The Iliad and the Odyssey (Classics of World Literature) (39 page)

(Of which there serv’d the most and best) still boldly built upon

The wisdom of Polydamas, and Hector’s matchless strength,

And follow’d, fill’d with wondrous spirit, with wish and hope at length

(The Greeks’ wall won) to fire their fleet. But (having passed the dike,

And willing now to pass the wall) this prodigy did strike

Their hearts with some deliberate stay: a high-flown eagle soar’d

On their troops’ left hand, and sustain’d a dragon all engor’d,

In her strong seres, of wondrous size, and yet had no such check

In life and spirit, but still she fought; and turning back her neck

So stung the eagle’s gorge, that down she cast her fervent prey

Amongst the multitude, and took upon the winds her way,

Crying with anguish. When they saw a branded serpent sprawl

So full amongst them from above, and from Jove’s fowl let fall,

They took it an ostent from him, stood frighted, and their cause

Polydamas thought just, and spake: ‘Hector, you know applause

Of humour hath been far from me; nor fits it, or in war

Or in affairs of court, a man employ’d in public care

To blanch things further than their truth, or flatter any pow’r.

And therefore for that simple cause your strength hath oft been sour

To me in counsels, yet again, what shows in my thoughts best,

I must discover: let us cease, and make their flight our rest

For this day’s honour, and not now attempt the Grecian fleet;

For this, I fear, will be th’ event: the prodigy doth meet

So full with our affair in hand. As this high-flying fowl

Upon the left wing of our host (implying our control)

Hover’d above us, and did truss within her golden seres

A serpent so embrew’d, and big, which yet (in all her fears)

Kept life, and fervent spirit to fight, and wrought her own release,

Nor did the eagle’s eyrie feed: so though we thus far press

Upon the Grecians, and perhaps may overturn their wall,

Our high minds aiming at their fleet, and that we much appal

Their trussed spirits, yet are they so serpent-like dispos’d

That they will fight, though in our seres, and will at length be loos’d

With all our outcries; and the life of many a Trojan breast

Shall with the eagle fly, before we carry to our nest

Them, or their navy.’ Thus expounds the augur this ostent,

Whose depth he knows, and these should fear. Hector, with count’nance bent,

Thus answer’d him: ‘Polydamas, your depth in augury

I like not; and know passing well, thou dost not satisfy

Thyself in this opinion; or if thou think’st it true,

Thy thoughts the gods blind, to advise and urge that as our due,

That breaks our duties – and to Jove, whose vow and sign to me

Is past directly for our speed; yet light-wing’d birds must be

(By thy advice) our oracles, whose feathers little stay

My serious actions. What care I, if this or th’ other way

Their wild wings sway them: if the right, on which the sun doth rise,

Or to the left hand, where he sets? ’Tis Jove’s high counsel flies

With those wings that shall bear up us, Jove’s, that both earth and heav’n,

Both men and gods, sustains and rules; one augury is giv’n

To order all men best of all: fight for thy country’s right.

But why fear’st thou our further charge? For though the dangerous fight

Strew all men here about the fleet, yet thou need’st never fear

To bear their rates; thy wary heart will never trust thee where

An enemy’s look is, and yet fight; for, if thou dar’st abstain,

Or whisper into any ear an abstinence so vain

As thou advisest, never fear that any foe shall take

Thy life from thee, for ’tis this lance.’ This said, all forwards make,

Himself the first: yet before him exulting Clamour flew,

And thunder-loving Jupiter from lofty Ida blew

A storm that usher’d their assault, and made them charge like him:

It drave directly on the fleet a dust so fierce and dim,

That it amaz’d the Grecians, but was a grace divine

To Hector and his following troops, who wholly did incline

To him, being now in grace with Jove: and so put boldly on

To raze the rampire, in whose height they fiercely set upon

The parapets, and pull’d them down, raz’d every foremost fight,

And all the buttresses of stone that held their tow’rs upright

They tore away with crows of iron, and hop’d to ruin all.

