His cord, beats under foot the sounding soil, Accustom’d in smooth-sliding streams to lave Exulting; high he bears his head, his mane Wantons around his shoulders; pleased, he eyes330 His glossy sides, and borne on pliant knees Soon finds the haunts where all his fellows graze; So bounded Hector, and his agile joints Plied lightly, quicken’d by the voice divine, And gather’d fast his charioteers to battle.335 But as when hounds and hunters through the woods Rush in pursuit of stag or of wild goat, He, in some cave with tangled boughs o’erhung, Lies safe conceal’d, no destined prey of theirs, Till by their clamors roused, a lion grim340 Starts forth to meet them; then, the boldest fly; Such hot pursuit the Danaï, with swords And spears of double edge long time maintain’d. But seeing Hector in his ranks again Occupied, felt at once their courage fall’n.345 Then, Thoas them, Andræmon’s son, address’d, Foremost of the Ætolians, at the spear Skilful, in stationary combat bold, And when the sons of Greece held in dispute The prize of eloquence, excell’d by few.350 Prudent advising them, he thus began. Ye Gods! what prodigy do I behold? Hath Hector, ’scaping death, risen again? For him, with confident persuasion all Believed by Telamonian Ajax slain.355 But some Divinity hath interposed To rescue and save Hector, who the joints Hath stiffen’d of full many a valiant Greek, As surely now he shall; for, not without The Thunderer’s aid, he flames in front again.360 But take ye all my counsel. Send we back The multitude into the fleet, and first Let us, who boast ourselves bravest in fight, Stand, that encountering him with lifted spears, We may attempt to give his rage a check.365 To thrust himself into a band like ours Will, doubtless, even in Hector move a fear. He ceased, with whose advice all, glad, complied. Then Ajax with Idomeneus of Crete, Teucer, Meriones, and Meges fierce370 As Mars in battle, summoning aloud The noblest Greeks, in opposition firm To Hector and his host their bands prepared, While others all into the fleet retired. Troy’s crowded host[8] struck first. With awful strides375 Came Hector foremost; him Apollo led, His shoulders wrapt in clouds, and, on his arm, The Ægis shagg’d terrific all around, Tempestuous, dazzling-bright; it was a gift To Jove from Vulcan, and design’d to appall,380 And drive to flight the armies of the earth. Arm’d with that shield Apollo led them on. Firm stood the embodied Greeks; from either host Shrill cries arose; the arrows from the nerve Leap’d, and, by vigorous arms dismiss’d, the spears385 Flew frequent; in the flesh some stood infixt Of warlike youths, but many, ere they reach’d The mark they coveted, unsated fell Between the hosts, and rested in the soil. Long as the God unagitated held390 The dreadful disk, so long the vollied darts Made mutual slaughter, and the people fell; But when he look’d the Grecian charioteers Full in the face and shook it, raising high