The Iliad - Homer (best novels to read for beginners .txt) 📗

Melting they fall, and sink into the heart!

Wondering we hear, and fix’d in deep surprise, Our ears refute the censure of our eyes.”

 

The king then ask’d (as yet the camp he view’d) “What chief is that, with giant strength endued, Whose brawny shoulders, and whose swelling chest, And lofty stature, far exceed the rest?

“Ajax the great, (the beauteous queen replied,) Himself a host: the Grecian strength and pride.

See! bold Idomeneus superior towers

Amid yon circle of his Cretan powers,

Great as a god! I saw him once before,

With Menelaus on the Spartan shore.

The rest I know, and could in order name; All valiant chiefs, and men of mighty fame.

Yet two are wanting of the numerous train, Whom long my eyes have sought, but sought in vain: Castor and Pollux, first in martial force, One bold on foot, and one renown’d for horse.

My brothers these; the same our native shore, One house contain’d us, as one mother bore.

Perhaps the chiefs, from warlike toils at ease, For distant Troy refused to sail the seas; Perhaps their swords some nobler quarrel draws, Ashamed to combat in their sister’s cause.”

 

So spoke the fair, nor knew her brothers’ doom; [78]

Wrapt in the cold embraces of the tomb; Adorn’d with honours in their native shore, Silent they slept, and heard of wars no more.

 

Meantime the heralds, through the crowded town.

Bring the rich wine and destined victims down.

Idaeus’ arms the golden goblets press’d, [79]

Who thus the venerable king address’d:

“Arise, O father of the Trojan state!

The nations call, thy joyful people wait To seal the truce, and end the dire debate.

Paris, thy son, and Sparta’s king advance, In measured lists to toss the weighty lance; And who his rival shall in arms subdue, His be the dame, and his the treasure too.

Thus with a lasting league our toils may cease, And Troy possess her fertile fields in peace: So shall the Greeks review their native shore, Much famed for generous steeds, for beauty more.”

 

With grief he heard, and bade the chiefs prepare To join his milk-white coursers to the car; He mounts the seat, Antenor at his side; The gentle steeds through Scaea’s gates they guide: [80]

Next from the car descending on the plain, Amid the Grecian host and Trojan train, Slow they proceed: the sage Ulysses then Arose, and with him rose the king of men.

On either side a sacred herald stands,

The wine they mix, and on each monarch’s hands Pour the full urn; then draws the Grecian lord His cutlass sheathed beside his ponderous sword; From the sign’d victims crops the curling hair; [81]

The heralds part it, and the princes share; Then loudly thus before the attentive bands He calls the gods, and spreads his lifted hands: “O first and greatest power! whom all obey, Who high on Ida’s holy mountain sway,

Eternal Jove! and you bright orb that roll From east to west, and view from pole to pole!

Thou mother Earth! and all ye living floods!

Infernal furies, and Tartarean gods,

Who rule the dead, and horrid woes prepare For perjured kings, and all who falsely swear!

Hear, and be witness. If, by Paris slain, Great Menelaus press the fatal plain;

The dame and treasures let the Trojan keep, And Greece returning plough the watery deep.

If by my brother’s lance the Trojan bleed, Be his the wealth and beauteous dame decreed: The appointed fine let Ilion justly pay, And every age record the signal day.

This if the Phrygians shall refuse to yield, Arms must revenge, and Mars decide the field.”

 

With that the chief the tender victims slew, And in the dust their bleeding bodies threw; The vital spirit issued at the wound,

And left the members quivering on the ground.

From the same urn they drink the mingled wine, And add libations to the powers divine.

While thus their prayers united mount the sky, “Hear, mighty Jove! and hear, ye gods on high!

And may their blood, who first the league confound, Shed like this wine, disdain the thirsty ground; May all their consorts serve promiscuous lust, And all their lust be scatter’d as the dust!”

Thus either host their imprecations join’d, Which Jove refused, and mingled with the wind.

 

The rites now finish’d, reverend Priam rose, And thus express’d a heart o’ercharged with woes: “Ye Greeks and Trojans, let the chiefs engage, But spare the weakness of my feeble age: In yonder walls that object let me shun, Nor view the danger of so dear a son.

Whose arms shall conquer and what prince shall fall, Heaven only knows; for heaven disposes all.”

 

This said, the hoary king no longer stay’d, But on his car the slaughter’d victims laid: Then seized the reins his gentle steeds to guide, And drove to Troy, Antenor at his side.

 

Bold Hector and Ulysses now dispose

The lists of combat, and the ground inclose: Next to decide, by sacred lots prepare, Who first shall launch his pointed spear in air.

The people pray with elevated hands,

And words like these are heard through all the bands: “Immortal Jove, high Heaven’s superior lord, On lofty Ida’s holy mount adored!

Whoe’er involved us in this dire debate, O give that author of the war to fate

And shades eternal! let division cease, And joyful nations join in leagues of peace.”

 

With eyes averted Hector hastes to turn The lots of fight and shakes the brazen urn.

Then, Paris, thine leap’d forth; by fatal chance Ordain’d the first to whirl the weighty lance.

Both armies sat the combat to survey.

Beside each chief his azure armour lay, And round the lists the generous coursers neigh.

