Bring forth thy host, encourage all, and be thou first in fight.” The kings admir’d the fortitude, that so divinely mov’d The skilful horseman Diomed, and his advice approv’d. Then with their nightly sacrifice each took his sev’ral tent, Where all receiv’d the sov’reign gifts soft Somnus did present. THE END OF THE NINTH BOOK. [1] Diomed takes fit time to answer his wrong done by Agamemnon in the fourth book. THE TENTH BOOK OF HOMER’S ILIADS THE ARGUMENT Th’ Atrides, watching, wake the other peers, And (in the fort, consulting of their fears) Two kings they send, most stout, and honour’d most, For royal scouts, into the Trojan host; Who meeting Dolon, Hector’s bribed spy, Take him, and learn how all the quarters lie. He told them, in the Thracian regiment Of rich king Rhesus, and his royal tent, Striving for safety; but they end his strife, And rid poor Dolon of a dang’rous life, Then with digressive wiles they use their force On Rhesus’ life, and take his snowy horse. ANOTHER ARGUMENT Kappa the night exploits applies: Rhesus’ and Dolon’s tragedies. The other princes at their ships soft-finger’d sleep did bind, But not the Gen’ral; Somnus’ silks bound not his labouring mind That turn’d, and return’d, many thoughts. And as quick lightnings fly,[1] From well-deck’d Juno’s sovereign, out of the thicken’d sky, Preparing some exceeding rain, or hail, the fruit of cold, Or down-like snow that suddenly makes all the fields look old, Or opes the gulfy mouth of war with his ensulphur’d hand, In dazzling flashes pour’d from clouds, on any punish’d land; So from Atrides’ troubled heart, through his dark sorrows, flew Redoubled sighs; his entrails shook, as often as his view Admir’d the multitude of fires, that gilt the Phrygian shade, And heard the sounds of fifes, and shawms, and tumults soldiers made. But when he saw his fleet and host kneel to his care and love, He rent his hair up by the roots as sacrifice to Jove, Burnt in his fi’ry sighs, still breath’d out of his royal heart, And first thought good to Nestor’s care his sorrows to impart, To try if royal diligence, with his approv’d advice, Might fashion counsels to prevent their threaten’d miseries. So up he rose, attir’d himself, and to his strong feet tied Rich shoes, and cast upon his back a ruddy lion’s hide, So ample it his ankles reach’d, then took his royal spear. Like him was Menelaus pierc’d with an industrious fear, Nor sat sweet slumber on his eyes, lest bitter fates should quite The Greeks’ high favours, that for him resolv’d such endless fight. And first a freckled panther’s hide hid his broad back athwart; His head his brazen helm did arm; his able hand his dart; Then made he all his haste to raise his brother’s head as rare, That he who most excell’d in rule might help t’ effect his care. He found him, at his ship’s crook’d stern, adorning him with arms; Who joy’d to see his brother’s spirits awak’d without alarms, Well weighing th’ importance of the time.