The words my joys urg’d: In this day, Lucina, bringing pain To labouring women, shall produce into the light of men A man that all his neighbour kings shall in his empire hold, And vaunt that more than manly race whose honour’d veins enfold My eminent blood.’ Saturnia conceiv’d a present sleight, And urg’d confirmance of his vaunt t’ infringe it; her conceit In this sort urg’d: ‘Thou wilt not hold thy word with this rare man; Or, if thou wilt, confirm it with the oath Olympian, That whosoever falls this day betwixt a woman’s knees, Of those men’s stocks that from thy blood derive their pedigrees, Shall all his neighbour towns command.’ Jove, ignorant of fraud, Took that great oath, which his great ill gave little cause t’ applaud. Down from Olympus’ top she stoop’d, and quickly reach’d the place In Argos where the famous wife of Sthenelus, whose race He fetch’d from Jove by Perseus, dwelt. She was but sev’n months gone With issue, yet she brought it forth; Alcmena’s matchless son Delay’d from light, Saturnia repress’d the teeming throes Of his great mother. Up to heav’n she mounts again, and shows, In glory, her deceit to Jove. ‘Bright-light’ning Jove,’ said she, ‘Now th’ Argives have an emperor; a son deriv’d from thee Is born to Persean Sthenelus, Eurystheus his name, Noble and worthy of the rule thou swor’st to him.’ This came Close to the heart of Jupiter; and Ate, that had wrought This anger by Saturnia, by her bright hair he caught, Held down her head, and over her made this infallible vow: ‘That never to the cope of stars should reascend that brow, Being so infortunate to all.’ Thus, swinging her about, He cast her from the fi’ry heav’n; who ever since thrust out Her fork’d sting in th’ affairs of men. Jove ever since did grieve, Since his dear issue Hercules did by his vow achieve The unjust toils of Eurystheus. Thus fares it now with me, Since under Hector’s violence the Grecian progeny Fell so unfitly by my spleen; whose falls will ever stick In my griev’d thoughts: my weakness yet (Saturnius making sick The state my mind held) now recur’d, th’ amends shall make ev’n weight With my offence. And therefore rouse thy spirits to the fight With all thy forces; all the gifts, propos’d thee at thy tent Last day by royal Ithacus, my officers shall present. And, if it like thee, strike no stroke, though never so on thorns Thy mind stands to thy friend’s revenge, till my command adorns Thy tents and coffers with such gifts, as well may let thee know How much I wish thee satisfied.” He answer’d: “Let thy vow, Renown’d Atrides, at thy will be kept, as justice would, Or keep thy gifts; ’tis all in thee. The council now we hold Is for repairing our main field with all our fortitude. My fair show made brooks no retreat, nor must delays delude Our deed’s expectance. Yet undone the great work is. All eyes Must see Achilles in first fight depeopling enemies, As well as counsel it in court; that ev’ry man set on