft, diftracted in his mind,
Forfook by heaven, forfaking human kind,
Wide o'er th' Alcian field he chofe to ftray,
Alung, forlorn, uncomfortable way!

245

Woes heap'd on woes confum'd his wafted heart;
His beauteous daughter fell by Phœbe's dart; 250
His e deft-born by raging Mars was flain,
In combat on the Solyman plain.
Hippolochus furviv'd; from him I came,
The honour'd author of my birth and name;
By his decree I fought the Trojan town,
By his inftructions learn to win renown,
To ftand the first in worth as in command,
To add new honour to my native land,
Before my eyes my mighty fires to place,
And emulate the glories of our race.

255

260

He spoke, and transport fill'd Tydides heart; In earth the generous warriour fix'd his dart, Then friendly, thus, the Lycian prince addreft: Welcome, my brave hereditary guest! Thus ever let us meet, with kind embrace, Nor ftain the facred friendship of our race. Know, chief, our grandfires have been guests of old;

265

Now change we arms, and prove to either hoft, We guard the friendship of the line we boaft. Thus having faid, the gallant chiefs alight, Their hands they join, their mutual faith they plight;

Brave Glaucus then each narrow thought refign'd, 290

(Jove warm'd his bofom and enlarg'd his mind :) For Diomed's brafs arms, of mean device, For which nine oxen paid, (a vulgar price;) He gave his own, of gold divinely wrought, A hundred beeves the fhining purchase bought. 295

Meantime the guardian of the Trojan ftate, Great Hector, entered at the Scaan gate. Beneath the beech-tree's confecrated fhades, The Trojan matrons and the Trojan maids Around him flock'd, all prefs'd with pious care

300

For husbands, brothers, fons, engag'd in war.
He bids the train in long proceffion go,
And feek the Gods t' avert th' impending woe.
And now to Priam's ftately courts he came,
Rais'd on arch'd columns of ftupendous fame; 305
O'er thefe a range of marble ftructures runs,
The rich pavilions of his fifty fons,

In fifty chambers lodg'd: and rooms of ftate
Oppos'd to thofe, where Priam's daughters fate
Twelve domes for them and their lov'd spouses:
fhone,

Of equal beauty, and of polifh'd stone.
Hither great Hector pafs'd, nor pafs'd unfeen
Of royal Hecuba, his mother queen
(With her Laodicè, whofe beauteous face

Surpafs'd the nymphs of Troy's illuftrious race :)

315

Long in a strict embrace the held her fon,
And prefs'd his hand, and tender thus begun:
O Hector fay, what great occafion calls
My fon from fight, when Greece furrounds our
walls?

Com'ft thou to fupplicate th' Almighty Power, 320
With lifted hands from Ilion's lofty tower?
Stay, till I bring the cup with Bacchus crown'd,
In Jove's high name, to sprinkle on the ground,
And pay due vows to all the Gods around.
Then with a plenteous draught refresh thy foul,
325

And draw new fpirits from the generous bowl;
Spent as thou art with long laborious fight,
The brave defender of thy country's right.
Far hence be Bacchus' gifts (the chief re-
join'd :)

830

335

Inflaming wine, pernicious to mankind,
Unnerves the limbs, and dulls the noble mind.
Let chiefs abftain, and fpare the facred juice
To fprinkle to the Gods, its better ufe.
By me that holy office were profan'd;
Ill fits it me, with human gore diftain'd,
To the pure fkies thefe horrid hands to raife,
Or offer Heaven's great Sire polluted praife.
You, with your matrons, go! a fpotlefs train,
And burn rich odours in Minerva's fane.
The largest mantle your full wardrobes hold, 340
Moit priz'd for a. t, and labour'd o'er with gold,

H

360

365

Each noble matron and illuftrious dame.
The Phrygian queen to her rich wardrobe went,
Where treafur'd odours breath'd a cely fcent.
There lay the veftures of no vulgar art,
Sidonian maids embroider'd every part,
Whom from foft Sidon youthful Paris bore,
With Helen touching on the Tyrian fhore.
Here as the queen revolv'd with careful eyes
The various textures and the various dyes;
She chofe a veil that thone fuperiour far,
And glow'd refulgent as the morning far.
Herfeif with this the long proceffion leads;
The train majeftically flow proceeds.
Soon as to lion's tepmoft tower they come, 370
And awful reach the high Palladian dome,
Antenor's confort, fair Theano, waits
As Pallas' prieftefs, and unbars the gates,
With hands uplifted and imploring eyes,
They fill the dome with fupplicating cries.
The priestefs then the fhining veil difplays,
Plac'd on Minerva's knees, and thus the prays;
Oh awful Goddefs' ever-dreadful maid,
Troy's ftrong defence, unconquer'd Pallas, aid!
Break thou Tydides fpear, and let him fall
Prone on the duft before the Trojan wall,
So twelve young heifers, guiltlefs of the yoke,
Shall fll thy temple with a grateful smoke.
Eut thou, aton'd by penitence and prayer,
Curfelves, our infants, and our city fpare!
So pray'd the priestefs in her holy fane;
So vow'd the matrons, but they vow'd in vain.
While thefe appear before the Power with
prayers,

Hector to Paris' lofty dome repairs.

