And hither waft the costly dish. Not heath-pout, or the rarer bird, Which Phasis or Ionia yields, More pleasing morsels would afford Than the fat olives of my fields; Than shards or mallows for the pot, That keep the loosened body sound, Or than the lamb, that falls by lot To the just guardian of my ground. Amidst these feasts of happy swains, The jolly shepherd smiles to see His flock returning from the plains; The farmer is as pleased as he, To view his oxen sweating smoke, Hear on their necks the loosened yoke; To look upon his menial crew, That sit around his cheerful hearth, And bodies spent in toil renew With wholesome food and country mirth.-- This Morecraft said within himself: Resolved to leave the wicked town, And live retired upon his own, He called his money in: But the prevailing love of pelf Soon split him on the former shelf,-- He put it out again. TRANSLATIONS FROM HOMER. THE FIRST BOOK OF HOMER'S ILIAD. THE ARGUMENT. _Chryses, priest of Apollo, brings presents to the Grecian princes, to ransom his daughter Chryseis, who was prisoner in the fleet. Agamemnon, the general, whose captive and mistress the young lady was, refuses to deliver her, threatens the venerable old man, and dismisses him with contumely. The priest craves vengeance of his God, who sends a plague among the Greeks; which occasions Achilles, their great champion, to summon a council of the chief officers: he encourages Calchas, the high priest and prophet, to tell the reason, why the Gods were so much incensed against them. Calchas is fearful of provoking Agamemnon, till Achilles engages to protect him: then, emboldened by the hero, he accuses the general as the cause of all, by detaining the fair captive, and refusing the presents offered for her ransom. By this proceeding, Agamemnon is obliged, against his will, to restore Chryseis, with gifts, that he might appease the wrath of Phœbus; but, at the same time, to revenge himself on Achilles, sends to seize his slave Briseis. Achilles, thus affronted, complains to his mother Thetis; and begs her to revenge his injury, not only on the general, but on all the army, by giving victory to the Trojans, till the ungrateful king became sensible of his injustice. At the same time, he retires from the camp into his ships, and withdraws his aid from his countrymen. Thetis prefers her son's petition to Jupiter, who grants her suit. Juno suspects her errand, and quarrels with her husband for his grant; till Vulcan reconciles his parents with a bowl of nectar, and sends them peaceably to bed._