From Jove, like him, I claim my pedigree, And am descended in the same degree. My sire Laertes, was Arcesius' heir, Arcesius was the son of Jupiter; No parricide, no banished man, is known In all my line; let him excuse his own. Hermes ennobles too my mother's side, By both my parents to the gods allied. But not because that on the female part My blood is better, dare I claim desert, Or that my sire from parricide is free; But judge by merit betwixt him and me. The prize be to the best; provided yet, That Ajax for a while his kin forget, And his great sire, and greater uncle's name, To fortify by them his feeble claim. Be kindred and relation laid aside, And honour's cause by laws of honour tried; For, if he plead proximity of blood, That empty title is with ease withstood. Peleus, the hero's sire, more nigh than he, And Pyrrhus, his undoubted progeny, Inherit first these trophies of the field; To Scyros, or to Phthia, send the shield: And Teucer has an uncle's right, yet he Waves his pretensions, nor contends with me. Then, since the cause on pure desert is placed, Whence shall I take my rise, what reckon last? I not presume on every act to dwell, But take these few, in order as they fell. Thetis, who knew the fates, applied her care To keep Achilles in disguise from war; And, till the threatening influence were past, A woman's habit on the hero cast: All eyes were cozened by the borrowed vest, And Ajax (never wiser than the rest) Found no Pelides there: At length I came With proffered wares to this pretended dame; She, not discovered by her mien or voice, Betrayed her manhood by her manly choice; And, while on female toys her fellows look, } Grasped in her warlike hand, a javelin shook; } Whom, by this act revealed, I thus bespoke:-- } O goddess-born! resist not heaven's decree, The fall of Ilium is reserved for thee;-- Then seized him, and, produced in open light, Sent blushing to the field the fatal knight. Mine then are all his actions of the war; Great Telephus was conquered by my spear, And after cured; to me the Thebans owe, Lesbos and Tenedos, their overthrow; Scyros and Cylla; not on all to dwell, By me Lyrnessus and strong Chrysa fell; And, since I sent the man who Hector slew, To me the noble Hector's death is due. Those arms I put into his living hand; Those arms, Pelides dead, I now demand. When Greece was injured in the Spartan prince, And met at Aulis to revenge the offence, 'Twas a dead calm, or adverse blasts, that reigned, And in the port the wind-bound fleet detained: Bad signs were seen, and oracles severe Were daily thundered in our general's ear, That by his daughter's blood we must appease