The Greeks thus arm’d, and made insatiate with desire of fight, About thee, Peleus’ son, the foe, in ground of greatest height, Stood opposite, rang’d. Then Jove charg’d Themis from Olympus’ top To call a court. She ev’ry way dispers’d, and summon’d up All Deities; not any flood, besides Oceanus, But made appearance; not a nymph (that arbours odorous, The heads of floods, and flow’ry meadows, make their sweet abodes) Was absent there; but all at his court, that is King of Gods, Assembled, and, in lightsome seats of admirable frame, Perform’d for Jove by Vulcan, sat. Ev’n angry Neptune came, Nor heard the Goddess with unwilling ear, but with the rest Made free ascension from the sea, and did his state invest In midst of all, began the council, and inquir’d of Jove His reason for that sessión, and on what point did move His high intention for the foes; he thought the heat of war Was then near breaking out in flames? To him the Thunderer: “Thou knowest this council by the rest of those fore-purposes That still inclin’d me; my cares still must succour the distress Of Troy; though in the mouth of Fate, yet vow I not to stir One step from off this top of heav’n, but all th’ affair refer To anyone. Here I’ll hold state, and freely take the joy Of either’s fate. Help whom ye please; for ’tis assur’d that Troy Not one day’s conflict can sustain against Æacides, If Heav’n oppose not. His mere looks threw darts enow t’ impress Their pow’rs with trembling; but when blows, sent from his fi’ry hand, (Thrice heat by slaughter of his friend) shall come and countermand Their former glories, we have fear, that though Fate keep their wall, He’ll overturn it. Then descend; and cease not till ye all Add all your aids; mix earth and heav’n together with the fight Achilles urgeth.” These his words did such a war excite As no man’s pow’r could wrastle down; the Gods with parted hearts Departed heav’n, and made earth war. To guide the Grecian darts, Juno and Pallas, with the God that doth the earth embrace, And most-for-man’s-use Mercury (whom good wise inwards grace) Were partially and all employ’d; and with them halted down (Proud of his strength) lame Mulciber, his walkers quite misgrown, But made him tread exceeding sure. To aid the Ilian side, The changeable in arms went, Mars; and him accompanied Diana that delights in shafts, and Phœbus never shorn, And Aphrodite laughter-pleas’d, and She of whom was born Still young Apollo, and the Flood that runs on golden sands Bright Xanthus. All these aided Troy; and, till these lent their hands, The Grecians triumph’d in the aid Æacides did add; The Trojans trembling with his sight; so gloriously clad He overshin’d the field, and Mars no harmfuller than he, He bore the iron stream on clear. But when Jove’s high decree Let fall the Gods amongst their troops, the field swell’d, and the fight Grew fierce and horrible. The Dame, that armies doth excite, Thunder’d with clamour, sometimes set at dike without the wall,