Who rush’d betwixt the fighting hosts, and made the Trojans cease, By holding up in midst his lance. The Grecians noted not The signal he for parley used, but at him fiercely shot, Hurl’d stones, and still were leveling darts. At last the king of men, Great Agamemnon, cried aloud: “Argives! for shame, contain; Youths of Achaia, shoot no more; the fair-helm’d Hector shows As he desir’d to treat with us.” This said, all ceas’d from blows, And Hector spake to both the hosts: “Trojans, and hardy Greeks, Hear now what he that stirr’d these wars, for their cessation seeks. He bids us all, and you, disarm, that he alone may fight With Menelaus, for us all, for Helen and her right, With all the dow’r she brought to Troy; and he that wins the day, Or is, in all the art of arms, superior any way, The queen, and all her sorts of wealth, let him at will enjoy; The rest strike truce, and let love seal firm leagues ’twixt Greece and Troy.” The Greek host wonder’d at this brave; silence flew ev’rywhere; At last spake Sparta’s warlike king: “Now also give me ear, Whom grief gives most cause of reply. I now have hope to free The Greeks and Trojans of all ills, they have sustain’d for me, And Alexander, that was cause I stretch’d my spleen so far. Of both then, which is nearest fate, let his death end the war; The rest immediately retire, and greet all homes in peace. Go then (to bless your champion, and give his pow’rs success) Fetch for the Earth, and for the Sun (the Gods on whom ye call) Two lambs, a black one and a white, a female and a male; And we another, for ourselves, will fetch, and kill to Jove. To sign which rites bring Priam’s force, because we well approve His sons perfidious, envious, and (out of practis’d bane To faith, when she believes in them) Jove’s high truce may profane. All young men’s hearts are still unstaid; but in those well-weigh’d deeds An old man will consent to pass things past, and what succeeds He looks into, that he may know, how best to make his way Through both the fortunes of a fact, and will the worst obey.” This granted, a delightful hope both Greeks and Trojans fed, Of long’d-for rest from those long toils, their tedious war had bred. Their horses then in rank they set, drawn from their chariots round, Descend themselves, took off their arms, and plac’d them on the ground, Near one another; for the space ’twixt both the hosts was small. Hector two heralds sent to Troy, that they from thence might call King Priam, and to bring the lambs, to rate the truce they swore. But Agamemnon to the fleet Talthybius sent before, To fetch their lamb; who nothing slack’d the royal charge was giv’n. Iris, the rain-bow, then came down, ambassadress from heav’n, To white-arm’d Helen. She assum’d at ev’ry part the grace Of Helen’s last love’s sister’s shape, who had the highest place In Helen’s love, and had to name Laodice, most fair Of all the daughters Priam had, and made the nuptial pair With Helicaon, royal sprout of old Antenor’s seed.