Of humans, and their ruin’d walls, yet thinks thy Godhead good To fright this fury from the field, who next will fight with Jove? First in a bold approach he hurt, the moist palm of thy love, And next, as if he did affect to have a Deity’s pow’r, He held out his assault on me.” This said, the lofty tow’r Of Pergamus he made his seat; and Mars did now excite The Trojan forces, in the form of him that led to fight The Thracian troops, swift Acamas. “O Priam’s sons,” said he, “How long the slaughter of your men can ye sustain to see? Ev’n till they brave you at your gates? Ye suffer beaten down Æneas, great Anchises’ son, whose prowess we renown As much as Hector’s; fetch him off from this contentious prease.” With this, the strength and spirits of all his courage did increase; And yet Sarpedon seconds him, with this particular taunt Of noble Hector: “Hector, where is thy unthankful vaunt, And that huge strength on which it built, that thou, and thy allies, With all thy brothers (without aid of us or our supplies, And troubling not a citizen) the city safe would hold? In all which friends’ and brothers’ helps I see not, nor am told Of anyone of their exploits, but (all held in dismay Of Diomed, like a sort of dogs, that at a lion bay, And entertain no spirit to pinch) we, your assistants here, Fight for the town as you help’d us; and I, an aiding peer, No citizen, ev’n out of care, that doth become a man For men and children’s liberties, add all the aid I can; Not out of my particular cause; far hence my profit grows, For far hence Asian Lycia lies, where gulfy Xanthus flows, And where my lov’d wife, infant son, and treasure nothing scant, I left behind me, which I see those men would have that want, And therefore they that have would keep. Yet I, as I would lose Their sure fruition, cheer my troops, and with their lives propose Mine own life, both to gen’ral fight, and to particular cope With this great soldier; though, I say, I entertain no hope To have such gettings as the Greeks, nor fear to lose like Troy. Yet thou, ev’n Hector, deedless stand’st, and car’st not to employ Thy town-born friends, to bid them stand, to fight and save their wives, Lest as a fowler casts his nets upon the silly lives Of birds of all sorts, so the foe your walls and houses hales, One with another, on all heads; or such as ’scape their falls, He made the prey and prise of them (as willing overthrown) That hope not for you with their force; and so this brave-built town Will prove a chaos. That deserves in thee so hot a care, As should consume thy days and nights, to hearten and prepare Th’ assistant princes; pray their minds to bear their far-brought toils; To give them worth with worthy fight; in victories and foils Still to be equal; and thyself, exampling them in all, Need no reproofs nor spurs. All this in thy free choice should fall.” This stung great Hector’s heart; and yet, as ev’ry gen’rous mind Should silent bear a just reproof, and show what good they find