Yield us an honour’d recompense, and, all that should accrue To our posterities, confirm; that when you render it, Our acts may here be memoris’d.” This all Greeks else thought fit. THE END OF THE THIRD BOOK. [1] _When the Queen, etc._—This place Virgil imitateth. THE FOURTH BOOK OF HOMER’S ILIADS THE ARGUMENT The Gods in council, at the last, decree That famous Ilion shall expugned be; And that their own continu’d faults may prove The reasons that have so incensed Jove, Minerva seeks, with more offences done Against the lately injur’d Atreus’ son, (A ground that clearest would make seen their sin) To have the Lycian Pandarus begin. He (’gainst the truce with sacred cov’nants bound) Gives Menelaus a dishonour’d wound, Machaon heals him. Agamemnon then To mortal war incenseth all his men. The battles join; and, in the heat of fight, Cold death shuts many eyes in endless night. ANOTHER ARGUMENT In Delta is the Gods’ Assize; The truce is broke; wars freshly rise. Within the fair-pav’d court of Jove, he and the Gods conferr’d About the sad events of Troy; amongst whom minister’d Bless’d Hebe nectar. As they sat, and did Troy’s tow’rs behold, They drank, and pledg’d each other round in full-crown’d cups of gold. The mirth at whose feast was begun by great Saturnides In urging a begun dislike amongst the Goddesses, But chiefly in his solemn queen, whose spleen he was dispos’d To tempt yet further, knowing well what anger it inclos’d, And how wives’ angers should be us’d. On which, thus pleas’d, he play’d: “Two Goddesses there are that still give Menelaus aid, And one that Paris loves. The two that sit from us so far (Which Argive Juno is, and She that rules in deeds of war,) No doubt are pleas’d to see how well the late-seen fight did frame; And yet, upon the adverse part, the laughter-loving Dame Made her pow’r good too for her friend; for, though he were so near The stroke of death in th’ others’ hopes, she took him from them clear. The conquest yet is questionless the martial Spartan king’s. We must consult then what events shall crown these future things, If wars and combats we shall still with even successes strike, Or as impartial friendship plant on both parts. If ye like The last, and that it will as well delight as merely please Your happy deities, still let stand old Priam’s town in peace, And let the Lacedæmon king again his queen enjoy.” As Pallas and Heav’n’s Queen sat close, complotting ill to Troy, With silent murmurs they receiv’d this ill-lik’d choice from Jove; ‘Gainst whom was Pallas much incens’d, because the Queen of Love Could not, without his leave, relieve in that late point of death The son of Priam, whom she loath’d; her wrath yet fought beneath Her supreme wisdom, and was curb’d; but Juno needs must ease Her great heart with her ready tongue, and said; “What words are these, Austere, and too-much-Saturn’s son? Why wouldst thou render still My labours idle, and the sweat of my industrious will