ILIAD, Book I.

Vulcan with aukward grace his office plies,
And unextinguish'd laughter shakes the skies.
Thus the bleft Gods the genial day prolong,
In feafts ambrofial, and celeftial fong.
Apollo tun'd the lyre; the Mufes round
With voice alternate aid the fiver found.
Mean time the radiant fun, to mortal fight
Defcending swift, roll'd-down the rapid light.
Then to their starry domes the Gods depart,
The shining monuments of Vulcan's art :
Jove on his couch reclin'd his awful head,
And Juno fumber'd on the golden bed.

ARGUMEN T.

The Trial of the Army, and Catalogue of the Forces. JUPITER, in pursuance of the request of Thetis, fends a deceitful vision to Agamemnon, perfuading him to lead the army to battle; in order to make the Greeks fenfible of their want of Achilles. The general, who is deluded with the hopes of taking Troy without his affistance, but fears the army was discouraged by his abfence and the late plague, as well as by the length of time, contrives to make trial of their difpolition by a ftratagem. He firft communicates his defign to the princes in council, that he would propofe a return to the foldiers, and that they fhould put a ftop to them if the propofal was embraced. Ther he affembles the whole hoft, and upon moving for a return to Greece, they unanimously agree to it, and run to prepare the ships. They are detained by the management of Ulyffes, who chaftifes the infolence of Therfites. The assembly is recalled, several speeches made on the occafion, and at length the advice of Neftor followed, which was, to make a general muster of the troops, and to divide them into their feveral nations, before they proceeded to battle. This gives occafion to the poet to enumerate all the forces of the Greeks and Trojans, and in a large catalogue.

The time employed in this book confifts not entirely of one day. The fcene lies in the Grecian camp and upon the fea-fhore; toward the end it removes to Troy.

THE

ILIA D.

BOOK IL

Now pleafing fleep had feal'd each mortal eye,

Stretch'd in the tents the Grecian leaders lie,
Th' Immortals flumber'd on their thrones above;
All, but the ever-wakeful eyes of Jove.

To honour Thetis' fon he bends his care,
And plunge the Greeks in all the woes of war:
Then bids an empty phantom rife to fight,
And thus commands the vision of the night:

Fly hence, deluding Dream! and light as air,
To Agamemnon's ample tent repair.

Bid him in arms draw forth th' embattled train,
Lead all his Grecians to the dufty plain.
Declare, év'n now 'tis given him to destroy
The lofty towers of wide-extended Troy.
For now no more the Gods with fate contend,
At Juno's fuit the heavenly factions end.
Destruction hangs o'er yon devoted wall,
And nodding Ilion waits th' impending fall,
Swift as the word the vain illufion fled,
Descends, and hovers o'er Atrides' head;
Cloath'd in the figure of the Pilian fage,
Renown'd for wisdom, and rever'd for age;
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