ceased, and with his sceptre on the back320And shoulders smote him. Writhing to and fro,
He wept profuse, while many a bloody whelk
Protuberant beneath the sceptre sprang.
Awe-quell'd he sat, and from his visage mean,
Deep-sighing, wiped the rheums. It was no time325
For mirth, yet mirth illumined every face,
And laughing, thus they spake. A thousand acts
Illustrious, both by well-concerted plans
And prudent disposition of the host
Ulysses hath achieved, but this by far330
Transcends his former praise, that he hath quell'd
Such contumelious rhetoric profuse.
The valiant talker shall not soon, we judge,
Take liberties with royal names again.[10] 041 So spake the multitude. Then, stretching forth335 The sceptre, city-spoiler Chief, arose Ulysses. Him beside, herald in form, Appeared Minerva. Silence she enjoined To all, that all Achaia's sons might hear, Foremost and rearmost, and might weigh his words.340 He then his counsel, prudent, thus proposed.
Atrides! Monarch! The Achaians seek
To make thee ignominious above all
In sight of all mankind. None recollects
His promise more in steed-famed Argos pledged,345
Here to abide till Ilium wall'd to heaven
Should vanquish'd sink, and all her wealth be ours.
No—now, like widow'd women, or weak boys,
They whimper to each other, wishing home.
And home, I grant, to the afflicted soul350
Seems pleasant.[11] The poor seaman from his wife One month detain'd, cheerless his ship and sad Possesses, by the force of wintry blasts, And by the billows of the troubled deep Fast lock'd in port. But us the ninth long year355 Revolving, finds camp'd under Ilium still. I therefore blame not, if they mourn beside Their sable barks, the Grecians. Yet the shame That must attend us after absence long Returning unsuccessful, who can bear?360 Be patient, friends! wait only till we learn If Calchas truly prophesied, or not; For well we know, and I to all appeal, Whom Fate hath not already snatch'd away, (It seems but yesterday, or at the most365 042 A day or two before) that when the ships Wo-fraught for Priam, and the race of Troy, At Aulis met, and we beside the fount With perfect hecatombs the Gods adored Beneath the plane-tree, from whose root a stream370 Ran crystal-clear, there we beheld a sign Wonderful in all eyes. A serpent huge, Tremendous spectacle! with crimson spots His back all dappled, by Olympian Jove Himself protruded, from the altar's foot375 Slipp'd into light, and glided to the tree. There on the topmost bough, close-cover'd sat With foliage broad, eight sparrows, younglings all, Then newly feather'd, with their dam, the ninth. The little ones lamenting shrill he gorged,380 While, wheeling o'er his head, with screams the dam Bewail'd her darling brood. Her also next, Hovering and clamoring, he by the wing Within his spiry folds drew, and devoured. All eaten thus, the nestlings and the dam,385 The God who sent him, signalized him too, For him Saturnian Jove transform'd to stone. We wondering stood, to see that strange portent Intrude itself into our holy rites, When Calchas, instant, thus the sign explain'd.390
Why stand ye, Greeks, astonish'd? Ye behold
A prodigy by Jove himself produced,
An omen, whose accomplishment indeed
Is distant, but whose fame shall never die.[12] E'en as this serpent in your sight devour'd395 Eight youngling sparrows, with their dam, the ninth, So we nine years must war on yonder plain, And in the tenth, wide-bulwark'd Troy is ours.
So spake the seer, and as he spake, is done.
043 Wait, therefore, brave Achaians! go not hence400
Till Priam's spacious city be your prize.
He ceased, and such a shout ensued, that all
The hollow ships the deafening roar return'd
Of acclamation, every voice the speech
Extolling of Ulysses, glorious Chief.405
Then Nestor the Gerenian,[13] warrior old, Arising, spake; and, by the Gods, he said, Ye more resemble children inexpert In war, than disciplined and prudent men. Where now are all your promises and vows,410 Councils, libations, right-hand covenants?[14] Burn them, since all our occupation here Is to debate and wrangle, whereof end Or fruit though long we wait, shall none be found. But, Sovereign, be not thou appall'd. Be firm.415 Relax not aught of thine accustomed sway, But set the battle forth as thou art wont. And if there be a Grecian, here and there, One,[15] adverse to the general voice, let such Wither alone. He shall not see his wish420 Gratified, neither will we hence return To Argos, ere events shall yet have proved Jove's promise false or true. For when we climb'd Our gallant barks full-charged with Ilium's fate, Saturnian Jove omnipotent, that day,425 (Omen propitious!) thunder'd on the right. Let no man therefore pant for home, till each Possess a Trojan spouse, and from her lips 044 Take sweet revenge for Helen's pangs of heart. Who then? What soldier languishes and sighs430 To leave us? Let him dare to lay his hand On his own vessel, and he dies the first. But hear, O King! I shall suggest a course Not trivial. Agamemnon! sort the Greeks By districts and by tribes, that tribe may tribe435 Support, and each his fellow. This performed, And with consent of all, thou shalt discern With ease what Chief, what private man deserts, And who performs his part. The base, the brave, Such disposition made, shall both appear;440 And thou shalt also know, if heaven or we, The Gods, or our supineness, succor Troy.
To whom Atrides, King of men, replied.
Old Chief! Thou passest all Achaia's sons
In consultation; would to Jove our Sire,445
To Athenæan Pallas, and Apollo!
That I had ten such coadjutors, wise
As thou art, and the royal city soon
Of Priam, with her wealth, should all be ours.[16] But me the son of Saturn, Jove supreme450 Himself afflicts, who in contentious broils Involves me, and in altercation vain. Thence all that wordy tempest for a girl Achilles and myself between, and I The fierce aggressor. Be that breach but heal'd!455 And Troy's reprieve thenceforth is at an end. Go—take refreshment now that we may march Forth to our enemies. Let each whet well His spear, brace well his shield, well feed his brisk High-mettled horses, well survey and search460 His chariot on all sides, that no defect Disgrace his bright habiliments of war. So will we give the day from morn to eve To dreadful battle. Pause there shall be none Till night divide us. Every buckler's thong465 045 Shall sweat on the toil'd bosom, every hand That shakes the spear shall ache, and every steed Shall smoke that whirls the chariot o'er the plain. Wo then to whom I shall discover here Loitering among the tents; let him escape470 My vengeance if he can. The vulture's maw Shall have his carcase, and the dogs his bones.
He spake; whom all applauded with a shout
Loud as against some headland cliff the waves
