He scarce had ended, when themselves appear’d, And from the car descended: welcom’d back With cordial grasp of hands, and friendly words. Gerenian Nestor first, enquiring, said: “Tell me, renown’d Ulysses, pride of Greece, Whence come these horses? from the Trojan camp? Or hath some God, that met you by the way, Bestow’d them, radiant as the beams of light? Among the Trojans day by day I move; ’Tis not my wont; old warrior though I be, To lag behind; but horses such as these I never saw; some God hath giv’n them, sure; For Jove, the Cloud-compeller, loves you both, And Pallas, child of aegis-bearing Jove.” To whom again the sage Ulysses thus: “O Nestor, son of Neleus, pride of Greece, Had they so will’d, the Gods, so great their pow’r, E’en better horses could have giv’n than these; But these, old man, are Thracians, newly come; Whose King the valiant Diomed hath slain, And with him twelve, the best of all his band. A scout too have we slain, by Hector sent, And by the Trojan chiefs, to spy our camp.” He said, and o’er the ditch the horses drove, Exulting in their prize; and with him went The other chiefs, rejoicing, through the camp. Arriv’d at Diomed’s well-order’d tent, First with strong halters to the rack, where stood, High-fed with corn, his own swift-footed steeds, The horses they secur’d; Ulysses then The bloody spoils of Dolon stow’d away In the ship’s stern, till fitting sacrifice To Pallas might be offer’d; to the sea Descending then, they wash’d away the sweat, Which on their necks, and thighs, and knees had dried; The sweat wash’d off, and in the ocean waves Themselves refresh’d, they sought the polish’d bath; Then, by the bath restor’d, and all their limbs Anointed freely with the lissom oil, Sat down to breakfast; and from flowing bowls In Pallas’ honour pour’d the luscious wine. ARGUMENT. THE THIRD BATTLE, AND THE ACTS OF AGAMEMNON.