Thus pray the chiefs, and Pallas hears their prayer; Then, like two lions through the fhades of night, Dauntless they ftride along; and hold their way Through blood, and mangled limbs, o'er arms and death.
*Nor pafs they far, e'er the fagacious eye
Of Ithacus difcerns a diftant foe
Coafting from Troy, and thus to Diomed :
See! o'er the plain fome Trojan bends this way Perhaps to spoil the flain! or to our hoft Comes he a spy? Beyond us o'er the field 'Tis beft he pafs, then fudden from behind Rush we precipitant: but if in flight His active feet prevail, thy fpear employ To force him on our lines, left hid in fhades, Through the dusk air he re-escape to Troy.
Then couching to the ground, ambufh'd they lay Behind a hill of flain: onward the spy Inceffant mov'd: He pafs'd, and now arose The fierce purfuers. Dolon heard the found Of trampling feet, and panting, liftening stood Now reach'd the chiefs within a javelin's throw, Stern foes of Dolon! fwift along the shores He wing'd his flight, and swift along the fhores They ftill pursued: as when two skilful hounds Chace o'er the lawn the hare or bounding roe, Still from the sheltering brake the game they turn, Stretch every nerve, and bear upon the prey!
So ran the chiefs, and from the host of Troy
Turn'd the swift for now nigh the fleet they flew, Now almost mingled with the guards, when lo! The martial goddess breath'd heroic flames Fierce on Tydides' foul: the hero fear'd Left fome bold Greek fhould interpofe a wound, And ravish half the glories of the night. Furious he fhook his lance, and, Stand, he cry'd, Stand, or thou dyeft: then fternly from his arm Launch'd the wild fpear; wilful the javelin err'd, But whizzing o'er his fhoulder, deep in earth Stood quivering, and he quaking ftop'd aghaft; His teeth all chatter'd, and his flack knees knock'd; He feem'd the bloodlefs image of pale fear. Panting the fpy they feize: who thus with tears Abject intreats: Spare me, O! fpare, he cries, My hoary fire your mercy fhall repay,
Soon as he hears I draw the vital air
With ample wealth, with steel, with brass, with gold.
To whom Ulyffes artfully: Be bold:
Far hence the thought of death! but instant say Why thus alone in the still hours of night While every eye is clos'd? to fpoil the flain Com'st thou rapacious? or fome nightly spy By Hector fent? or has thy venturous mind Impell'd thee to explore our martial bands?
By Hector fent, and by rewards undone, Returns the spy, (ftill as he spoke he shook) I come unwilling: the refulgent car
He promis'd, and immortal steeds that bear To fight, the great Achilles: thus betray'd, Through the dun fhades of night I bend my way Unprofperous, to explore the tented hoft
Of adverfe Greece, and learn if now they stand Wakeful on guard, or vanquish'd by our arms Precipitant defert the fhores of Troy.
To whom with fmiles of fcorn the sage returns: Bold were thy aims, O youth! But thofe proud fteeds,
Reftive, disdain the rule of vulgar hands;
Scarce ev'n the goddefs-born, when the loud din Of battle roars, fubdues them to the rein Reluctant: But this night where Hector fleeps
Faithful difclofe: Where ftand the warrior's fteeds? Where lie his arms and implements of war? What guards are kept nocturnal? Say, what Troy Now meditates? to pour the tide of fight
Fierce on our fleet, or back within her walls Transfer the war?- -To thefe demands, he cries, Faithful my tongue fhall speak: The peers of Troy Hector in council meets : round Ilus' tomb
Apart from noise they stand: no guards furround The spacious hoft: where through the gloom yon fires Blaze frequent, Trojans wake to guard their Troy; Secure th' auxiliars fleep, no tender cares Of wife or fon difturb their calm repofe,
Safe fleep their wives and fons on foreign shores.
But fay, apart encamp th' auxiliar bands, Replies the fage, or join the powers of Troy?
Along the fea-beat fhores, returns the spy, The Leleges and Carians ftretch their files; Near thefe the Caucons, and Pelafgian train, And Poons, dreadful with the battle-bow, Extended lie; on the Thymbrean plain The Lycians and the Myfians in array Spread their deep ranks: There the Mæonian bands, And Phrygians, range the fiery steeds of war. But why this nice enquiry? If your way Venturous you bend to fearch the host of Troy, There in yon outmost lines, a recent aid, The Thracian's lie, by Rhefus led, whose steeds Outshine the fnow, outfly the winged winds. With glittering filver plates, and radiant gold His chariot flames, gold forms his dazzling arms, Arms that may grace a God !-but to your tents Unhappy me convey; or bound with chains, Faft bound with cruel chains, fad on the fhores Here leave me captive, till you safe return,
And witness to the truth my tongue unfolds.
To whom ftern-frowning Diomed replies, Though every fyllable be ftamp'd with truth, Dolon, thou dy'ft: would't thou once more return Darkling a spy, or wage, a nobler foe,
New war on Greece? Traytor, thou dy'ft, nor more New war thou wageft, nor return'st a spy.
He spoke terrific and as Dolon rais'd
Suppliant his humble hands, the trenchant blade Sheer through his neck descends; the furious blow Cleaves the tough nerves in twain, down drops the
And mutters unintelligible founds.
Strait they defpoil the dead, the wolf's grey hide They feize, the helm, the fpear, and battle-bow: Thefe as they drop'd with gore, on high in air Ulyffes rais'd, and to the Martial Maid Thus lowly confecrates: Stern power of war, Virgin armipotent, receive these arms, Propitious to my vows, thee, goddess, thee Chiefly I call: Direct our profperous way To pierce the Thracian tents, to feize the steeds Of Rhefus, and the car that flames with gold.
Then fierce o'er broken arms, through ftreams of
They move along: now reach the Thraciam bands All huff'd in fleep profound; their fhining arms Rang'd in three ranks along the plain, around Illumin'd the dun air: Chariot and horfe By every Thracian flood: Rhefus their king Slept in the center of the circling bands, And his proud fteeds were rein'd behind his car. With joy Ulyffes through the gloom defcry'd The fleeping king, and lo! he cries, the fteeds, Lo! Diomed, the chief of Thrace, this night Defcrib'd by Dolon: Now, O! now, thy strength Dauntless
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