375

380

385

Himself the mantion rais'd, f cm every part 390
Affembling architects of matchlefs art.
Near Priam's court and Hector's palace Bands
The pompous ftructure, and the town commands.
A fpear the hero bore of wondrous Arength,
Of full ten cubits was the lance's length,

395

he teely point with golden ringlets join'd, Before him br: ndifh'd, at each metion thin'd. Thus entering, in the glittering rooms he found His brother-chief, whofe ufeless arms lay round. His eyes delighting with the fplendid show, 400 Brightening the field, and polishing he bow. Fefide him Helen with her virgins stands, Guides their rich labours, and inftructs their hands,

410

Him thus unactive, with an ardent look The prince beheld, and high refenting spoke. 405 Thy hate to Troy, is this the time to fhow? (Oh wretch ill-fated, and thy country's foe!) Paris and Greece against us, both confpire; Thy clofe refentment, and their vengeful ire. For thee great Ilion's guardian heroes fall, Till heaps of dead alone defend her wall; For thee the foidier bleeds, the matron mourns, And wasteful war in all its fury burns. Ungrateful man! deferves not this thy care, Our troops to hearten, and our toils to thare? 415 Rife, or behold the conquering flames afcend, And all the Phrygian glories at an end

2

Brother, 'tis juft (reply'd the generous youth) Thy free remonstrance proves thy worth and

truth:

Yet charge my abfence lefs, oh generous chief!

420

On hate to Troy, than confcious shame and grief:
Here, hid from human eyes, thy brother fate,
And mourn'd in fecret, his and Ilion's fate..
'Tis now enough: now glory fpreads her charms,
And beauteous Helen calls her chief to arms. 425
Conqueft to-day my happier fword may blefs,
Tis man's to fight, but Heaven's to give fuccefs.
But while I arm, contain thy ardent mind;
Or go, and Paris fhall not lag behind.

He faid, nor anfwer'd Priam's warlike fon;

440

The fatal infant to the fowls of air?
Why funk I not beneath the whelming tide,
And 'midft the roarings of the waters died?
Heaven fill'd up ali my ills, and I accurft
Bore all, and Paris of thofe ills the worst.
Helen at least a braver fpoufe might claim,
Warm'd with fome virtue, fome regard of fame?
Now, tir'd with toils, thy fainting limbs recline,
With toils, fuftain'd for Paris' fake and mine: 445
The Gods have link'd our miferable doom,
Our prefent woe and infamy to come :
Wide thall it fpread, and last through ages long.
Example fad and theme of future fong.
The chief reply'd: this time forbids to reft:

450

The Trojan hands, by hoftile fury preft,
Demand their Hector, and his arm require;
The combat urges, and my foul's on fire.
Urge thou thy knight to march where giory calls,
And timely join me, ere I leave the walls.
445
Ere yet I mingle in the direful fray,
My wife, my infant, claim a moment's stay;
This day (perhaps the last that fees me here)
Demands a parting word, a tender tear:
This day, fome God who hates our Trojan land 460
May vanquish Hector by a Grecian hand.

He faid, and pais'd with fad prefaging heart To teck his fpoufe, his foul's far dearer part;

At home he fought her, but he fought in vain:
She, with one maid of all her menial train, 45
Had thence retir'd; and with her fecond joy,
The young Aftyanax, the hope of Troy,
Penfive the ftood on Ilion's towery height,
Beheld the war, and ficken'd at the fight;
There her fad eyes in vain her lord explore, 470
Or weep the wounds her bleeding country bore.
But he who found not whom his foul defir'd,
Whofe virtue charm'd him as her beauty fir'd,
Stood in the gates, and afk'd what way fhe bent
Her parting ftep? If to the fane fhe went, 475
Where late the mourning matrons made refort;
Or fought her fifters in the Trojan court?
Not to the court, (reply'd th' attendant train)
Nor mix'd with matrons to Minerva's fane:
To Ilion's fteepy tower the bent her way,
To mark the fortunes of the doubtful day.
Trov fled, the heard, before the Grecian fword;
She heard, and trembled for her abfent lord:
Distracted with furprize, the feem'd to fly,
Fear on her cheek, and forrow in her eye. 485
The nurfe attended with her infant boy,
The young Aftyanax, the hope of Troy.

