University of Virginia Library

Verse 13. Behold what Arms, &c.] 'Tis not Poetry only which has had this Idea, of giving divine Ams to a Hero; we have a very remarkable Example of it in our holy Books. In the second of Maccabees, chap. 16. Judas sees in a Dream the Prophet Jeremiah bringing to him a Sword as from God: Tho' this was only a Dream, or a Vision, yet still it is the same Idea. This Example is likewise so much the more worthy of Observation, as it is much later than the Age of Homer; and as thereby it is seen, that the same way of Thinking continued a long time amongst the Oriental Nations. Dacier.

Verse 30. Shall Flies and Worms obscene pollute the Dead?] The Care which Achilles takes in this place to drive away the Flies from the dead Body of Patroclus, seems to us a mean Employment, and a Care unworthy of a Hero. But that Office was regarded by Homer, and by all the Greeks of his time, as a pious Duty consecrated by Custom and Religion; which obliged the Kindred and Friends of the Deceas'd to watch his Corps, and prevent any Corruption before the solemn Day of his Funerals. It is plain this Devoir was thought an indispensable one, since Achilles could not discharge himself of it but by imposing it upon his Mother. It is also clear, that in those times the Preservation of a dead Body was accounted a very important Matter, since the Goddesses themselves, nay the most delicate of the Goddesses, made it the Subject of their utmost Attention. As Thetis preserves the Body of Patroclus, and chases from it those Insects that breed in the Wounds and cause Putrefaction, so Venus is employ'd Day and Night about that of Hector, in driving away the Dogs to which Achilles had expos'd it. Apollo, on his part, covers it with a thick Cloud, and preserves its Freshness amidst the greatest Heats of the Sun: And this Care of the Deities over the Dead was look'd upon by Men as a Fruit of their Piety.

There is an excellent Remark upon this Passage in Bossu's admirable Treatise of the Epic Poem, lib. 3. c. 10. “To speak (says this Author) of the Arts and Sciences as a Poet ought, we should veil them under Names and Actions of Persons fictitious and allegorical. Homer will not plainly say that Salt has the Virtue to preserve dead Bodies, and prevent the Flies from engendering Worms in them; he will not say, that the Sea presented Achilles a Remedy to preserve Patroclus from Putrefaction; but he will make the Sea a Goddess, and tell us, that Thetis to comfort Achilles, engaged to perfume the Body with an Ambrosia which shou'd keep it a whole Year from Corruption: It is thus Homer teaches the Poets to speak of Arts and Sciences. This Example shews the Nature of the things, that Flies cause Putrefaction, that Salt preserves Bodies from it; but all this is told us poetically, the whole is reduced into Action, the Sea is made a Person who speaks and acts, and this Prosopopœia is accompanied with Passion, Tenderness and Affection; in a word, there is nothing which is not (according to Aristotle's Precept) endued with Manners.

Verse 61. Preventing Dian had dispatch'd her Dart, And shot the shining Mischief to the Heart.] Achilles wishes Briseis had died before she had occasion'd so great Calamities to his Countreymen: I will not say, to excuse him, that his Virtue here overpowers his Love, but that the Wish is not so very barbarous as it may seem by the Phrase to a modern Reader. It is not, that Diana had actually kill'd her, as by a particular Stroke or Judgment from Heaven; it means no more than a natural Death, as appears from this Passage in Odyss. 15.

And he does not wish her Death now, after she had been his Mistress, but only that she had died, before he knew, or lov'd her.

Verse 93. She, Jove's dread daughter.] This Speech of Agamemnon, consisting of little else than the long Story of Jupiter's casting Discord out of Heaven, seems odd enough at first sight; and does not indeed answer what I believe every Reader expects, at the Conference of these two Princes. Without excusing it from the Justness, and proper Application of the Allegory in the present Case, I think it a piece of Artifice, very agreeable to the Character of Agamemnon, which is a Mixture of Haughtiness and Cunning! He cannot prevail with himself any way to lessen the Dignity of the royal Character, of which he every where appears jealous: Something he is oblig'd to say in publick, and not brooking directly to own himself in the wrong, he slurs it over with this Tale. With what Stateliness is it that he yields? “I was misled (says he) but I was misled like Jupiter. We invest you with our Powers, take our Troops and our Treasures: Our royal Promise shall be fulfill'd, but be you pacified.”

Verse 93. She, Jove's dread Daughter, fated to infest The Race of Mortals—] It appears from hence, that the Ancients own'd a Dæmon, created by God himself, and totally taken up in doing Mischief.