The Greeks yet stood, and still repair’d the fore-fights of their wall

With hides of oxen, and from thence they pour’d down stones in show’rs

Upon the underminers’ heads. Within the foremost tow’rs

Both the Ajaces had command; who answer’d every part

Th’ assaulters, and their soldiers, repress’d, and put in heart,

Repairing valour as their wall: spake some fair, some reprov’d,

Whoever made not good his place; and thus they all sorts mov’d:

‘O countrymen, now need in aid would have excess be spent:

The excellent must be admir’d, the meanest excellent,

The worst, do well; in changing war all should not be alike,

Nor any idle: which to know, fits all, lest Hector strike

Your minds with frights, as ears with threats; forward be all your hands,

Urge one another: this doubt down, that now betwixt us stands,

Jove will go with us to their walls.’ To this effect aloud

Spake both the princes, and as high (with this) th’ expulsion flow’d.

And as in winter time, when Jove his cold sharp javelins throws

Amongst us mortals, and is mov’d to white earth with his snows;

(The winds asleep) he freely pours, till highest prominents,

Hill tops, low meadows, and the fields that crown with most contents

The toils of men, seaports and shores, are hid, and every place

But floods (that snow’s fair tender flakes, as their own brood, embrace):

So both sides cover’d earth with stones, so both for life contend,

To show their sharpness; through the war, uproar stood up on end.

Nor had great Hector and his friends the rampire overrun,

If heav’n’s great counsellor, high Jove, had not inflam’d his son

Sarpedon (like the forest’s king when he on oxen flies)

Against the Grecians: his round targe he to his arm applies,

Brass-leav’d without, and all within, thick ox-hides quilted hard,

The verge nail’d round with rods of gold; and with two darts prepar’d

He leads his people: as ye see a mountain-lion fare,

Long kept from prey; in forcing which, his high mind makes him dare

Assault upon the whole full fold, though guarded never so

With well-arm’d men and eager dogs; away he will not go,

But venture on, and either snatch a prey, or be a prey.

So far’d divine Sarpedon’s mind, resolv’d to force his way

Through all the fore-fights, and the wall: yet since he did not see

Others as great as he in name, as great in mind as he,

He spake to Glaucus: ‘Glaucus, say, why are we honour’d more

Than other men of Lycia in place, with greater store

Of meats and cups, with goodlier roofs, delightsome gardens, walks,

More lands and better, so much wealth that court and country talks

Of us and our possessions, and every way we go,

Gaze on us as we were their gods? This where we dwell is so:

The shores of Xanthus ring of this, and shall we not exceed

As much in merit as in noise? Come, be we great in deed

As well as look; shine not in gold, but in the flames of fight,

That so our neat-arm’d Lycians may say: “See, these are right

Our kings, our rulers; these deserve to eat and drink the best;

These govern not ingloriously: these thus exceed the rest,

Do more than they command to do.” O friend, if keeping back

Would keep back age from us, and death, and that we might not wrack

In this life’s human sea at all, but that deferring now

We shunn’d death ever, nor would I half this vain valour show,

Nor glorify a folly so, to wish thee to advance:

But since we must go, though not here, and that, besides the chance

Propos’d now, there are infinite fates of other sort in death,

Which (neither to be fled nor ’scap’d) a man must sink beneath,

Come, try we if this sort be ours: and either render thus

Glory to others, or make them resign the like to us.’

This motion Glaucus shifted not, but (without words) obey’d;

Foreright went both, a mighty troop of Lycians followed.

Which by Menestheus observ’d, his hair stood up on end,

For at the tow’r where he had charge, he saw Calamity bend

Her horrid brows in their approach. He threw his looks about

The whole fights near, to see what chief might help the misery out

Of his poor soldiers, and beheld where both th’ Ajaces fought,

And Teucer, newly come from fleet: whom it would profit nought

To call, since tumult on their helms, shield, and upon the ports

Laid such loud claps; for every way, defences of all sorts

Were adding, as Troy took away and Clamour flew so high

Her wings struck heav’n, and drown’d all voice. The two dukes yet so nigh

And at the offer of assault, he to th’ Ajaces sent

Thoös the herald with this charge: ‘Run to the regiment

Of both th’ Ajaces, and call both, for both were better here,

Since here will slaughter, instantly, be more enforc’d than there.

