She said; and trembled Helen, child of Jove; She rose in silence; in a snow-white veil All glitt’ring, shrouded; by the Goddess led She pass’d, unnotic’d by the Trojan dames. But when to Paris’ splendid house they came, Thronging around her, her attendants gave Their duteous service; through the lofty hall With queenly grace the godlike woman pass’d. A seat the laughter-loving Goddess plac’d By Paris’ side; there Helen sat, the child Of aegis-bearing Jove, with downcast eyes, Yet with sharp words she thus address’d her Lord: “Back from the battle? would thou there hadst died Beneath a warrior’s arm, whom once I call’d My husband! vainly didst thou boast erewhile Thine arm, thy dauntless courage, and thy spear The warlike Menelaus should subdue! Go now again, and challenge to the fight The warlike Menelaus. Be thou ware! I warn thee, pause, ere madly thou presume With fair-hair’d Menelaus to contend! Soon shouldst thou fall beneath his conqu’ring spear.” To whom thus Paris: “Wring not thus my soul With keen reproaches: now, with Pallas’ aid, Hath Menelaus conquer’d; but my day Will come: I too can boast my guardian Gods. But turn we now to love, and love’s delights; For never did thy beauty so inflame My sense; not when from Lacedaemon first I bore thee in my ocean-going ships, And revell’d in thy love on Cranae’s isle, As now it fills my soul with fond desire.” He said, and led her to the nuptial couch; Her Lord she follow’d; and while there reclin’d Upon the richly-inlaid couch they lay, Atrides, like a lion baffled, rush’d Amid the crowd, if haply he might find The godlike Paris; but not one of all The Trojans and their brave allies could aid The warlike Menelaus in his search; Not that, for love, would any one that knew Have screen’d him from his anger, for they all Abhorr’d him as the shade of death: then thus Outspoke great Agamemnon, King of men: “Hear me, ye Trojans, Dardans, and Allies! With warlike Menelaus rests, ’tis plain, The prize of vict’ry: then surrender ye The Argive Helen and the spoils of war, With compensation due to Greece, that so A record may to future days remain.” Thus he; the Greeks, assenting, cheer’d his words. ARGUMENT. THE BREACH OF THE TRUCE, AND THE FIRST BATTLE. The Gods deliberate in council concerning the Trojan war: they agree upon the continuation of it, and Jupiter sends down Minerva to break the truce. She persuades Pandarus to aim an arrow at Menelaus, who is wounded, but cured by Machaon. In the mean time some of the Trojan troops attack the Greeks. Agamemnon is distinguished in all the parts of a good general; he reviews the troops, and exhorts the leaders, some by praises, and others by reproofs. Nestor is particularly celebrated for his military discipline. The battle joins, and great numbers are slain on both sides.