Must not the whole night spend in sleep, to whom the people are For guard committed, and whose life stands bound to so much care. Now hear me then, Jove’s messenger, who, though far off from thee, Is near thee yet in love and care, and gives command by me To arm thy whole host. Thy strong hand the broad-way’d town of Troy Shall now take in; no more the Gods dissentiously employ Their high-hous’d pow’rs; Saturnia’s suit hath won them all to her; And ill fates over-hang these tow’rs, address’d by Jupiter. Fix in thy mind this.’ This express’d, he took wing and away, And sweet sleep left me. Let us then by all our means assay To arm our army; I will first (as far as fits our right) Try their addictions, and command with full-sail’d ships our flight; Which if they yield to, oppose you.” He sate, and up arose Nestor, of sandy Pylos king, who, willing to dispose Their counsel to the public good, propos’d this to the state: “Princes and Councillors of Greece, if any should relate This vision but the king himself, it might be held a tale, And move the rather our retreat; but since our General Affirms he saw it, hold it true, and all our best means make To arm our army.” This speech us’d, he first the Council brake; The other sceptre-bearing States arose too, and obey’d The people’s Rector. Being abroad, the earth was overlaid With flockers to them, that came forth, as when of frequent bees Swarms rise out of a hollow rock, repairing the degrees Of their egression endlessly, with ever rising new From forth their sweet nest; as their store, still as it faded, grew, And never would cease sending forth her clusters to the spring, They still crowd out so; this fleck here, that there, belabouring The loaded flow’rs; so from the ships and tents the army’s store Troop’d to these princes and the court, along th’ unmeasur’d shore; Amongst whom, Jove’s ambassadress, Fame, in her virtue shin’d, Exciting greediness to hear. The rabble, thus inclin’d, Hurried together; uproar seiz’d the high court; earth did groan Beneath the settling multitude; tumult was there alone. Thrice-three vocif’rous heralds rose, to check the rout, and get Ear to their Jove-kept governors; and instantly was set That huge confusion; ev’ry man set fast, the clamour ceas’d. Then stood divine Atrides up, and in his hand compress’d His sceptre, th’ elaborate work of fi’ry Mulciber, Who gave it to Saturnian Jove; Jove to his messenger; His messenger, Argicides, to Pelops, skill’d in horse; Pelops to Atreus, chief of men; he, dying, gave it course To prince Thyestes, rich in herds; Thyestes to the hand Of Agamemnon render’d it, and with it the command Of many isles, and Argos all. On this he leaning, said: “O friends, great sons of Danaus, servants of Mars, Jove laid A heavy curse on me, to vow, and bind it with the bent Of his high forehead; that, this Troy of all her people spent, I should return; yet now to mock our hopes built on his vow,