“Beloved, be not at all too sad in thine heart on my account. For no man shall send me prematurely to the shades. But I think there is no one of men who has escaped fate, neither the coward nor the brave man, after he has once been born. But do thou, going home, take care of thy own works, thy web and distaff, and command thy maids to perform their task; but war shall be a care to all the men who are born in Ilium, and particularly to me.” Thus having spoken, illustrious Hector took up the horse-haired helmet, and his beloved wife departed home, looking back from time to time, and shedding copious tears. Then immediately she reached the very commodious palace of man-slaying Hector, and within she found many maids, and in all of them she excited grief. They, indeed, bewailed in his own palace Hector still alive, for they thought that he would never return back again from battle, escaping the might and the hands of the Greeks. Nor did Paris delay in his lofty halls; but he, after he had put on his famous arms, variegated with brass, then hastened through the city, relying on his swift feet. And as 250 when a stabled courser, fed with barley at the stall, having broken his cord, runs prancing over the plain, elate with joy, being accustomed to bathe in some fair-flowing river. He bears aloft his head, and his mane is tossed about on his shoulders: but he, relying on his beauty, 251 his knees easily bear him to the accustomed pastures 252 of the mares. Thus Paris, the son of Priam, shining in arms like the sun, exulting descended down from the citadel of Pergamus, but his swift feet bore him, and immediately after he found his noble brother Hector, when he was now about to depart from the place where he was conversing with his spouse. Footnote 250: (return) Cf. Ennius apud Macrob. iv. 3: “Et tunc sicut equus, qui de præsepibus actus, Vincla sueis magneis animeis abrumpit, et inde Fert sese campi per cærula, lætaque prata, Celso pectore, sæpe jubam quassat simul altam; Spiritus ex anima calida spumas agit albas.” Footnote 251: (return) Observe the anacoluthon. Footnote 252: (return) An instance of hendiadys. Him godlike Alexander first addressed: “Honoured brother, assuredly now I am altogether detaining thee, although hastening, nor have I come in due time as thou didst order.” Him then crest-tossing Hector answering addressed: “Strange man! not any man indeed, who is just, could dispraise thy deeds of war, for thou art brave. But willingly art thou remiss, and dost not wish [to fight]; and my heart is saddened in my breast, when I hear dishonourable things of thee from the Trojans, who have much toil on thy account. But let us away, these things we shall arrange hereafter, if ever Jove shall grant us to place a free goblet in our halls to the heavenly everlasting gods, when we shall have repulsed the well-greaved Greeks from Troy.” BOOK THE SEVENTH. ARGUMENT.