Part 23 (1/2)
He said, and turn'd his brother's vengeful er bent to rush on certain harms; His joyful friends unbrace his azure arms
He froraceful act arose; Thus to the kings he spoke: ”What grief, what shame Attend on Greece, and all the Grecian name!
How shall, alas! her hoary heroes enerate, and their race a scorn!
What tears shall down thy silvery beard be roll'd, O Peleus, old in arenerous prince would hear Of every chief who fought this glorious war, Participate their fame, and pleased inquire Each name, each action, and each hero's sire!
Gods! should he see our warriors tre all before one hostile hand; Hoould he lift his aged ar to die!
Oh! would to all the ihty Jove!
Years ive this ar which once it knew When fierce in here Jardan's waters fall, I ledwall, And with the Arcadian spears my prowess tried, Where Celadon rolls down his rapid tide(179) There Ereuthalion braved us in the field, Proud Areithous' dreadful arms to wield; Great Areithous, known froe, knotted, ironbow, But broke, with this, the battle of the foe
Hiuileful javelin fro way his breast assailed, Nor aught the warrior's thundering mace avail'd
Supine he fell: those ariven the vanquish'd, now the victor bore: But when old age had din'd the prize
Furious with this he crush'd our levell'd bands, And dared the trial of the strongest hands; Nor could the strongest hands his fury stay: All saw, and fear'd, his huge teest of the host, appear'd, And, youngest, ht the chief: th of ground
What then I was, O were your Nestor now!
Not Hector's self should want an equal foe
But, warriors, you that youthful vigour boast, The flower of Greece, the exa fro, and desert the day?”
His wars inflame; And nine, the noblest of the Grecian na of reat in arantic Ajax rear'd; Oileus follow'd; Idomen was there,(180) And Merion, dreadful as the God of war: With these Eurypylus and Thoas stand, And wise Ulysses closed the daring band
All these, alike inspired with noble rage, Dee:
”Lest thirst of glory your brave souls divide, What chief shall combat, let the Gods decide
Whom heaven shall choose, be his the chance to raise His country's fame, his own ins his own: Then in the general's helm the fates are thrown,(181) The people pray, with lifted eyes and hands, And vows like these ascend frohty! in whose hand is fate, A worthy champion for the Grecian state: This task let Ajax or Tydides prove, Or he, the king of kings, beloved by Jove”
Old Nestor shook the casque By heaven inspired, Leap'd forth the lot, of every Greek desired
This froht to left the herald bears, Held out in order to the Grecian peers; Each to his rival yields the mark unknown, Till Godlike Ajax finds the lot his own; Surveys the inscription with rejoicing eyes, Then casts before him, and with transport cries:
”Warriors! I claim the lot, and arm with joy; Be mine the conquest of this chief of Troy
Nohile htest arms my limbs invest, To Saturn's son be all your vows address'd: But pray in secret, lest the foes should hear, And deem your prayers the mean effect of fear
Said I in secret? No, your vows declare In such a voice as fills the earth and air, Lives there a chief whoht to dread?
Ajax, in all the toils of battle bred!
From warlike Salamis I drew my birth, And, born to combats, fear no force on earth”
He said The troops with elevated eyes, Implore the God whose thunder rends the skies: ”O father of mankind, superior lord!
On lofty Ida's holy hill adored: Who in the highest heaven hast fix'd thy throne, Supreme of Gods! unbounded and alone: Grant thou, that Telamon may bear away The praise and conquest of this doubtful day; Or, if illustrious Hector be thy care, That both may claim it, and that bothariant-warrior shone: He risly God of Thrace,(182) When Jove to punish faithless ives whole nations to the waste of wars, Thus march'd the chief, tremendous as a God; Grimly he smiled; earth tre in his hand, He stood, the bulwark of the Grecian band
Through every Argive heart new transport ran; All Troy stood trehty man: Even Hector paused; and with new doubt oppress'd, Felt his great heart suspended in his breast: 'Twas vain to seek retreat, and vain to fear; Hied, and the foe drew near
Stern Telamon behind his ample shi+eld, As froe was itsob with seven thick folds o'ercast, Of tough bull-hides; of solid brass the last, (The work of Tychius, who in Hyle dwell'd And in all arts of armoury excell'd,) This Ajax bore before his , thus his adverse chief address'd:
”Hector! approach th thou hast, and what the Grecian foe
Achilles shuns the fight; yet some there are, Not void of soul, and not unskill'd in war: Let hie his wrath, and aid our arms no more; Whole troops of heroes Greece has yet to boast, And sends thee one, a saht; No ht”
”O son of Telamon, thy country's pride!
(To Ajax thus the Trojan prince replied) Me, as a boy, or wo at the fight?
Thouof thy arms, To coround, ree, and answer every call of war; To right, to left, the dexterous lance I wield, And bear thick battle on ht, and bold each blow; I steal no conquest froh above the field Whirl'd the long lance against the sevenfold shi+eld
Full on the brass descending froh six bull-hides the furious weapon drove, Till in the seventh it fix'd Then Ajax threw; Through Hector's shi+eld the forceful javelin flew, His corslet enters, and his gar doards, near his flank descends