Then said, the king: “Herald, thou hear’st the voice entire Of all our peers, to answer thee, for that of Priam’s son. But, for our burning of the dead, by all means I am won To satisfy thy king therein, without the slend’rest gain Made of their spoiléd carcasses; but freely, being slain, They shall be all consum’d with fire. To which I cite High thund’ring Jove; that is the king of Juno’s delight.” With this, he held his sceptre up, to all the sky-thron’d Pow’rs; And grave Idæus did return to sacred Ilion’s tow’rs, Where Ilians, and Dardanians, did still their counsels ply, Expecting his return. He came, and told his legacy. All, whirlwind-like, assembled then, some bodies to transport, Some to hew trees. On th’ other part, the Argives did exhort Their soldiers to the same affairs. Then, did the new fir’d sun Smite the broad fields, ascending heav’n, and th’ ocean smooth did run; When Greece and Troy mix’d in such peace, you scarce could either know. Then wash’d they off their blood and dust, and did warm tears bestow Upon the slaughter’d, and in cars convey’d them from the field. Priam commanded none should mourn, but in still silence yield Their honour’d carcasses to fire, and only grieve in heart. All burn’d; to Troy Troy’s friends retire, to fleet the Grecian part. Yet doubtful night obscur’d the earth, the day did not appear, When round about the fun’ral pile, the Grecians gather’d were. The pile they circled with a tomb, and by it rais’d a wall, High tow’rs, to guard the fleet and them; and in the midst of all They built strong gates, through which the horse and chariots passage had; Without the rampire a broad dike, long and profound, they made, On which they pallisadoes pitch’d; and thus the Grecians wrought. Their huge works in so little time were to perfection brought, That all Gods, by the Lightner set, the frame thereof admir’d; ‘Mongst whom the Earthquake-making God, this of their king inquir’d: “Father of Gods, will any man, of all earth’s grassy sphere, Ask any of the Gods’ consents to any actions there, If thou wilt see the shag-hair’d Greeks, with headstrong labours frame So huge a work, and not to us due off’rings first enflame? As far as white Aurora’s dews are sprinkled through the air, Fame will renown the hands of Greece, for this divine affair; Men will forget the sacred work, the Sun and I did raise For king Laomedon (bright Troy) and this will bear the praise.” Jove was extremely mov’d with him, and said: “What words are these, Thou mighty Shaker of the earth, thou Lord of all the seas? Some other God, of far less pow’r, might hold conceits, dismay’d With this rare Grecian stratagem, and thou rest well apaid;[7] For it will glorify thy name, as far as light extends; Since, when these Greeks shall see again their native soil and friends, The bulwark batter’d, thou mayst quite devour it with thy waves, And cover, with thy fruitless sands, this fatal shore of graves;