Then valiant Menelaus first began: “Why thus in arms, good brother? seek’st thou one The Trojan camp to spy? I greatly fear That none will undertake the task, alone To spy the movements of the hostile camp In the dark night: stout-hearted he must be.” To whom the monarch Agamemnon thus: “Great need, my noble brother, have we both Of sagest counsels, if we hope the Greeks And Grecian ships from ruin to preserve, Since turn’d against us is the mind of Jove. To Hector’s off’rings most his soul inclines; For never have I seen, or heard men tell, How in one day one man has wrought such loss As Hector, dear to Jove, yet not the son Of God or Goddess, on the Greeks has wrought. Such deeds hath he achiev’d, such havoc made, As we shall long in bitter mem’ry keep. Haste thou amid the ships, and hither bring Idomeneus and Ajax; I the while Will Nestor rouse, and urge that he with us The outposts visit, and instruct the guard. To him they best will listen; for his son Commands the watch; with him Meriones, The follower of the King Idomeneus: To them by pref’rence hath this charge been giv’n.” He said: and Menelaus answer’d thus: “What wouldst thou have me do then? here remain With them, and wait thy coming, or to them Thy message give, and follow in thy steps?” Him answer’d Agamemnon, King of men: “Remain thou here, lest haply we might fail To meet; for in the camp are many paths. But thou, where’er thou go’st, each sev’ral man Address, and ask to rise; to each his name And patronymic giving; pay to each All due respect; nor bear thee haughtily; We like the rest must share the load of toil. Which Jove assigns to all of mortal birth.” His brother thus with counsels wise dismiss’d, The King to aged Nestor took his way: Him by his tent and dark-ribb’d ship he found On a soft couch; beside him lay his arms, His shield, two lances, and a glitt’ring helm: There lay the rich-wrought belt the old man wore, When to the battle, arm’d, he led his troops; For nought to age’s weakness would he yield. Raising his head, and on his elbow propp’d, He question’d thus Atrides: “Who art thou, That wand’rest through th’ encampment thus alone, In the dark night, when other mortals sleep? Seek’st thou some mule broke loose, or comrade lost? Speak, nor in silence come; what wouldst thou here?”