Thus Hector spoke; the Trojans shouted loud: Then from the yoke the sweating steeds they loos’d, And tether’d each beside their sev’ral cars: Next from the city speedily they brought Oxen and sheep; the luscious wine procur’d; Brought bread from out their houses, and good store Of fuel gather’d; wafted from the plain, The winds to Heav’n the sav’ry odours bore. Full of proud hopes, upon the pass of war, All night they camp’d; and frequent blaz’d their fires. As when in Heav’n, around the glitt’ring moon The stars shine bright amid the breathless air; And ev’ry crag, and ev’ry jutting peak Stands boldly forth, and ev’ry forest glade; Ev’n to the gates of Heav’n is open’d wide The boundless sky; shines each particular star Distinct; joy fills the gazing shepherd’s heart. So bright, so thickly scatter’d o’er the plain, Before the walls of Troy, between the ships And Xanthus’ stream, the Trojan watchfires blaz’d. A thousand fires burnt brightly; and round each Sat fifty warriors in the ruddy glare; Champing the provender before them laid, Barley and rye, the tether’d horses stood Beside the cars, and waited for the morn. ARGUMENT. THE EMBASSY TO ACHILLES. Agamemnon, after the last day’s defeat, proposes to the Greeks to quit the siege, and return to their country. Diomed opposes this, and Nestor seconds him, praising his wisdom and resolution. He orders the guard to be strengthened, and a council summoned to deliberate what measures were to be followed in this emergency. Agamemnon pursues this advice, and Nestor farther prevails upon him to send ambassadors to Achilles in order to move him to a reconciliation. Ulysses and Ajax are made choice of, who are accompanied by old Phoenix. They make, each of them, very moving and pressing speeches, but are rejected with roughness by Achilles, who notwithstanding retains Phoenix in his tent. The ambassadors return unsuccessfully to the camp, and the troops betake themselves to sleep. This book, and the next following, take up the space of one night, which is the twenty-seventh from the beginning of the poem. The scene lies on the sea-shore, the station of the Grecian ships. BOOK IX. Thus kept their watch, the Trojans; but the Greeks Dire Panic held, companion of chill Fear, Their bravest struck with grief unbearable. As when two stormy winds ruffle the sea, Boreas and Zephyr, from the hills of Thrace With sudden gust descending; the dark waves Rear high their angry crests, and toss on shore Masses of tangled weed; such stormy grief The breast of ev’ry Grecian warrior rent.