Our old wine neat, and evermore thy bowl stands full like mine, To drink still when and what thou wilt. Then rouse that heart of thine, And, whatsoever heretofore thou hast assum’d to be, This day be greater.” To the king in this sort answer’d he: “Atrides, what I ever seem’d, the same at ev’ry part This day shall show me at the full, and I will fit thy heart. But thou shouldst rather cheer the rest, and tell them they in right Of all good war must offer blows, and should begin the fight, (Since Troy first brake the holy truce) and not endure these braves. To take wrong first, and then be dar’d to the revenge it craves; Assuring them that Troy in fate must have the worst at last, Since first, and ’gainst a truce, they hurt, where they should have embrac’d.” This comfort and advice did fit Atrides’ heart indeed Who still through new-rais’d swarms of men held his laborious speed, And came where both th’ Ajaces stood; whom like the last he found Arm’d, casqu’d, and ready for the fight. Behind them, hid the ground A cloud of foot, that seem’d to smoke. And as a goatherd spies, On some hill’s top, out of the sea a rainy vapour rise, Driv’n by the breath of Zephyrus which, though far off he rest, Comes on as black as pitch, and brings a tempest in his breast, Whereat he frighted, drives his herds apace into a den; So dark’ning earth with darts and shields show’d these with all their men. This sight with like joy fir’d the king, who thus let forth the flame In crying out to both the dukes: “O you of equal name, I must not cheer, nay, I disclaim all my command of you, Yourselves command with such free minds, and make your soldiers show As you nor I led, but themselves. O would our father Jove, Minerva, and the God of Light, would all our bodies move With such brave spirits as breathe in you, then Priam’s lofty town Should soon be taken by our hands, for ever overthrown!” Then held he on to other troops, and Nestor next beheld, The subtle Pylian orator, range up and down the field Embattelling his men at arms, and stirring all to blows, Points ev’ry legion out his chief, and ev’ry chief he shows The forms and discipline of war, yet his commanders were All expert, and renownéd men. Great Pelagon was there, Alastor, manly Chromius, and Hæmon worth a throne, And Bias that could armies lead. With these he first put on His horse troops with their chariots; his foot (of which he choos’d Many, the best and ablest men, and which he ever us’d As rampire to his gen’ral pow’r) he in the rear dispos’d. The slothful, and the least of spirit, he in the midst inclos’d, That, such as wanted noble wills, base need might force to stand. His horse troops, that the vanguard had, he strictly did command To ride their horses temp’rately, to keep their ranks, and shun Confusion, lest their horsemanship and courage made them run (Too much presum’d on) much too far, and, charging so alone, Engage themselves in th’ enemy’s strength, where many fight with one.