If yet fome heavenly Power your breaft excite,
Breathe in your hearts, and string your arms to fight,
Greece yet may live, her threaten'd fleet remain ;
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And Hector's force, and Jove's own aid, be vain :

Then with his fceptre, that the deep controls,
He touch'd the chiefs, and steel'd their manly fouls:
Strength, not their own, the touch divine imparts,
Prompts their light limbs, and swells their daring hearts.
Then, as falcon from the rocky height,
Her quarry feen, impetuous at the fight
Forth-fpringing inftant, darts herself from high,
Shoots on the wing, and skims along the sky :
Such, and so swift, the power of Ocean flew ;
The wide horizon fhut him from their view.
Th' infpiring God, Oïleus' active fon
Perceiv'd the first, and thus to Telamon:

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Some God, my friend, fome God in human form Favouring defcends, and wills to stand the ftorm. 100 Not Calchas this, the venerable feer;

Short as he turn'd, I faw the Power appear.

I mark'd his parting, and the steps he trod;
His own bright evidence reveals a God.
Ev'n now fome energy divine I share,

And seem to walk on wings, and tread in air!
With equal ardour (Telamon returns)
My foul is kindled, and my bosom burns:
New rifing fpirits all my force alarm,
Lift each impatient limb, and brace my arm.

's ready arm, unthinking, shakes the dart;
blood pours back, and fortifies my heart;

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Singly,

Singly, methinks, yon towering chief I meet,
And ftretch the dreadful Hector at my feet.

Full of the God that urg'd their burning breaft, 115 The heroes thus their mutual warmth exprefs'd. Neptune mean-while the routed Greeks inspir'd, Who, breathless, pale, with length of labours tir'd, Pant in the fhips; while Troy to conqueft calls, And fwarms victorious o'er their yielding walls: Trembling before th' impending storm they lie, While tears of rage stand burning in their eye. Greece funk they thought, and this their fatal hour; But breathe new courage as they feel the Power.

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Teucer and Leitus first his words excite;

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Then ftern Peneleus rifes to the fight;
Thoas, Deïpyrus, in arms renown'd,
And Merion next, th' impulfive fury found;
Laft Neftor's fon the fame bold ardour takes,
While thus the God the martial fire awakes:
Oh lafting infamy, oh dire difgrace
To chiefs of vigorous youth and manly race!
I trusted in the Gods, and you, to fee
Brave Greece victorious, and her navy free:
Ah no-the glorious combat you disclaim,
And one black day clouds all her former fame.
Heavens! what a prodigy thefe eyes survey,

Unseen, unthought, till this amazing day!

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Fly we at length from Troy's oft-conquer'd bands?
And falls our fleet by fuch inglorious hands?

A rout undisciplin'd, a straggling train,
Not born to glories of the duty plain;

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Like frighted fawns, from hill to hill pursued,
A prey to every favage of the wood:

150,

Shall thefe, fo late who trembled at your name, 145
Invade your camps, involve your fhips in flame?
A change so shameful, fay, what cause has wrought?
The foldier's baseness, or the general's fault?
Fools! will ye perish for your leader's vice;
The purchase infamy, and life the price?
'Tis not your caufe, Achilles' injur'd fame:
Another's is the crime, but yours the shame.
Grant that our chief offend through rage or lust,
Muft you be cowards if your king 's unjust ?
Prevent this evil, and your country save:
Small thought retrieves the spirits of the brave.
Think, and fubdue! on daftards dead to fame
I waste no anger, for they feel no shame :
But you, the pride, the flower of all our host,

My heart weeps blood to see your glory lost !
Nor deem this day, this battle, all you lose;
A day more black, a fate more vile, enfues.
Let each reflect, who prizes fame or breath,
On endless infamy, on instant death,

For lo! the fated time, th' appointed shore;
Hark! the gates burst, the brazen barriers roar.!
Impetuous Hector thunders at the wall;

The hour, the spot, to conquer, or to fall.

These words the Grecians' fainting hearts inspire, And listening armies catch the god-like fire. `ix'd at his post was each bold Ajax found, th well-rang'd fquadrons ftrongly circled round a lofe their order, fo difpos'd their fight, Pallas' felf might view with fix'd delight;

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Or

Or had the God of War inclin'd his eyes,
The God of War had own'd a just surprize.
A chofen phalanx, firm, refolv'd as Fate,
Defcending Hector and his battle wait.

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An iron fcene gleams dreadful o'er the fields, Armour in armour lock'd, and shields in shields, 180 Spears lean on fpears, on targets targets throng, Helms stuck to helms, and man drove man along. The floating plumes unnumber'd wave above, As when an earthquake stirs the nodding grove; And, level'd at the skies with pointing rays, Their brandifh'd lances at each motion blaze. Thus breathing death, in terrible array, The close-compacted legions urg'd their way: Fierce they drove on, impatient to destroy; Troy charg'd the first, and Hector first of Troy. As from fome mountain's craggy forehead torn, A rock's round fragment flies, with fury, borne (Which from the stubborn stone a torrent rends) Precipitate the ponderous mass descends : From steep to steep the rolling ruin bounds; At every shock the crackling wood resounds; Still gathering force, it smakes; and, urg'd amain, Whirls, leaps, and thunders down, impetuous to the plain :

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There ftops-So Hector. Their whole force he prov'd, Refiftlefs when he rag'd, and when he stopt, unmov'd.

On him the war is bent, the darts are shed, And all their falchions wave around his head : Repuls'd he stands, nor from his stand retires;, But with repeated fhouts his army fires,

Trojans

Trojans! be firm; this arm fhall make your way 105
Through yon fquare body, and that black array.
Stand, and my spear fhall rout their scattering power,
Strong as they feem, embattled like a tower.
For he that Juno's heavenly bosom warms,
The firft of Gods, this day infpires our arms.
He faid, and rouz'd the foul in every breast;
Urg'd with defire of faine, beyond the rest,
Forth march'd Deïphobus; but, marching, held
Before his wary steps his ample fhield.

Bold Merion aim'd a ftroke (nor aim'd it wide)
The glittering javelin pierc'd the tough bull-hide;
But pierc'd not through: unfaithful to his hand,
The point broke short, and sparkled in the fand.
The Trojan warrióur, touch'd with timely fear,
On the rais'd orb to distance bore the fpear:
The Greek retreating mourn'd his fruftrate blow,
And curs'd the treacherous lance that fpar'd a foe;
Then to the ships with furly fpeed he went,
To feek a furer javélin în his tent.

Meanwhile with rifing rage the battle glows,
The tumult thickens, and the clamour grows.
By Teucer's arm the warlike Imbrius bleeds,
The fon of Mentor, rich in generous steeds.
Ere yet to Troy the fons of Greece were led,
In fair Pedæus' verdant paftures bred,

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The youth had dwelt; remote from war's alarms,
And bless'd in bright Medesicafte's arms:
(This nymph, the fruit of Priam's ravish'd joy,
Ally'd the warriour to the house of Troy.)

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