The beauteous warrior now arrays for fight, In gilded arms magnificently bright:

The purple cuishes clasp his thighs around, With flowers adorn’d, with silver buckles bound: Lycaon’s corslet his fair body dress’d, Braced in and fitted to his softer breast; A radiant baldric, o’er his shoulder tied, Sustain’d the sword that glitter’d at his side: His youthful face a polish’d helm o’erspread; The waving horse-hair nodded on his head: His figured shield, a shining orb, he takes, And in his hand a pointed javelin shakes.

With equal speed and fired by equal charms, The Spartan hero sheathes his limbs in arms.

 

Now round the lists the admiring armies stand, With javelins fix’d, the Greek and Trojan band.

Amidst the dreadful vale, the chiefs advance, All pale with rage, and shake the threatening lance.

The Trojan first his shining javelin threw; Full on Atrides’ ringing shield it flew, Nor pierced the brazen orb, but with a bound [82]

Leap’d from the buckler, blunted, on the ground.

Atrides then his massy lance prepares,

In act to throw, but first prefers his prayers: “Give me, great Jove! to punish lawless lust, And lay the Trojan gasping in the dust: Destroy the aggressor, aid my righteous cause, Avenge the breach of hospitable laws!

Let this example future times reclaim,

And guard from wrong fair friendship’s holy name.”

Be said, and poised in air the javelin sent, Through Paris’ shield the forceful weapon went, His corslet pierces, and his garment rends, And glancing downward, near his flank descends.

The wary Trojan, bending from the blow, Eludes the death, and disappoints his foe: But fierce Atrides waved his sword, and strook Full on his casque: the crested helmet shook; The brittle steel, unfaithful to his hand, Broke short: the fragments glitter’d on the sand.

The raging warrior to the spacious skies Raised his upbraiding voice and angry eyes: “Then is it vain in Jove himself to trust?

And is it thus the gods assist the just?

When crimes provoke us, Heaven success denies; The dart falls harmless, and the falchion flies.”

Furious he said, and towards the Grecian crew (Seized by the crest) the unhappy warrior drew; Struggling he followed, while the embroider’d thong That tied his helmet, dragg’d the chief along.

Then had his ruin crown’d Atrides’ joy, But Venus trembled for the prince of Troy: Unseen she came, and burst the golden band; And left an empty helmet in his hand.

The casque, enraged, amidst the Greeks he threw; The Greeks with smiles the polish’d trophy view.

Then, as once more he lifts the deadly dart, In thirst of vengeance, at his rival’s heart; The queen of love her favour’d champion shrouds (For gods can all things) in a veil of clouds.

Raised from the field the panting youth she led, And gently laid him on the bridal bed,

With pleasing sweets his fainting sense renews, And all the dome perfumes with heavenly dews.

Meantime the brightest of the female kind, The matchless Helen, o’er the walls reclined; To her, beset with Trojan beauties, came, In borrow’d form, the laughter-loving dame.

(She seem’d an ancient maid, well-skill’d to cull The snowy fleece, and wind the twisted wool.) The goddess softly shook her silken vest, That shed perfumes, and whispering thus address’d: {Illustration: VENUS, DISGUISED, INVITING HELEN TO THE CHAMBER OF

PARIS.}

 

“Haste, happy nymph! for thee thy Paris calls, Safe from the fight, in yonder lofty walls, Fair as a god; with odours round him spread, He lies, and waits thee on the well-known bed; Not like a warrior parted from the foe, But some gay dancer in the public show.”

 

She spoke, and Helen’s secret soul was moved; She scorn’d the champion, but the man she loved.

Fair Venus’ neck, her eyes that sparkled fire, And breast, reveal’d the queen of soft desire. [83]

Struck with her presence, straight the lively red Forsook her cheek; and trembling, thus she said: “Then is it still thy pleasure to deceive?

And woman’s frailty always to believe!

Say, to new nations must I cross the main, Or carry wars to some soft Asian plain?

For whom must Helen break her second vow?

What other Paris is thy darling now?

Left to Atrides, (victor in the strife,) An odious conquest and a captive wife,

Hence let me sail; and if thy Paris bear My absence ill, let Venus ease his care.

A handmaid goddess at his side to wait, Renounce the glories of thy heavenly state, Be fix’d for ever to the Trojan shore,

His spouse, or slave; and mount the skies no more.

For me, to lawless love no longer led,

I scorn the coward, and detest his bed; Else should I merit everlasting shame,

And keen reproach, from every Phrygian dame: Ill suits it now the joys of love to know, Too deep my anguish, and too wild my woe.”

 

{Illustration: VENUS PRESENTING HELEN TO PARIS.}

 

Then thus incensed, the Paphian queen replies: “Obey the power from whom thy glories rise: Should Venus leave thee, every charm must fly, Fade from thy cheek, and languish in thy eye.

Cease to provoke me, lest I make thee more The world’s aversion, than their love before; Now the bright prize for which mankind engage, Than, the sad victim, of the public rage.”

 

At this, the fairest of her sex obey’d, And veil’d her blushes in a silken shade; Unseen, and silent, from the train she moves, Led by the goddess of the Smiles and Loves.

Arrived, and enter’d at the palace gate, The maids officious round their mistress wait; Then, all dispersing, various tasks attend; The queen and goddess to the prince ascend.

Full in her Paris’ sight, the queen of love Had placed the beauteous progeny of Jove; Where, as he view’d her charms, she turn’d away Her glowing eyes, and thus began to say: “Is this the chief, who, lost to sense of shame, Late fled the field, and yet survives his fame?

O hadst thou died beneath the righteous sword Of that brave man whom once I call’d my lord!

The boaster Paris oft desired the day