480

Hector, this heard, return'd without delay; Swift through the town he trod his former way, Through streets of palaces, and walks of state;

490

495

500

And met the mourner at the Scæan gate.
With hafte to meet him fprung the joyful fair,
His blamelefs wife, Aëtion's wealthy heir;
(Cilician Thebè great Aëtion fway'd,
And Hippoplacus' wide-exter did fhade)
The nurse stood near, in whofe embraces preft
His only hope hung fmiling at her breast,
Whom each foft charm and early grace adorn,
Fair as the new-born ftar that gilds the morn.
To this lov'd infant Hector gave the name
Scamandrius, from Scamander's honour'd stream;
Aftyanax the Trojans call'd the boy,
From his great father, the defence of Troy.
Silent the warriour fmil'd, and, pleas'd, refign'd
To tender paffions all his mighty mind:
His beauteous princefs caft a mournful lock,
Hung on his hand, and then dejected spoke;
Her bofom labour'd with a boding fight,
And the big tear stood trembling in her eye.
Too daring prince! ah, whither doft thou run?
510

505

515

Ah, too forgetful of thy wife and fon!
And think'st thou not how wretched we shall be,
A widow I, an helpless orphan be!
For fure fuch courage length of life denies;
And thou must fall, thy virtue's facrifice.
Greece in her fingle heroes ftrove in vain ;
Now hofts oppofe thee, and thou must be slain!
Oh grant me, Gods! ere Hector meets his doom,
All I can afk of Heaven, an carly tomb!
So fhall my days in one fad tenour run,
And end with forrows as they first begun.
No parent now remains my griefs to share,
No father's aid, no mother's tender care.
The fierce Achilles wrapt our walls in fire!
Laid Thebe wafte, and flew my warlike fire! 525
His fate compaffion in the victor bred;

Stern as he was, he yet rever'd the dead;

520

His radiant arms preferv'd from hoftile spoil,
And laid him decent on the funeral pile;
Then rais'd a mountain where his bones were
burn'd:

The mountain nymphs the rural tomb adorn'd,
Jove's fylvan daughters bade their elms beftow
A barren fhade, and in his honour grow.

By the fame arm my feven brave brothers fell; In one fad day beheld the gates of hell; 535 While the fat herds and nowy flocks they fed; Amid their fields the hapless heroes bied! My mother liv'd to bear the victor's bands, The queen of Hippoplacia's fylvan lands: Redeem'd too late, the fearce beheld again 540 Her pleasing empire and her native plain, When, ah' oppreft by life-confuming woe, She fell a victim to Diana's bow.

Yet, while my Hector ftill furvives, I fee
My father, mother, brethren, all, in thee: 545
Alas! my parents, brothers, kindred, all
Once more will perifh, if my Hector fall.
Thy wife, thy infant, in thy danger thare:
Oh prove a husband's and a father's care!
That quarter moft the skilful Greeks annoy, 550
Where yon wild fig-trees join the wall of Troy:
Thou from this tower defend th' important pot;
There Agamemnon points his dreadful hoft,
That pafs Tydides, Ajax, ftrive to gain,
And there the vengeful Spartan fires his train.
55$

Thrice our bold foes the fierce attack have given,
Or led by hopes, or dictated from Heaven.
Let others in the field their arms employ,
But ftay my Hector here, and guard his Troy.
The chief reply'd: That poft be all my care,

560

Not that alone, but all the works of war.
How would the fons of Troy, in arms renown'd,
And Troy's proud dames, whofe garments fweep
the ground,

Attaint the luftre of my former name,

Should Hector bafely quit the field of fame? 565
My early youth was bred to martial pains,
My foul impels me to th' embattled plains:
Let me be foremoft to defend the throne,
And guard my father's glories, and my own.

Yet come it will, the day decreed by fates: 570 (ow my heart trembles while my tongue relates!)

575

The day when thou, imperial Troy must bend,.
And fee thy warriours fall, thy glories end.
And yet no dire prefage fo wounds my mind,
My mother's death, the ruin of my kind,
Not Priam's hoary hairs defil'd with gore,
Not all my brothers gafping on the fhore:
As thine, Andromache! thy griefs I dread;
I fee thee trembling, weeping, captive led!
In Argive looms our battles to design,
And woes, of which fo large a part was thine!
To bear the victor's hard commands, or bring
The weight of waters from Hyperia's fpring.
There, while you groan beneath the load of life,
They cry, Behold the mighty Hector's wife!

580

583 Some haughty Greek, who lives thy tears to lee, Embit.ers all thy woes, by naming me.

Hz