He said, and loudly cheer’d the Greeks—and loud From all the hollow ships came back the cheers— In admiration of Ulysses’ speech. Gerenian Nestor next took up the word: “Like children, Grecian warriors, ye debate; Like babes to whom unknown are feats of arms. Where then are now our solemn covenants, Our plighted oaths? Go, cast we to the fire Our councils held, our warriors’ plans matur’d, Our absolute pledges, and our hand-plight giv’n, In which our trust was placed; since thus in vain In words we wrangle, and how long soe’er We here remain, solution none we find. Atrides, thou, as is thy wont, maintain Unchang’d thy counsel; for the stubborn fight Array the Greeks; and let perdition seize Those few, those two or three among the host, Who hold their separate counsel—(not on them Depends the issue!)—rather than return To Argos, ere we prove if Jove indeed Will falsify his promis’d word, or no. For well I ween, that on the day when first We Grecians hitherward our course address’d, To Troy the messengers of blood and death, Th’ o’er-ruling son of Saturn, on our right His lightning flashing, with auspicious sign Assur’d us of his favour; let not then The thoughts of home be breath’d, ere Trojan wives Given to our warriors, retribution pay For wrongs by us, in Helen’s cause, sustain’d. But whoso longs, if such an one there be, To make his homeward voyage, let him take His well-rigg’d bark, and go; before the rest To meet the doom of death! But thou, O King! Be well advis’d thyself, and others lead By wholesome counsel; for the words I speak Are not to be despis’d; by tribes and clans, O Agamemnon! range thy troops, that so Tribe may to tribe give aid, and clan to clan. If thus thou do, and Greeks thy words obey, Then shalt thou see, of chiefs and troops alike, The good and bad; for on their own behoof They all shall fight; and if thou fail, shalt know Whether thy failure be of Heav’n’s decree, Or man’s default and ignorance of war.”