The Lycian captains this way make, who in the fights of stand

Have often show’d much excellence: yet if laborious hand

Be there more needful than I hope, at least afford us some:

Let Ajax Telamonius and th’ archer Teucer come.’

The herald hasted, and arriv’d; and both th’ Ajaces told,

That Peteus’ noble son desir’d their little labour would

Employ itself in succouring him. Both their supplies were best,

Since death assail’d his quarter most: for on it fiercely press’d

The well-prov’d mighty Lycian chiefs. Yet if the service there

Allow’d not both, he pray’d that one part of his charge would bear,

And that was Ajax Telamon, with whom he wish’d would come

The archer Teucer. Telamon left instantly his room

To strong Lycomedes, and will’d Ajax Oïliades

With him to make up his supply, and fill with courages

The Grecian hearts till his return, which should be instantly

When he had well reliev’d his friend. With this the company

Of Teucer he took to his aid – Teucer, that did descend

(As Ajax did) from Telamon: with these two did attend

Pandion, that bore Teucer’s bow. When to Menestheus’ tow’r

They came alongst the wall, they found him, and his heart’ned pow’r

Toiling in making strong their fort; the Lycian princes set

Black-whirlwind-like, with both their pow’rs, upon the parapet.

Ajax, and all, resisted them. Clamour amongst them rose:

The slaughter Ajax led, who first the last dear sight did close

Of strong Epicles, that war-friend to Jove’s great Lycian son.

Amongst the high munition heap, a mighty marble stone

Lay highest, near the pinnacle; a stone of such a paise

That one of this times’ strongest men, with both hands, could not raise.

Yet this did Ajax rouse and throw, and all in sherds did drive

Epicles’ four-topp’d casque and skull; who (as ye see one dive

In some deep river) left his height; life left his bones withal.

Teucer shot Glaucus (rushing up yet higher on the wall)

Where naked he discern’d his arm, and made him steal retreat

From that hot service, lest some Greek, with an insulting threat,

(Beholding it) might fright the rest. Sarpedon much was griev’d

At Glaucus’ parting, yet fought on, and his great heart reliev’d

A little with Alcmaon’s blood, surnam’d Thestorides,

Whose life he hurl’d out with his lance; which following through the prease,

He drew from him. Down from the tow’r Alcmaon dead it strook,

His fair arms ringing out his death. Then fierce Sarpedon took

In his strong hand the battlement, and down he tore it quite,

The wall stripp’d naked, and broad way for entry and full fight,

He made the many. Against him Ajax and Teucer made;

Teucer the rich belt on his breast did with a shaft invade,

But Jupiter averted death; who would not see his son

Die at the tails of th’ Achive ships: Ajax did fetch his run,

And (with his lance) struck through the targe of that brave Lycian king;

Yet kept he it from further pass, nor did it anything

Dismay his mind, although his men stood off from that high way

His valour made them; which he kept, and hop’d that stormy day

Should ever make his glory clear. His men’s fault thus he blam’d:

‘O Lycians, why are your hot spirits so quickly disinflam’d?

Suppose me ablest of you all: ’tis hard for me alone

To ruin such a wall as this, and make confusion

Way to their navy; lend your hands. What many can dispatch,

One cannot think: the noble work of many hath no match.’

The wise king’s just rebuke did strike a reverence to his will

Through all his soldiers; all stood in; and ’gainst all th’ Achives still

Made strong their squadrons; insomuch, that to the adverse side

The work show’d mighty; and the wall, when ’twas within descried,

No easy service; yet the Greeks could neither free the wall

Of these brave Lycians, that held firm the place they first did scale,

Nor could the Lycians from their fort the sturdy Grecians drive,

Nor reach their fleet. But as two men about the limits strive