The Iliads of Homer. Homer
belovéd soil. The voiceful heralds then
The firm agreement of the Gods through all the city ring;
Two lambs, and spirit-refreshing wine (the fruit of earth) they
bring,
Within a goat-skin bottle clos'd; Idæus also brought
A massy glitt'ring bowl, and cups, that all of gold were wrought;
Which bearing to the king, they cried: "Son of Laomedon
Rise, for the well-rode peers of Troy, and brass-arm'd Greeks, in
one,
Send to thee to descend the field, that they firm vows may make;
For Paris, and the Spartan king, must fight for Helen's sake,
With long-arm'd lances; and the man that proves victorious,
The woman, and the wealth she brought, shall follow to his house;
The rest knit friendship, and firm leagues; we safe in Troy shall
dwell,
In Argos and Achaia they, that do in dames excel."
He said; and Priam's aged joints with chilléd fear did shake,
Yet instantly he bade his men his chariot ready make.
Which soon they did, and he ascends. He takes the reins, and guide
Antenor calls; who instantly mounts to his royal side,
And, through the Scæan ports to field, the swift-foot horse they
drive.
And when at them of Troy and Greece the aged lords arrive,
From horse, on Troy's well-feeding soil, 'twixt both the hosts they
go.
When straight up-rose the king of men, up-rose Ulysses too,
The heralds in their richest coats repeat (as was the guise)
The true vows of the Gods (term'd theirs, since made before their
eyes)
Then in a cup of gold they mix the wine that each side brings,
And next pour water on the hands of both the kings of kings.
Which done, Atrides drew his knife, that evermore he put
Within the large sheath of his sword; with which away he cut
The wool from both fronts of the lambs, which (as a rite in use
Of execration to their heads, that brake the plighted truce)
The heralds of both hosts did give the peers of both; and then,
With hands and voice advanc'd to heav'n, thus pray'd the king of
men:
"O Jove, that Ida dost protect, and hast the titles won
Most glorious, most invincible; aid thou all-seeing Sun,
All-hearing, all-recomforting; Floods; Earth; and Pow'rs beneath,
That all the perjuries of men chastise ev'n after death!
Be witnesses, and see perform'd the hearty vows we make.—
If Alexander shall the life of Menelaus take,
He shall from henceforth Helena, with all her wealth, retain,
And we will to our household Gods, hoise sail, and home again.
If, by my honour'd brother's hand, be Alexander slain,
The Trojans then shall his forc'd queen, with all her wealth,
restore,
And pay convenient fine to us, aid ours for evermore.
If Priam and his sons deny to pay his, thus agreed,
When Alexander shall be slain; or that perfidious deed,
And for the fine, will I fight here, till dearly they repay,
By death and ruin, the amends, that falsehood keeps away."
This said, the throats of both the lambs cut with his royal knife,
He laid them panting on the earth, till, quite depriv'd of life,
The steel had robb'd them of their strength; then golden cups they
crown'd,
With wine out of a cistern drawn; which pour'd upon the ground,
They fell upon their humble knees to all the Deities,
And thus pray'd one of both the hosts, that might do sacrifice:
"O Jupiter, most high, most great, and all the deathless Pow'rs!
Who first shall dare to violate the late sworn oaths of ours,
So let the bloods and brains of them, and all they shall produce,
Flow on the stain'd face of the earth, as now this sacred juice;
And let their wives with bastardice brand all their future race."
Thus pray'd they; but, with wish'd effects, their pray'rs Jove did
not grace;
When Priam said: "Lords of both hosts, I can no longer stay
To see my lov'd son try his life, and so must take my way
To wind-exposéd Ilion. Jove yet and heav'n's high States
Know only, which of these must now pay tribute to the Fates."
Thus, putting in his coach the lambs, he mounts and reins his
horse;
Antenor to him; and to Troy, both take their speedy course.
Then Hector, Priam's martial son, stepp'd forth, and met the
ground,
With wise Ulysses, where the blows of combat must resound;
Which done, into a helm they put two lots, to let them know
Which of the combatants should first his brass-pil'd jav'lin throw;
When all the people standing by, with hands held up to heav'n,
Pray'd Jove the conquest might not be by force or fortune giv'n,
But that the man, who was in right the author of most wrong,
Might feel his justice, and no more these tedious wars prolong,
But, sinking to the house of death, leave them (as long before)
Link'd fast in leagues of amity, that might dissolve no more.
Then Hector shook the helm that held the equal dooms of chance,
Look'd back, and drew; and Paris first had lot to hurl his lance,
The soldiers all sat down enrank'd, each by his arms and horse
That then lay down and cool'd their hoofs. And now th' allotted
course
Bids fair-hair'd Helen's husband arm; who first makes fast his
greaves
With silver buckles to his legs; then on his breast receives
The curets that Lycaon wore (his brother) but made fit
For his fair body; next his sword he took, and fasten'd it,
All damask'd, underneath his arm; his shield then grave and great
His shoulders wore; and on his head his glorious helm he set,
Topp'd with a plume of horse's hair, that horribly did dance,
And seem'd to threaten as he mov'd; at last he takes his lance,
Exceeding big, and full of weight, which he with ease could use.
In like sort, Sparta's warlike king himself with arms indues.
Thus arm'd at either army both, they both stood bravely in,
Possessing