Given, and refused; he placed thee high in power, Gave thee to sway the sceptre o’er us all, But courage gave thee not, his noblest gift.[2] Art thou in truth persuaded that the Greeks Are pusillanimous, as thou hast said?50 If thy own fears impel thee to depart, Go thou, the way is open; numerous ships, Thy followers from Mycenæ, line the shore. But we, the rest, depart not, till the spoil Of Troy reward us. Or if all incline55 To seek again their native home, fly all; Myself and Sthenelus will persevere Till Ilium fall, for with the Gods we came. He ended; all the admiring sons of Greece With shouts the warlike Diomede extoll’d,60 When thus equestrian Nestor next began. Tydides, thou art eminently brave In fight, and all the princes of thy years Excell’st in council. None of all the Greeks Shall find occasion just to blame thy speech65 Or to gainsay; yet thou hast fallen short. What wonder? Thou art young; and were myself Thy father, thou should’st be my latest born. Yet when thy speech is to the Kings of Greece, It is well-framed and prudent. Now attend!70 Myself will speak, who have more years to boast Than thou hast seen, and will so closely scan The matter, that Atrides, our supreme, Himself shall have no cause to censure _me_. He is a wretch, insensible and dead75 To all the charities of social life, Whose pleasure is in civil broils alone.[3] But Night is urgent, and with Night’s demands Let all comply. Prepare we now repast, And let the guard be stationed at the trench80 Without the wall; the youngest shall supply That service; next, Atrides, thou begin (For thou art here supreme) thy proper task. Banquet the elders; it shall not disgrace Thy sovereignty, but shall become thee well.85 Thy tents are fill’d with wine which day by day Ships bring from Thrace; accommodation large Hast thou, and numerous is thy menial train. Thy many guests assembled, thou shalt hear Our counsel, and shalt choose the best; great need90 Have all Achaia’s sons, now, of advice Most prudent; for the foe, fast by the fleet Hath kindled numerous fires, which who can see Unmoved? This night shall save us or destroy.[4] He spake, whom all with full consent approved.95 Forth rush’d the guard well-arm’d; first went the son Of Nestor, Thrasymedes, valiant Chief; Then, sons of Mars, Ascalaphus advanced, And brave Iälmenus; whom follow’d next Deipyrus, Aphareus, Meriones,100 And Lycomedes, Creon’s son renown’d. Seven were the leaders of the guard, and each A hundred spearmen headed, young and bold. Between the wall and trench their seat they chose, There kindled fires, and each his food prepared.105 Atrides, then, to his pavilion led The thronging Chiefs of Greece, and at his board Regaled them; they with readiness and keen Dispatch of hunger shared the savory feast, And when nor thirst remain’d nor hunger more110 Unsated, Nestor then, arising first, Whose counsels had been ever wisest deem’d, Warm for the public interest, thus began.