By his insensible approach, and simply he will eat; About whom many wands are broke, and still the children beat, And still the self-providing ass doth with their weakness bear, Not stirring till his paunch be full, and scarcely then will steer; So the huge son of Telamon amongst the Trojans far’d, Bore show’rs of darts upon his shield, yet scorn’d to fly as scar’d, And so kept softly on his way; nor would he mend his pace For all their violent pursuits, that still did arm the chace With singing lances. But, at last, when their cur-like presumes More urg’d the more forborne, his spirits did rarify their fumes, And he revok’d his active strength, turn’d head, and did repell The horse-troops that were new made in, ’twixt whom the fight grew fell; And by degrees he stole retreat, yet with such puissant stay That none could pass him to the fleet. In both the armies’ sway He stood, and from strong hands receiv’d sharp jav’lins on his shield, Where many stuck, thrown on before, many fell short in field, Ere the white body they could reach, and stuck, as telling how They purpos’d to have pierc’d his flesh. His peril piercéd now The eyes of prince Eurypylus, Evemon’s famous son, Who came close on, and with his dart strook duke Apisaon, Whose surname was Phausiades, ev’n to the concrete blood That makes the liver; on the earth, out gush’d his vital flood. Eurypylus made in, and eas’d his shoulders of his arms; Which Paris seeing, he drew his bow, and wreak’d in part the harms Of his good friend Phausiades, his arrow he let fly That smote Eurypylus, and brake in his attainted thigh; Then took he troop to shun black death, and to the flyers cried: “Princes, and leaders of the Greeks, stand, and repulse the tide Of this our honour-wracking chace. Ajax is drown’d in darts, I fear past ’scape; turn, honour’d friends, help out his vent’rous parts.” Thus spake the wounded Greek; the sound cast on their backs their shields, And rais’d their darts; to whose relief Ajax his person wields. Then stood he firmly with his friends, retiring their retire. And thus both hosts indiff’rent join’d, the fight grew hot as fire. Now had Neleides’ sweating steeds brought him, and his hurt friend, Amongst their fleet. Æacides, that wishly did intend, Standing astern his tall-neck’d ship, how deep the skirmish drew Amongst the Greeks, and with what ruth the insecution grew, Saw Nestor bring Machaon hurt, and from within did call His friend Patroclus; who, like Mars in form celestial, Came forth with first sound of his voice, first spring of his decay, And ask’d his princely friend’s desire. “Dear friend,” said he, “this day I doubt not will enforce the Greeks, to swarm about my knees; I see unsuffer’d need employ’d in their extremities. Go, sweet Patroclus, and inquire of old Neleides Whom he brought wounded from the fight; by his back parts I guess It is Machaon, but his face I could not well descry, They pass’d me in such earnest speed.” Patroclus presently