Were sent to hell by Tydeus’ hand, and had untimely ends. He trusting to the aid of Gods, reveal’d by augury, Obeying which, one chief he sav’d, and did his life apply To be the heavy messenger of all the others’ deaths; And that sad message, with his life, to Mæon he bequeaths. So brave a knight was Tydeüs of whom a son is sprung, Inferior far in martial deeds, though higher in his tongue.” All this Tydides silent heard, aw’d by the rev’rend king; Which stung hot Sthenelus with wrath, who thus put forth his sting: “Atrides, when thou know’st the truth, speak what thy knowledge is, And do not lie so; for I know and I will brag in this, That we are far more able men than both our fathers were. We took the sev’n-fold ported Thebes, when yet we had not there So great help as our fathers had; and fought beneath a wall, Sacred to Mars, by help of Jove, and trusting to the fall Of happy signs from other Gods, by whom we took the town Untouch’d; our fathers perishing here by follies of their own; And therefore never more compare our fathers’ worth with ours.” Tydides frown’d at this, and said: “Suppress thine anger’s pow’rs, Good friend, and hear why I refrain’d. Thou seest I am not mov’d Against our gen’ral, since he did but what his place behov’d, Admonishing all Greeks to fight; for, if Troy prove our prise, The honour and the joy is his; if here our ruin lies, The shame and grief for that as much is his in greatest kinds. As he then his charge, weigh we ours; which is our dauntless minds.” Thus, from his chariot, amply arm’d, he jump’d down to the ground; The armour of the angry king so horribly did sound, It might have made his bravest foe let fear take down his braves. And as when with the west-wind flaws, the sea thrusts up her waves, One after other, thick and high, upon the groaning shores, First in herself loud, but oppos’d with banks and rocks she roars, And, all her back in bristles set, spits ev’ry way her foam; So, after Diomed, instantly the field was overcome With thick impressions of the Greeks; and all the noise that grew (Ord’ring and cheering up their men) from only leaders flew. The rest went silently away, you could not hear a voice, Nor would have thought, in all their breasts, they had one in their choice, Their silence uttering their awe of them that them controll’d, Which made each man keep right his arms, march, fight still where he should The Trojans (like a sort of ewes, penn’d in a rich man’s fold, Close at his door, till all be milk’d, and never baaing hold Hearing the bleating of their lambs) did all their wide host fill With shouts and clamours, nor observ’d one voice, one baaing still, But show’d mix’d tongues from many a land of men call’d to their aid. Rude Mars had th’ ordering of their spirits; of Greeks, the learned Maid. But Terror follow’d both the hosts, and Flight, and furious Strife The sister, and the mate, of Mars, that spoil of human life; And never is her rage at rest, at first she is but small,