Cheer’d still each other; when th’ old man, that of the Grecian name Was call’d the Pillar, ev’ry man thus by his parents pray’d: “O friends, be men, and in your minds let others’ shames be weigh’d. Know you have friends besides yourselves, possessions, parents, wives, As well those that are dead to you, as those ye love with lives; All sharing still their good, or bad, with yours. By these I pray, That are not present (and the more should therefore make ye weigh Their miss of you, as yours of them) that you will bravely stand, And this forc’d flight you have sustain’d, at length yet countermand.” Supplies of good words thus supplied the deeds and spirits of all. And so at last Minerva clear’d, the cloud that Jove let fall Before their eyes; a mighty light flew beaming ev’ry way, As well about their ships, as where their darts did hottest play, Then saw they Hector great in arms, and his associates, As well all those that then abstain’d, as those that help’d the fates, And all their own fight at the fleet. Nor did it now content Ajax to keep down like the rest; he up the hatches went, Stalk’d here and there, and in his hand a huge great bead-hook held, Twelve cubits long, and full of iron. And as a man well-skill’d In horse, made to the martial race, when, of a number more, He chooseth four, and brings them forth, to run them all before Swarms of admiring citizens, amids their town’s high way, And, in their full career, he leaps from one to one, no stay Enforc’d on any, nor fails he, in either seat or leap; So Ajax with his bead-hook leap’d nimbly from ship to ship, As actively commanding all, them in their men as well As men in them, most terribly exhorting to repell, To save their navy and their tents. But Hector nothing needs To stand on exhortations now at home, he strives for deeds. And look how Jove’s great queen of birds, sharp-set, looks out for prey, Knows floods that nourish wild-wing’d fowls, and, from her airy way, Beholds where cranes, swans, cormorants, have made their foody fall, Darkens the river with her wings, and stoops amongst them all; So Hector flew amongst the Greeks, directing his command, In chief, against one opposite ship; Jove with a mighty hand Still backing him and all his men. And then again there grew A bitter conflict at the fleet. You would have said none drew A weary breath, nor ever would, they laid so freshly on. And this was it that fir’d them both: The Greeks did build upon No hope but what the field would yield, flight an impossible course; The Trojans all hope entertain’d, that sword and fire should force Both ships and lives of all the Greeks. And thus, unlike affects Bred like strenuity in both. Great Hector still directs His pow’rs against the first near ship. ’Twas that fair bark that brought Protesilaus to those wars, and now her self to nought, With many Greek and Trojan lives, all spoil’d about her spoil. One slew another desp’rately, and close the deadly toil Was pitch’d on both parts.