This Fiction is very remarkable, in as much as it proves that the Pagans knew that a Dæmon of Discord and Malediction was in Heaven, and afterwards precipitated to Earth, which perfectly agrees with holy History. St. Justin will have it, that Homer attain'd to the Knowledge thereof in Egypt, and that he had ev'n read what Isaiah writes, chap. 14. How art thou fal'n from Heaven, O Lucifer, Son of the Morning, how art thou cut down to the Ground which didst weaken the Nations? But our Poet could not have seen the Prophecy of Isaiah, because he liv'd 100, or 150 Years before that Prophet; and this Anteriority of Time makes this Passage the more observable. Homer therein bears authentick Witness to the Truth of the Story, of an Angel thrown from Heaven, and gives this Testimony above an 100 Years before one of the greatest Prophets spoke of it

Verse 145. To keep or send the Presents, be thy Care.] Achilles neither refuses nor demands Agamemnon's Presents: The first would be too contemptuous, and the other would look too selfish. It wou'd seem as if Achilles fought only for Pay like a Mercenary, which wou'd be utterly unbecoming a Hero, and dishonourable to that Character: Homer is wonderful as to the Manners. Spond. Dac.

Verse 159. Strength is deriv'd from Spirits, &c.] This Advice of Ulysses that the Troops shou'd refresh themselves with Eating and Drinking, was extremely necessary, after a Battel of so long Continuance as that of the Day before: And Achilles's Desire that they shou'd charge the Enemy immediately, without any Reflection on the Necessity of that Refreshment, was also highly natural to his violent Character. This forces Ulysses to repeat that Advice, and insist upon it so much: Which these Criticks did not see into, who thro' a false Delicacy are shock'd at his insisting so warmly on Eating and Drinking. Indeed to a common Reader who is more fond of heroick and romantick, than of just and natural Images, this at first sight may have an Air of Ridicule; but I'll venture to say there is nothing ridiculous in the Thing itself, nor mean and low in Homer's manner of expressing it: And I believe the same of this Translation, tho' I have not soften'd or abated of the Idea they are so offended with.

Verse 197. The stern Æacides replies.] The Greek Verse is

Which is repeated very frequently throughout the Iliad. It is a very just Remark of a French Critick, that what makes it so much taken notice of, is the rumbling Sound and Length of the Word απαμειβομενος: This is so true, that if in a Poem or Romance of the same Length as the Iliad, we should repeat The Hero answer'd, full as often, we should never be sensible of that Repetition. And if we are not shock'd at the like Frequency of those Expressions in the Æneid, sic ore resert, talia voce resert, talia dicta dabat, vix ea satus erat, &c. it is only because the Sound of the Latin Words does not fill the Ear like that of the Greek απαμειβομενος

The Discourse of the same Critick upon these sort of Repetitions in general, deserves to be transcribed. That useless Nicety (says he) of avoiding every Repetition which the Delicacy of later Times has introduced, was not known to the first Ages of Antiquity: The Books of Moses abound with them. Far from condemning their frequent Use in the most ancient of all the Poets, we should look upon them as the certain Character of the Age in which he liv'd: They spoke so in his Time, and to have spoken otherwise had been a Fault. And indeed nothing is in itself so contrary to the true Sublime, as that painful and frivolous Exactness, with which we avoid to make use of a proper Word because it was us'd before. It is certain that the Romans were less scrupulous as to this point: You have often in a single Page of Tully, the same Word five or six times over. If it were really a Fault, it is not to be conceiv'd how an Author who so little wanted Variety of Expressions as Homer, could be so very negligent herein? On the contrary, he seems to have affected to repeat the same Things in the same Words, on many Occasions.

It was from two Principles equally true, that among several People, and in several Ages, two Practices entirely different took their Rise. Moses, Homer, and the Writers of the first Times, had found that Repetitions of the same Words recall'd the Ideas of Things, imprinted them much more strongly, and render'd the Discourse more intelligible. Upon this Principle, the Custom of repeating Words, Phrases, and even entire Speeches, insensibly establish'd itself both in Prose and in Poetry, especially in Narrations.

The Writers who succeeded them observ'd, even from Homer himself, that the greatest Beauty of Style consisted in Variety. This they made their Principle: They therefore avoided Repetitions of Words, and still more of whole Sentences; they endeavour'd to vary their Transitions; and found out new Turns and Manners of expressing the same Things.

