In worthy counsels, by their ends put into present deeds, Not stomach nor be vainly sham’d; so Hector’s spirit proceeds, And from his chariot, wholly arm’d, he jump’d upon the sand, On foot so toiling through the host, a dart in either hand, And all hands turn’d against the Greeks. The Greeks despis’d their worst, And, thick’ning their instructed pow’rs, expected all they durst. Then with the feet of horse and foot, the dust in clouds did rise. And as, in sacred floors of barns, upon corn-winnow’rs flies The chaff, driv’n with an opposite wind, when yellow Ceres dites, Which all the diters’ feet, legs, arms, their heads and shoulders whites; So look’d the Grecians gray with dust, that strook the solid heav’n, Rais’d from returning chariots, and troops together driv’n. Each side stood to their labours firm. Fierce Mars flew through the air, And gather’d darkness from the fight, and, with his best affair, Obey’d the pleasure of the Sun, that wears the golden sword Who bade him raise the spirits of Troy, when Pallas ceas’d t’ afford Her helping office to the Greeks; and then his own hands wrought, Which, from his fane’s rich chancel, cur’d, the true Æneas brought, And plac’d him by his peers in field; who did with joy admire To see him both alive and safe, and all his pow’rs entire Yet stood not sifting how it chanc’d; another sort of task, Then stirring th’ idle sieve of news, did all their forces ask, Inflam’d by Phœbus, harmful Mars, and Eris eag’rer far. The Greeks had none to hearten them; their hearts rose with the war; But chiefly Diomed, Ithacus, and both th’ Ajaces us’d Stirring examples and good words; their own fames had infus’d Spirit enough into their bloods, to make them neither fear The Trojans’ force, nor Fate itself, but still expecting were, When most was done, what would be more; their ground they still made good, And in their silence, and set pow’rs, like fair still clouds, they stood, With which Jove crowns the tops of hills, in any quiet day, When Boreas and the ruder winds (that use to drive away Air’s dusky vapours, being loose, in many a whistling gale) Are pleasingly bound up, and calm, and not a breath exhale; So firmly stood the Greeks, nor fled for all the Ilion’s aid. Atrides yet coasts through the troops, confirming men so staid: “O friends,” said he, “hold up your minds; strength is but strength of will; Rev’rence each other’s good in fight and shame at things done ill. Where soldiers show an honest shame, and love of honour lives, That ranks men with the first in fight, death fewer liveries gives Than life, or than where Fame’s neglect makes cowards fight at length. Flight neither doth the body grace, nor shows the mind hath strength.” He said, and swiftly through the troops a mortal lance did send, That reft a standard-bearer’s life, renown’d Æneas’ friend, Deïcoon Pergasides, whom all the Trojans lov’d As he were one of Priam’s sons, his mind was so approv’d In always fighting with the first.