Oh hadft thou dy'd beneath the righteous fword
Of that brave man whom once I call'd my lord!
The boafter Paris oft defir'd the day
With Sparta's king to meet in single fray :
Go now, once more thy rival's rage excite,
Provoke Atrides, and renew the fight:
Yet Helen bids thee ftay, left thou unskill'd
Should'ft fall an eafy conqueft on the field.
The prince replies: Ah ceafe, divinely fair,
Nor add reproaches to the wounds I bear;
This day the foe prevail'd by Pallas' power;
We yet may vanquish in a happier hour:
There want not Gods to favour us above,
But let the bufinefs of our life be love:
These fofter moments let delight employ,
And kind embraces fnatch the hafty joy.

535

540

545

550

Not thus I lov'd thee, when from Sparta's fhore
My forc'd, my willing, heavenly prize I bore,
When first entranc'd in Cranaë's ifle I lay,
Mix'd with thy foul, and all diffolv'd away!

Thus having spoke, th' enamour'd Phrygian boy 555 Rush'd to the bed, impatient for the joy.

Him Helen follow'd flow with bashful charms,

And clasp'd the blooming hero in her arms.

While these to love's delicious rapture yield,

The ftern Atrides rages round the field:
So fome fell lion, whom the woods obey,
Roars through the defart, and demands his prey.
Paris he feeks, impatient to deftroy,

But feeks in vain along the troops of Troy ;

560

Ev'n those had yielded to a foe fo brave

The recreant warriour, hateful as the graye.

565

570

Then speaking thus, the king of kings arose;
Ye Trojans, Dardans, all our generous foes!
Hear, and atteft! from heaven with conqueft crown'd,
Our brother's arms the just success have found;
Be therefore now the Spartan wealth restor❜d,
Let Argive Helen own her lawful lord ;
Th' appointed fine let Ilion juftly pay,
And age to age record this fignal day.

He ceas'd; his army's loud applauses rise,
And the long shout runs echoing through the skies.

$75

THE

THE

FOURTH BOOK

OF THE

ILI A D.

ARGUMEN T.

The Breach of the Truce, and the firft Battle.

THE Gods deliberate in council concerning the Trojan war they agree upon the continuation of it, and Jupiter fends down Minerva to break the truce. She perfwades Pandarus to aim an arrow at Menelaus, who is wounded, but cured by Machaon. In the mean time fome of the Trojan troops attack the Greeks. Agamemnon is diftinguished in all the parts of a good general; he reviews the troops, and exhorts the leaders, fome by praifes, and others by reproofs. Neftor is particularly celebrated for his military difcipline. The battle joins, and great numbers are flain on both fides.

The fame day continues through this, as through the last book (as it does also through the two following, and almost to the end of the feventh book.} The fcene is wholly in the field before Troy.

A

THE

ILIA D.

BOOK IV.

ND now Olympus' shining gates unfold;

The Gods, with Jove, affume their thrones of gold:

Immortal Hebè, fresh with bloom divine,

The golden goblet crowns with purple wine:
While the full bowls flow round, the powers employ

Their careful eyes on long-contended Troy.
When Jove, difpos'd to tempt Saturnia's spleen,
Thus wak'd the fury of his partial queen :
Two powers divine the fon of Atreus aid,
Imperial Juno, and the Martial Maid;

But high in heaven they fit, and gaze from far,
The tame spectators of his deeds of war.
Not thus fair Venus helps her favour'd knight,
The Queen of Pleasures shares the toils of fight,
Each danger wards, and, conftant in her care,
Saves in the moment of the last despair.
Her act has rescued Paris' forfeit life,
Though great Atrides gain'd the glorious ftrife.
Then fay, ye Powers! what fignal iffue waits
To crown this deed, and finish all the Fates ?
Shall Heaven by peace the bleeding kingdoms fpare,
Or rouze the Furies, and awake the war?

10

1.5

20

Yet,