Either of these Practices is good, but the Excess of either vicious: We should neither on the one hand, thro' a Love of Simplicity and Clearness, continually repeat the same Words, Phrases, or Discourses; nor on the other, for the Pleasure of Variety, fall into a childish Affectation of expressing every thing twenty different Ways, tho' it be never so natural and common.

Nothing so much cools the Warmth of a Piece or puts out the Fire of Poetry, as that perpetual Care to vary incessantly even in the smallest Circumstances. In this, as in many other Points, Homer has despis'd the ungrateful Labour of too scrupulous a Nicety. He has done like a great Painter, who does not think himself oblig'd to vary all his Pieces to that degree, as not one of 'em shall have the least Resemblance to another: If the principal Figures are entirely different, we easily excuse a Resemblance in the Landscapes, the Skies, or the Draperies. Suppose a Gallery full of Pictures, each of which represents a particular Subject: In one I see Achilles in Fury, menacing Agamemnon; in another the same Hero with regret delivers up Briseis to the Heralds; in a third 'tis still Achilles, but Achilles overcome with Grief, and lamenting to his Mother. If the Air, the Gesture, the Countenance, the Character of Achilles, are the same in each of these three Pieces; if the Ground of one of these be the same with that of the others in the Composition and general Design, whether it be Landscape, or Architecture; then indeed one should have reason to blame the Painter for the Uniformity of his Figures and Grounds. But if there be no Sameness but in the Folds of a few Draperies, in the Structure of some part of a Building, or in the Figure of some Tree, Mountain, or Cloud, it is what no one would regard as a Fault. The Application is obvious: Homer repeats, but they are not the great Strokes which he repeats, not those which strike and fix our Attention: They are only the little Parts, the Transitions, the general Circumstances, or familiar Images, which recur naturally, and upon which the Reader but casts his Eye carelesly: Such as the Descriptions of Sacrifices, Repasts, or Embarquements; such in short, as are in their own Nature much the same, which it is sufficient just to shew, and which are in a manner incapable of different Ornaments.

Verse 209. Pale lies my Friend, &c.] It is in the Greek, lies extended in my Tent with his Face turned towards the Door, ανα προθυρον τετραμμενος, that is to say, as the Scholiast has explain'd it, having his Feet turned towards the Door. For it was thus the Greeks placed their Dead in the Porches of their Houses, as likewise in Italy,

Thus we are told by Suetonius, of the Body of Augustus— Equester ordo suscepit, urbique intulit, atque in Vestibulo domus collocavit.

Verse 221. Tho' vast the Heaps, &c.] Ulysses's Expression in the Original is very remarkable; he calls καλαμην, Straw or Chaff, such as are kill'd in the Battel; and he calls αμητον, the Crop, such as make their Escape. This is very conformable to the Language of Holy Scripture, wherein those who perish are called Chaff, and those who are saved are call'd Corn. Dacier.

Verse 237.—

]

This is very artful; Ulysses, to prevail upon Achilles to let the Troops take Repast, and yet in some sort to second his impatience, gives with the same Breath Orders for Battel, by commanding the Troops to march, and expect no farther Orders. Thus tho' the Troops go to take Repast, it looks as if they do not lose a moment's time, but are going to put themselves in Array of Battel. Dacier.

Verse 280. Rolls the Victim into the Main.] For it was not lawful to eat the Flesh of the Victims, that were sacrificed in Confirmation of Oaths; such were Victims of Malediction. Eustathius.

Verse 281. Hear ye Greeks , &c.] Achilles, to let them see that he is entirely appeas'd, justifies Agamemnon himself, and enters into the Reasons with which that Prince had colour'd his Fault. But in that Justification he perfectly well preserves his Character, and illustrates the Advantage he has over that King who offended him. Dacier.

Verse 303, &c. The Lamentation of Briseis over Patroclus .] This Speech (says Dionysius of Halicarnassus) is not without its Artifice: While Briseis seems only to be deploring Patroclus, she represents to Achilles who stands by, the Breach of the Promises he had made her, and upbraids him with the Neglect he had been guilty of in resigning her up to Agamemnon. He adds, that Achilles hereupon acknowledges the Justice of her Complaint, and makes answer that his Promises should be performed: It was a slip in that great Critick's Memory, for the Verse he cites is not in this Part of the Author, [Περι εσχηματισμενων, Part 2.]

