She fell, and with entreaties urgent sought The succor of his coursers golden-rein’d. Save me, my brother! Pity me! Thy steeds415 Give me, that they may bear me to the heights Olympian, seat of the immortal Gods! Oh! I am wounded deep; a mortal man Hath done it, Diomede; nor would he fear This day in fight the Sire himself of all.420 Then Mars his coursers gold-caparison’d Resign’d to Venus; she, with countenance sad, The chariot climb’d, and Iris at her side The bright reins seizing lash’d the ready steeds. Soon as the Olympian heights, seat of the Gods,425 They reach’d, wing-footed Iris loosing quick The coursers, gave them large whereon to browse Ambrosial food; but Venus on the knees Sank of Dione, who with folded arms Maternal, to her bosom straining close430 Her daughter, stroked her cheek, and thus inquired. My darling child! who? which of all the Gods Hath rashly done such violence to thee As if convicted of some open wrong? Her then the Goddess of love-kindling smiles435 Venus thus answer’d; Diomede the proud, Audacious Diomede; he gave the wound, For that I stole Æneas from the fight My son of all mankind my most beloved; Nor is it now the war of Greece with Troy,440 But of the Grecians with the Gods themselves. Then thus Dione, Goddess all divine. My child! how hard soe’er thy sufferings seem Endure them patiently. Full many a wrong From human hands profane the Gods endure,445 And many a painful stroke, mankind from ours. Mars once endured much wrong, when on a time Him Otus bound and Ephialtes fast, Sons of Alöeus, and full thirteen moons In brazen thraldom held him. There, at length,450 The fierce blood-nourished Mars had pined away, But that Eëribœa, loveliest nymph, His step-mother, in happy hour disclosed To Mercury the story of his wrongs; He stole the prisoner forth, but with his woes455 Already worn, languid and fetter-gall’d. Nor Juno less endured, when erst the bold Son of Amphytrion with tridental shaft Her bosom pierced; she then the misery felt Of irremediable pain severe.460 Nor suffer’d Pluto less, of all the Gods Gigantic most, by the same son of Jove Alcides, at the portals of the dead Transfix’d and fill’d with anguish; he the house Of Jove and the Olympian summit sought465 Dejected, torture-stung, for sore the shaft Oppress’d him, into his huge shoulder driven. But Pæon[12] him not liable to death With unction smooth of salutiferous balms Heal’d soon. Presumptuous, sacrilegious man!470 Careless what dire enormities he wrought, Who bent his bow against the powers of heaven! But blue-eyed Pallas instigated him By whom thou bleed’st. Infatuate! he forgets That whoso turns against the Gods his arm475 Lives never long; he never, safe escaped From furious fight, the lisp’d caresses hears Of his own infants prattling at his knees. Let therefore Diomede beware, lest strong And valiant as he is, he chance to meet490 Some mightier foe than thou, and lest his wife, Daughter of King Adrastus, the discrete