The cheerful Lady of the light, deck’d in her saffron robe, Dispers’d her beams through ev’ry part of this enflow’red globe, When thund’ring Jove a Court of Gods assembled by his will In top of all the topful heights, that crown th’ Olympian hill. He spake, and all the Gods gave ear: “Hear how I stand inclin’d, That God nor Goddess may attempt t’ infringe my sov’reign mind, But all give suffrage that with speed I may these discords end. What God soever I shall find endeavour to defend Or Troy or Greece, with wounds to heav’n he, sham’d, shall reascend; Or, taking with him his offence, I’ll cast him down as deep As Tartarus, the brood of night, where Barathrum doth steep[1] Torment, in his profoundest sinks, where is the floor of brass, And gates of iron; the place, for depth, as far doth hell surpass, As heav’n, for height, exceeds the earth; then shall he know from thence How much my pow’r, past all the Gods, hath sov’reign eminence. Endanger it the whiles and see. Let down our golden chain, And at it let all Deities their utmost strengths constrain To draw me to the earth from heav’n; you never shall prevail, Though, with your most contention, ye dare my state assail, But when my will shall be dispos’d, to draw you all to me, Ev’n with the earth itself, and seas, ye shall enforced be; Then will I to Olympus’ top our virtuous engine bind, And by it ev’rything shall hang, by my command inclin’d. So much I am supreme to Gods, to men supreme as much.” The Gods sat silent, and admir’d, his dreadful speech was such. At last his blue-ey’d daughter spake: “O great Saturnides! O father, O heav’n’s highest king, well know we the excess Of thy great pow’r, compar’d with all; yet the bold Greeks’ estate We needs must mourn, since they must fall beneath so hard a fate; For, if thy grave command enjoin, we will abstain from fight. But to afford them such advice, as may relieve their plight, We will, with thy consent, be bold; that all may not sustain The fearful burthen of thy wrath, and with their shames be slain.” He smil’d, and said: “Be confident, thou art belov’d of me; I speak not this with serious thoughts, but will be kind to thee.” This said, his brass-hoof’d wingéd horse he did to chariot bind, Whose crests were fring’d with manes of gold; and golden garments shin’d On his rich shoulders; in his hand he took a golden scourge, Divinely fashion’d, and with blows their willing speed did urge Mid way betwixt the earth and heav’n. To Ida: then he came, Abounding in delicious springs, and nurse of beasts untame, Where, on the mountain Gargarus, men did a fane erect To his high name, and altars sweet; and there his horse he check’d, Dissolv’d them from his chariot, and in a cloud of jet He cover’d them, and on the top took his triumphant seat, Beholding Priam’s famous town, and all the fleet of Greece. The Greeks took breakfast speedily, and arm’d at ev’ry piece. So Trojans; who though fewer far, yet all to fight took arms,