Verse 315. Achilles Care you promis'd, &c.] In these Days when our Manners are so different from those of the Ancients, and we see none of those dismal Catastrophes which laid whole Kingdoms waste and subjected Princesses and Queens to the Power of the Conqueror; it will perhaps seem astonishing, that a Princess of Briseis's Birth, the very Day that her Father, Brothers, and Husband were kill'd by Achilles, should suffer her self to be comforted and even flatter'd with the Hopes of becoming the Spouse of their Murderer. But such were the Manners of those Times, as ancient History testifies: And a Poet represents them as they were; But if there was a Necessity for justifying them, it might be said that Slavery was at that time so terrible, that in truth a Princess like Briseis was pardonable, to chuse rather to become Achilles's Wife than his Slave. Dacier.

Verse 322. Nor mourn'd Patroclus Fortunes but their own.] Homer adds this Touch, to heighten the Character of Briseis, and to shew the Difference there was between her and the other Captives. Briseis, as a well-born Princess, really bewail'd Patroclus out of Gratitude; but the others, by pretending to bewail him, wept only out of Interest. Dacier.

Verse 335. Thou too Patroclus , &c.] This Lamentation is finely introduced: While the Generals are persuading him to take some Refreshment, it naturally awakens in his Mind the Remembrance of Patroclus, who had so often brought him Food every Morning before they went to Battel: This is very natural, and admirably well conceals the Art of drawing the Subject of his Discourse from the things that present themselves. Spondanus.

Verse 351. I hop'd, Patroclus might survive, &c.] Patroclu was young, and Achilles who had but a short time to lives hoped that after his Death his dear Friend wou'd be as a Father to his Son, and put him into the Possession of his Kingdom: Neoptolemus wou'd in Patroclus find Peleus and Achilles; whereas when Patroclus was dead, he must be an Orphan indeed. Homer is particularly admirable for the Sentiments, and always follows Nature. Dacier.

Verse 384. So Helms succeeding Helms, so Shields from Shields Catch the quick Beams, and brighten all the Fields.] It is probable the Reader may think the Words, shining, splendid, and others deriv'd from the Lustre of Arms, too frequent in these Books. My Author is to answer for it, but it may be alledg'd in his Excuse, that when it was the Custom for every Soldier to serve in Armour, and when those Arms were of Brass before the Use of Iron became common, these Images of Lustre were less avoidable, and more necessarily frequent in Descriptions of this nature.

Verse 398. Achilles arming himself, &c.] There is a wonderful Pomp in this Description of Achilles's arming himself; every Reader without being pointed to it, will see the extreme Grandeur of all these Images; But what is particular, is, in what a noble Scale they rise one above another, and how the Hero is set still in a stronger Point of Light than before; till he is at last in a manner cover'd over with Glories: He is at first likened to the Moonlight, then to the Flames of a Beacon, then to a Comet, and lastly to the Sun it self.

Verse 450. Then (strange to tell! so Juno will'd) he broke Eternal Silence, and portentous spoke.] It is remark'd, in excuse of this extravagant Fiction of a Horse speaking, that Homer was authorized herein by Fable, Tradition, and History. Livy makes mention of two Oxen that spoke on different occasions, and recites the Speech of one, which was, Roma cave tibi. Pliny tells us, these Animals were particularly gifted this way, l. 8. c. 45. Est frequens in prodigiis priscorum, bovem locutum. Besides Homer had prepar'd us for expecting something miraculous from these Horses of Achilles, by representing them to be immortal. We have seen 'em already sensible, and weeping at the Death of Patroclus: And we must add to all this, that a Goddess is concern'd in working this Wonder: It is Juno that does it. Oppian alludes to this in a beautiful Passage of his first Book: Not having the Original by me, I shall quote (what I believe is no less beautiful) Mr. Fenton's Translation of it.

Spondanus and Dacier fail not to bring up Balaam's Ass on this Occasion. But methinks the Commentators are at too much pains to discharge the Poet from the Imputation of extravagant Fiction, by accounting for Wonders of this kind: I am afraid, that next to the Extravagance of inventing them, is that of endeavouring to reconcile such Fictions to Probability. Would not one general Answer do better, to say once for all, that the abovecited Authors liv'd in the Age of Wonders: The Taste of the World has been generally turn'd to the Miraculous; Wonders were what the People would have, and what not only the Poets, but the Priests, gave 'em.

Verse 464. Then ceas'd for ever, by the Furies ty'd, His fate-ful Voice— The Poet had offended against Probability if he had made Juno take away the Voice, for Juno (which signifies the Air) is the cause of the Voice. Besides, the Poet was willing to intimate that the Privation of the Voice is a thing so dismal and melancholy, that none but the Furies can take upon them so cruel an Employment. Eustathius.