The polish’d lance, and quiver’d in the ground. Sudden he stopp’d, with panic paralys’d: His teeth all chatt’ring, pale with fear he stood, With falt’ring accents; panting, they came up And seiz’d him in their grasp; he thus, in tears: “Spare but my life; my life I can redeem; For ample stores I have of gold, and brass, And well-wrought iron; and of these my sire Would pay a gen’rous ransom, could he learn That in the Grecian ships I yet surviv’d.” To whom Ulysses, deep-designing, thus: “Be of good cheer; nor let the fear of death Disturb thy mind; but tell me truly this; How is ’t that tow’rd the ships thou com’st alone, In the still night, when other mortals sleep? Com’st thou perchance for plunder of the dead? Or seek’st upon our ships to play the spy, By Hector sent? or of thine own accord?” Then Dolon thus—his knees with terror shook— “With much persuasion, of my better mind Hector beguil’d me, off’ring as my prize Achilles’ horses and his brass-bound car; Through the dark night he sent me, and enjoin’d, Ent’ring your hostile camp, to learn if still Ye keep your wonted watch, or by our arms Subdued and vanquish’d, meditate retreat, And worn with toil, your nightly watch neglect.” To whom Ulysses thus with scornful smile: “High soar’d thy hopes indeed, that thought to win The horses of Achilles; hard are they For mortal man to harness or control, Save for Achilles’ self, the Goddess-born. But tell me truly this; when here thou cam’st, Where left’st thou Hector, guardian chief of Troy? Where are his warlike arms? his horses where? Where lie the rest? and where are plac’d their guards? What are their secret counsels? do they mean Here by the ships to keep their ground, or back, Sated with vict’ry, to the town return?” Whom Dolon answer’d thus, Eumedes’ son: “Thy questions all true answers shall receive; Hector, with those who share his counsels, sits In conf’rence, far apart, near Ilus’ tomb; But for the guards thou speak’st of, noble chief, Not one is station’d to protect the camp. Around the Trojan fires indeed, perforce, A watch is kept; and they, among themselves, Due caution exercise: but, for th’ Allies, They sleep, and to the Trojans leave the watch, Since nor their children nor their wives are near.” To whom in answer sage Ulysses thus: “Say now, where sleep they? with the Trojans mix’d, Or separate? explain, that I may know.”