(Ourselves appearing in the walks of war) Will greet us gladly. Doubtless at the fleet Some Trojan also, shall to dogs resign His flesh for food, and to the fowls of heaven. So counsell’d Pallas, nor the daughter dread440 Of mighty Saturn, Juno, disapproved, But busily and with dispatch prepared The trappings of her coursers golden-rein’d. Meantime, Minerva progeny of Jove, On the adamantine floor of his abode445 Let fall profuse her variegated robe, Labor of her own hands. She first put on The corslet of the cloud-assembler God, Then arm’d her for the field of wo, complete. Mounting the fiery chariot, next she seized450 Her ponderous spear, huge, irresistible, With which Jove’s awful daughter levels ranks Of heroes against whom her anger burns. Juno with lifted lash urged on the steeds. At their approach, spontaneous roar’d the wide-455 Unfolding gates of heaven; the heavenly gates Kept by the watchful Hours, to whom the charge Of the Olympian summit appertains, And of the boundless ether, back to roll, And to replace the cloudy barrier dense.460 Spurr’d through the portal flew the rapid steeds: Which when the Eternal Father from the heights Of Ida saw, kindling with instant ire To golden-pinion’d Iris thus he spake. Haste, Iris, turn them thither whence they came;465 Me let them not encounter; honor small To them, to me, should from that strife accrue. Tell them, and the effect shall sure ensue, That I will smite their steeds, and they shall halt Disabled; break their chariot, dash themselves470 Headlong, and ten whole years shall not efface The wounds by my avenging bolts impress’d. So shall my blue-eyed daughter learn to dread A father’s anger; but for the offence Of Juno, I resent it less; for she475 Clashes[15] with all my counsels from of old. He ended; Iris with a tempest’s speed From the Idæan summit soar’d at once To the Olympian; at the open gates Exterior of the mountain many-valed480 She stayed them, and her coming thus declared. Whither, and for what cause? What rage is this? Ye may not aid the Grecians; Jove forbids; The son of Saturn threatens, if ye force His wrath by perseverance into act,485 That he will smite your steeds, and they shall halt Disabled; break your chariot, dash yourselves Headlong, and ten whole years shall not efface The wounds by his avenging bolts impress’d. So shall his blue-eyed daughter learn to dread490 A father’s anger; but for the offence Of Juno, he resents it less; for she Clashes with all his counsels from of old. But thou, Minerva, if thou dare indeed Lift thy vast spear against the breast of Jove,495 Incorrigible art and dead to shame. So saying, the rapid Iris disappear’d, And thus her speech to Pallas Juno turn’d. Ah Pallas, progeny of Jove! henceforth No longer, in the cause of mortal men,500 Contend we against Jove. Perish or live Grecians or Trojans as he wills; let him Dispose the order of his own concerns, And judge between them, as of right he may.