The top and clearest of the spring, go belching from their lungs The clotter’d gore, look dreadfully, and entertain no dread, Their bellies gaunt all taken up, with being so rawly fed; Then say, that such, in strength and look, were great Achilles’ men Now order’d for the dreadful fight; and so with all them then Their princes and their chiefs did show, about their Gen’ral’s friend; His friend, and all, about himself; who chiefly did intend Th’ embattelling of horse and foot. To that siege, held so long, Twice-five-and-twenty sail he brought, twice-five-and-twenty strong Of able men was ev’rv sail. Five colonels he made Of all those forces; trusty men, and all of pow’r to lead, But he of pow’r beyond them all. Menesthius was one, That ever wore discolour’d arms; he was a river’s son That fell from heav’n, and good to drink was his delightful stream, His name unwearied Sperchius, he lov’d the lovely dame Fair Polydora, Peleus’ seed, and dear in Borus’ sight, And she to that celestial Flood gave this Menesthius light, A woman mixing with a God. Yet Borus bore the name Of father to Menesthius, he marrying the dame, And giving her a mighty dow’r; he was the kind descent Of Perieres. The next man, renown’d with regiment, Was strong Eudorus, brought to life by one suppos’d a maid, Bright Polymela, Phylas’ seed, but had the wanton play’d With Argus-killing Mercury; who (fir’d with her fair eyes, As she was singing in the quire of Her that makes the cries In clam’rous hunting, and doth bear the crooked bow of gold) Stole to her bed in that chaste room, that Phœbe chaste did hold, And gave her that swift-warlike son, Eudorus, brought to light As she was dancing; but as soon, as She that rules the plight Of labouring women eas’d her throes, and show’d her son the sun, Strong Echecæus, Actor’s heir, woo’d earnestly, and won Her second favour, feeing her with gifts of infinite prize; And after brought her to his house, where, in his grandsire’s eyes, Old Phylas, Polymela’s son obtain’d exceeding grace, And found as careful bringing up, as of his natural race He had descended. The third chief was fair Mæmalides Pisandrus, who in skill of darts obtain’d supremest praise Of all the Myrmidons, except their lord’s companion. The fourth charge, aged Phœnix had. The fifth, Alcimedon, Son of Laerces, and much fam’d. All these digested thus In fit place by the mighty son of royal Peleüs, This stern remembrance he gave all: “You, Myrmidons,” said he, “Lest any of you should forget his threat’nings us’d to me In this place, and, through all the time, that my just anger reign’d, Attempting me with bitter words, for being so restrain’d, For my hot humour, from the fight, remember them as these: ‘Thou cruel son of Peleüs, whom She that rules the seas Did only nourish with her gall, thou dost ungently hold Our hands against our wills from fight. We will not be controll’d, But take our ships, and sail for home, before we loiter here