Or are they hopeless thrown to death by his resistless lance?” “Divine Patroclus,” he replied, “no more can Greece advance Defensive weapons, but to fleet they headlong must retire, For those that to this hour have held our fleet from hostile fire, And are the bulwarks of our host, lie wounded at their tents, And Troy’s unvanquishable pow’r, still as it toils augments. But take me to thy black-stern’d ship, save me, and from my thigh Cut out this arrow, and the blood, that is ingor’d and dry, Wash with warm water from the wound; then gentle salves apply, Which thou know’st best, thy princely friend hath taught thee surgery, Whom, of all Centaurs the most just, Chiron did institute. Thus to thy honourable hands my ease I prosecute, Since our physicians cannot help. Machaon at his tent Needs a physician himself, being leech and patient; And Podalirius, in the field, the sharp conflict sustains.” Strong Menœtiades replied: “How shall I ease thy pains? What shall we do, Eurypylus? I am to use all haste, To signify to Thetis’ son occurrents that have past, At Nestor’s honourable suit. But be that work achiev’d When this is done, I will not leave thy torments unrelieved.” This said, athwart his back he cast, beneath his breast, his arm, And nobly help’d him to his tent. His servants, seeing his harm, Dispread ox-hides upon the earth, whereon Machaon lay. Patroclus cut out the sharp shaft, and clearly wash’d away With lukewarm water the black blood; then ’twixt his hands he bruis’d A sharp and mitigatory root; which when he had infus’d Into the green, well-cleansed, wound, the pains he felt before Were well, and instantly allay’d; the wound did bleed no more. THE END OF THE ELEVENTH BOOK. THE TWELFTH BOOK OF HOMER’S ILIADS THE ARGUMENT The Trojans at the trench their pow’rs engage, Though greeted by a bird of bad presage. In five parts they divide their pow’r to scale, And Prince Sarpedon forceth down the pale. Great Hector from the ports tears out a stone, And with so dead a strength he sets it gone At those broad gates the Grecians made to guard Their tents and ships, that, broken, and unbarr’d, They yield way to his pow’r; when all contend To reach the ships; which all at last ascend. ANOTHER ARGUMENT My works the Trojans all the grace, And doth the Grecian fort deface.