Th'effay of rage, on faithful dogs the next;
And last, in human hearts his arrows fix'd.
The God nine days the Greeks at rovers kill'd,
Nine days the camp with funeral fires was fill'd;
The tenth, Achilles, by the Queen's command,
Who bears heavens awful fceptre in her hand,
A council fummon'd: for the Goddess griev'd
Her favour'd hoft should perish unreliev'd.

The kings affembled, foon their chief inclose;
Then from his feat the Goddefs-born arose,
And thus undaunted spoke: What now remains,
But that once more we tempt the watery plains,
And, wandering homeward, seek our fafety hence,
In flight at least, if we can find defence?
Such woes at once encompass us about,

The plague within the camp, the fword without.
Confult, O king, the prophets of th' event:
And whence these iils, and what the Gods intent,
Let them by dreams explore; for dreams from Jove
are fent.

What want of offer'd victims, what offence
In fact committed could the Sun incense,
To deal his deadly shafts? What may remove
His fettled hate, and reconcile his love?

That he may look propitious on our toils;

}

And hungry graves no more be glutted with our spoils.
Thus to the king of men the hero spoke,
Then Calchas the defir'd occafion took :
Calchas the facred feer, who had in view

Things prefent and the past; and things to come fore

knew.

VOL. IV.

R

Supreme

Supreme of augurs, who, by Phœbus taught,
The Grecian powers to Troy's destruction brought.
Skill'd in the fecret caufes of their woes,
The reverend priest in graceful act arofe:
And thus bespoke Pelides: Care of Jove,
Favour'd of all th' immortal Powers above;
Wouldst thou the feeds deep-fown of mifchief know,
And why, provok'd Apollo bends his bow?
Plight first thy faith, inviolably true,

To fave me from thofe ills, that may enfue.

For I fhall tell ungrateful truths, to those
Whose boundless powers of life and death difpofe.
And fovereigns, ever jealous of their state,
Forgive not those whom once they mark for hate;
Ev'n though th' offence they feemingly digeft,
Revenge, like embers rak'd, within their breast,
Bürfts forth in flames; whofe unrefifted power
Will feize th' unwary wretch, and foon devour.
Such, and no lefs is he, on whom depends

The fum of things; and whom my tongue of force offends.

Secure me then from his foreseen intent,

That what his wrath may doom, thy valour may

prevent.

To this the ftern Achilles made reply:

Be bold; and on my plighted faith rely,
To speak what Phœbus has inspir'd thy soul
For common good; and speak without control.
His Godhead I invoke, by him I fwear,
That while my noftrils draw this vital air,

None fhall prefume to violate those bands;
Or touch thy perfon with unhallow'd hands:
Ev'n not the king of men that all commands.

At this, refuming heart, the prophet said:
Nor hecatomb unflain, nor vows unpaid,
On Greeks, accurs'd, this dire contagion bring,
Or call for vengeance from the bowyer King;
But he the tyrant, whom none dares refift,
Affronts the Godhead in his injur'd priest:

He keeps the damsels captive in his chain,
And presents are refus'd, and prayers preferr'd in vain.
For this th' avenging Power employs his darts;

And empties all his quiver in our hearts;

Thus will perfift, relentless in his ire,
Till the fair flave be render'd to her fire:
And ranfom-free reftor'd to his abode,
With facrifice to reconcile the God:

Then he, perhaps, aton'd by prayer, may cease
His vengeance juftly vow'd, and give the peace.
Thus having said, he fate: thus answer'd then,
Upftarting from his throne, the king of men,
His breast with fury fill'd, his eyes with fire;
Which rolling round, he shot in fparkles on the fire :
Augur of ill, whofe tongue was never found
Without a priestly curfe, or boding found;
For not one blefs'd event foretold to me

Pafs'd through that mouth, or pass'd unwillingly.
And now thou doft with lies the throne invade,
By practice harden'd in thy flandering trade.

Obtending heaven, for whate'er ills befal;
And fputtering under specious names thy gall.
Now Phoebus is provok'd, his rites and laws
Are in his priest profan'd, and I the cause :
Since I detain a flave, my sovereign prize;
And facred gold, your idol-god, despise.
I love her well and well her merits claim,
To ftand preferr'd before my Grecian dame :
Not Clytemneftra's self in beauty's bloom
More charm'd, or better ply'd the various loom :
Mine is the maid; and brought in happy hour,
With every houfhold-grace adorn'd, to bless my nup-
tial bower.

Yet fhall fhe be reftor'd; fince public good
For private intereft ought not to be withstood,
To fave th' effufion of my people's blood.
But right requires, if I refign my own,
I should not fuffer for your fakes alone;
Alone excluded from the prize I gain'd,
And by your common fuffrage have obtain❜d.
The flave without a ranfom fhall be fent :
It refts for you to make th' equivalent.

To this the fierce Theffalian prince reply'd :
O first in power, but paffing all in pride,

Griping, and ftill tenacious of thy hold,

}

Wouldst thou the Grecian chiefs, though largely-foul'd
Should give the prizes they had gain'd before,
And with their lofs thy facrilege restore?
Whate'er by force of arms the foldier got,

Is each his own, by dividend of lot:

Which to refume, were both unjust and base;
Not to be borne but by a fervile race.
But this we can: if Saturn's fon beftows
The fack of Troy, which he by promife owes ;
Then shall the conquering Greeks thy loss restore,
And with large intereft make th' advantage more..
To this Atrides answer'd: Though thy boast
Affumes the foremost name of all our hoft,
Pretend not, mighty man, that what is mine,
Control'd by thee, I tamely should refign.
Shall I release the prize I gain'd by right,
In taken towns, and many a bloody fight,
While thou detain'ft Brifeis in thy bands,
By prieftly gloffing on the God's commands
Refolve on this, (a short alternative)
Quit mine, or, in exchange, another give;
Elfe I, affure thy foul, by fovereign right
Will feize thy captive in thy own despight.
Or from tout Ajax, or Ulyffes, bear
What other prize my fancy shall prefer :
Then foftly murmur, or aloud complain,
Rage as you please, you shall refift in vain.
But more of this, in proper time and place ;
To things of greater moment let us pass.
A fhip to fail the sacred seas prepare ;
Proud in her trim: and put on board the fair,

With facrifice and gifts, and all the pomp of prayer.
The crew well chofen, the command shall be
In Ajax; or if other I decree,

In Creta's king, or Ithacus, or if I please in thee :

R 3

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Moft