The Battle in the River Scamander.
THE Trojans fly before Achilles, fome towards the town, others to the river Scamander. he falls upon the latter with great flaughter; takes twelve captives alive, to facrifice to the thade of Patrocius; and kills Lycaon and Alteropeus. Scamander attacks him with all his waves; Neptune and Pallas affiit the hero; Simoïs joins Scamander; at length Vulcan, by the instigation of Juno, almoft dries up the river. This combat ended, the other Gods engage each other. Meanwhile Achilles continues the flaughter, drives the reft into Troy: Agenor only makes a ftand, and is conveyed away in a cloud by Apollo; who (to delude Achilles) takes upon him Agenor's fhape, and, while he purfues him in that difguife, gives the Trojans an opportunity of retiring into their city.
The fame day continues. The fcene is on the banks and in the ftream of Scamander.
ND now to Xanthus' gliding ftream they drove,
A Xanthus, immortal progeny of Jove.
The river here divides the flying train.
Part to the town fly diverfe o'er the plain,
Where late their troops triumphant bore the fight:
Now chac'd, and trembling in ignoble flight
(Thefe with a gather'd mift Saturnia fhrouds,
And rolls behind the rout a heap of clouds).
Part plunge into the ftream: old Xanthus roars,
The flashing billows beat the whiten'd fhores :
With cries promifcuous all the banks refound;
And here, and there, in eddies whirling round,
The flouncing steeds and fhrieking warriours
As the fcorch'd locufts from their fields retire,
While faft behind them runs the blaze of fire;
Driv'n from the land before the fmoky cloud,
The clustering legions rufh into the flood:
So, plung'd in Xanthus by Achilles' force,
Roars the refounding furge with men and horse.
His bloody lance the hero cafts afide
(Which spreading tamarisks on the margin hide); Then, like a God, the rapid billows braves,
Arm'd with his fword high-brandifh'd o'er the waves : Now down he plunges, now he whirls it round,
Deep groan'd the waters with the dying found;
Repeated wounds the reddening river dy'd,
And the warm purple circled on the tide.
Swift through the foamy flood the Trojans fly,
And clofe in rocks or winding caverns lie:
So, the huge dolphin tempefting the main,
In fhoals before him fly the fcaly train,
Confus'dly heap'd they feek their inmoft caves,.
Or pant and heave beneath the floating waves.
Now, tir'd with flaughter, from the Trojan band
Twelve chofen youths he drags alive to land;
With their rich belts their captive arms conftrains
(Late their proud ornaments, but now their chains).
Thefe his attendants to the hips convey'd,
Sad victims! deftin'd to Patroclus' fhade.
Then, as once more he plung'd amid the flood, 40 The young Lycaon in his passage stood,
The fon of Priam; whom the hero's hand
But late made captive in his father's land
(As from a fycamore, his founding ftecl
Lopp'd the green arms to spoke a chariot wheel); 45
To Lemnos ifle he fold the royal slave,`
Where Jafon's fon the price demanded
But kind Eëtion touching on the shore,
The ranfom'd prince tó fair Arisbe bore.
Ten days were paft, fince in his father's reign
He felt the sweets of liberty again;
The next, that God whom men in vain withstand,
Gives the fame youth to the fame conquering hand;
Now never to return! and doom'd to go
A fadder journey to the fhades below.
His well-known face when great Achilles ey'd
(The helm and vifor he had caft afide
With wild affright, and dropp'd upon the field
His ufelefs lance and unavailing fhield)
As, trembling, panting, from the stream he fled,
And knock'd his faltering knees, the hero faid:
Ye mighty Gods! what wonders ftrike my
Is it in vain our conquering arms fubdue?
Sure I fhall fee yon heaps of Trojans kill'd,
Rife from the fhades, and brave me on the field:
As now the captive, whom fo late I bound
And fold to Lemnos, italks on Trojan ground!
Not him the fea's unmeafur'd deeps detain,
That bar fuch numbers from their native plain :
Lo! he returns. Try, then, my flying spear!
Try, if the grave can hold the wanderer;
If earth at length this active prince can feize,
Earth, whofe ftrong grafp has held down Hercules.
Thus while he spake, the Trojan pale with fears
Approach'd, and fought his knees with fuppliant tears;
Loth as he was to yield his youthful breath,
And his foul shivering at th' approach of death.
Achilles rais'd the fpear, prepar'd to wound;
He kifs'd his feet, extended on the ground:
|