[4] The necessary nearness of Translation to the example. [5] The power of Nature above Art in Poesy. [6] Our English language above all others for Rhythmical Poesy. THE FIRST BOOK OF HOMER’S ILIADS THE ARGUMENT Apollo’s priest to th’ Argive fleet doth bring Gifts for his daughter, pris’ner to the king; For which her tender’d freedom he entreats; But, being dismiss’d with contumelious threats, At Phœbus’ hands, by vengeful pray’r, he seeks To have a plague inflicted on the Greeks. Which had; Achilles doth a council cite, Embold’ning Calchas, in the king’s despite; To tell the truth why they were punish’d so. From hence their fierce and deadly strife did grow. For wrong in which Æacides so raves, That goddess Thetis, from her throne of waves Ascending heav’n, of Jove assistance won, To plague the Greeks by absence of her son, And make the general himself repent To wrong so much his army’s ornament. This found by Juno, she with Jove contends; Till Vulcan, with heav’n’s cup, the quarrel ends. ANOTHER ARGUMENT Alpha the prayer of Chryses sings: The army’s plague: the strife of kings. Achilles’ baneful wrath resound, O Goddess, that impos’d Infinite sorrows on the Greeks, and many brave souls los’d. From breasts heroic; sent them far to that invisible cave That no light comforts; and their limbs to dogs and vultures gave; To all which Jove’s will gave effect; from whom first strife begun Betwixt Atrides, king of men, and Thetis’ godlike son. What god gave Eris their command, and op’d that fighting vein? Jove’s and Latona’s son: who fir’d against the king of men, For contumély shown his priest, infectious sickness sent To plague the army, and to death by troops the soldiers went. Occasion’d thus: Chryses, the priest, came to the fleet to buy, For presents of unvalu’d price, his daughter’s liberty; The golden sceptre and the crown of Phœbus in his hands Proposing; and made suit to all, but most to the commands Of both th’ Atrides, who most rul’d. “Great Atreus’ sons,” said he, “And all ye well-greav’d Greeks, the gods, whose habitations be In heav’nly houses, grace your pow’rs with Priam’s razéd town, And grant ye happy conduct home! To win which wish’d renown Of Jove, by honouring his son, far-shooting Phœbus, deign For these fit presents to dissolve the ransomable chain Of my lov’d daughter’s servitude.” The Greeks entirely gave Glad acclamations, for sign that their desires would have The grave priest reverenc’d, and his gifts of so much price embrac’d. The Gen’ral yet bore no such mind, but viciously disgrac’d With violent terms the priest, and said:—“Dotard! avoid our fleet, Where ling’ring be not found by me; nor thy returning feet Let ever visit us again; lest nor thy godhead’s crown, Nor sceptre, save thee! Her thou seek’st I still will hold mine own, Till age deflow’r her. In our court at Argos, far transferr’d From her lov’d country, she shall ply her web, and see prepar’d[1] With all fit ornaments my bed.