If he will hear me, Helen’s love; whom would the earth would yield) And headlong take into her gulf, even quick before mine eyes; For then my heart, I hope, would cast her load of miseries, Borne for the plague he hath been born, and bred to the deface, By great Olympius, of Troy, our sire, and all our race.” This said, grave Hecuba went home, and sent her maids about, To bid the matrons. She herself descended, and search’d out, Within a place that breath’d perfumes, the richest robe she had; Which lay with many rich ones more, most curiously made By women of Sidonia; which Paris brought from thence, Sailing the broad sea, when he made that voyage of offence, In which he brought home Helena. That robe, transferr’d so far, (That was the undermost) she took; it glittered like a star; And with it went she to the fane, with many ladies more; Amongst whom fair-cheek’d Theano unlock’d the folded door; Chaste Theano, Antenor’s wife, and of Cissëus’ race, Sister to Hecuba, both born to that great king of Thrace. Her th’ Ilions made Minerva’s priest; and her they follow’d all Up to the temple’s highest tow’r, where on their knees they fall, Lift up their hands, and fill the fane with ladies’ piteous cries. Then lovely Theano took the veil, and with it she implies The great Palladium, praying thus: “Goddess of most renown In all the heav’n of Goddesses, great Guardian of our town, Rev’rend Minerva, break the lance of Diomed, cease his grace, Give him to fall in shameful flight, headlong, and on his face, Before our ports of Ilion, that instantly we may, Twelve unyok’d oxen-of-a-year, in this thy temple slay, To thy sole honour; take their bloods, and banish our offence; Accept Troy’s zeal, her wives, and save her infants’ innocence.” She pray’d, but Pallas would not grant. Mean space was Hector come Where Alexander’s lodgings were, that many a goodly room Had built in them by architects, of Troy’s most curious sort, And were no lodgings, but a house; nor no house, but a court; Or had all these contain’d in them; and all within a tow’r, Next Hector’s lodgings and the king’s. The lov’d of heav’n’s chief Pow’r, Hector, here enter’d. In his hand a goodly lance he bore, Ten cubits long; the brazen head went shining ill before, Help’d with a burnish’d ring of gold. He found his brother then Amongst the women, yet prepar’d to go amongst the men, For in their chamber he was set, trimming his arms, his shield, His curets, and was trying how his crookéd bow would yield To his straight arms. Amongst her maids was set the Argive Queen, Commanding them in choicest works. When Hector’s eye had seen His brother thus accompanied, and that he could not bear The very touching of his arms but where the women were, And when the time so needed men, right cunningly he chid. That he might do it bitterly, his cowardice he hid, That simply made him so retir’d, beneath an anger, feign’d In him by Hector, for the hate the citizens sustain’d