The Epigoniad A Poem. In Nine Books. By William Wilkie, The Second Edition, Carefully Corrected and Improved. To which is Added, A Dream. In the Manner of Spenser. [by William Winkie] |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. | BOOK III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
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 | The Epigoniad |  |
39
BOOK III.
The Spartan bands, with thirst of vengeance fir'd,
The fight maintain'd; nor from their toils respir'd.
Before the hero fall'n the warriors stand,
Firm as the chains of rock which guard the strand;
Whose rooted strength the angry ocean braves,
And bounds the fury of his bursting waves.
So Sparta stood; their serred bucklers bar
The Theban phalanx, and exclude the war.
While from the field, upon their shoulders laid,
His warriors sad the Argive prince convey'd;
Leophron saw, with indignation fir'd,
And, with his shouts, the ling'ring war inspir'd.
Again the rigor of the shock returns;
The slaughter rages, and the combat burns;
Till, push'd and yielding to superior sway,
In slow retreat the Spartan ranks gave way.
As, in some channel pent, intangled wood
Reluctant stirs before the angry flood;
Which, on its loaded current, slowly heaves
The spoils of forests mix'd with harvest sheaves.
The fight maintain'd; nor from their toils respir'd.
Before the hero fall'n the warriors stand,
Firm as the chains of rock which guard the strand;
Whose rooted strength the angry ocean braves,
And bounds the fury of his bursting waves.
So Sparta stood; their serred bucklers bar
The Theban phalanx, and exclude the war.
While from the field, upon their shoulders laid,
His warriors sad the Argive prince convey'd;
Leophron saw, with indignation fir'd,
And, with his shouts, the ling'ring war inspir'd.
Again the rigor of the shock returns;
The slaughter rages, and the combat burns;
Till, push'd and yielding to superior sway,
In slow retreat the Spartan ranks gave way.
As, in some channel pent, intangled wood
Reluctant stirs before the angry flood;
40
The spoils of forests mix'd with harvest sheaves.
Pallas observ'd, and from th' Olympian height
Precipitated swift her downward flight.
Like Cleon's valiant son, the Goddess came;
The same her stature, and her arms the same.
Descending from his chariot to the ground,
The son of Tydeus, 'midst his bands, she found;
His steeds unrul'd: for, stretch'd before the wheel,
Lay the bold driver pierc'd with Theban steel.
On the high car her mighty hand she laid;
And thus address'd the valiant Diomed:
The Spartan warriors, prince! renounce the fight,
O'ermatch'd by numbers and superior might:
While adverse fate their valiant chief restrains,
Who dead or wounded with the foe remains;
Hegialus lies lifeless on the earth,
Brother to her from whom you claim your birth:
The great Atrides, as he press'd to save,
Leophron's jav'lin mark'd him for the grave.
To vengeance haste; and, ere it is too late,
With speedy succor stop impending fate:
For stern Leophron, like the rage of flame,
With ruin threatens all the Spartan name.
Precipitated swift her downward flight.
Like Cleon's valiant son, the Goddess came;
The same her stature, and her arms the same.
Descending from his chariot to the ground,
The son of Tydeus, 'midst his bands, she found;
His steeds unrul'd: for, stretch'd before the wheel,
Lay the bold driver pierc'd with Theban steel.
On the high car her mighty hand she laid;
And thus address'd the valiant Diomed:
The Spartan warriors, prince! renounce the fight,
O'ermatch'd by numbers and superior might:
While adverse fate their valiant chief restrains,
Who dead or wounded with the foe remains;
Hegialus lies lifeless on the earth,
Brother to her from whom you claim your birth:
The great Atrides, as he press'd to save,
Leophron's jav'lin mark'd him for the grave.
To vengeance haste; and, ere it is too late,
With speedy succor stop impending fate:
For stern Leophron, like the rage of flame,
With ruin threatens all the Spartan name.
The Goddess thus; Tydides thus replies:
How partial are the counsels of the skies!
For vulgar merit oft the Gods with care
Honor and peace and happiness prepare;
While worth, distinguish'd, by their partial hate,
Submits to all the injuries of fate.
Adrastus thus, with justice, may complain
His daughters widow'd, sons in battle slain.
In the devoted line myself I stand;
And here must perish by some hostile hand:
Yet not, for this, I shun the works of war,
Nor sculk inglorious when I ought to dare.
And now I'll meet yon terror of the plain;
To crown his conquests, or avenge the slain.
But wish some valiant youth, to rule my car
And push the horses thro' the shock of war,
Were present; for, extended in his gore,
The brave Speusippus knows his charge no more.
How partial are the counsels of the skies!
For vulgar merit oft the Gods with care
Honor and peace and happiness prepare;
41
Submits to all the injuries of fate.
Adrastus thus, with justice, may complain
His daughters widow'd, sons in battle slain.
In the devoted line myself I stand;
And here must perish by some hostile hand:
Yet not, for this, I shun the works of war,
Nor sculk inglorious when I ought to dare.
And now I'll meet yon terror of the plain;
To crown his conquests, or avenge the slain.
But wish some valiant youth, to rule my car
And push the horses thro' the shock of war,
Were present; for, extended in his gore,
The brave Speusippus knows his charge no more.
Thus as the hero spoke, Cassandra heard,
And present, to assume the charge, appear'd.
By love inspir'd, she sought the fields of war;
Her hero's safety was her only care.
A polish'd casque her lovely temples bound,
With flow'rs of gold and various plumage crown'd;
Confus'dly gay, the peacock's changeful train,
With gaudy colors mix'd of ev'ry grain;
The virgin white, the yellow's golden hue,
The regal purple, and the shining blue,
With female skill compos'd. The shield she bore
With flow'rs of gold was mark'd and spangled o'er:
Light and of slend'rest make, she held a launce;
Like some mock warrior armed for the dance,
When spring's return and music's chearful strain
The youth invite to frolic on the plain.
And present, to assume the charge, appear'd.
By love inspir'd, she sought the fields of war;
Her hero's safety was her only care.
A polish'd casque her lovely temples bound,
With flow'rs of gold and various plumage crown'd;
Confus'dly gay, the peacock's changeful train,
With gaudy colors mix'd of ev'ry grain;
The virgin white, the yellow's golden hue,
The regal purple, and the shining blue,
With female skill compos'd. The shield she bore
With flow'rs of gold was mark'd and spangled o'er:
Light and of slend'rest make, she held a launce;
Like some mock warrior armed for the dance,
42
The youth invite to frolic on the plain.
Illustrious chief, the armed virgin said,
To rule your steeds on me the task be laid;
Skill'd to direct their course with steddy rein,
To wake their fiery mettle, or restrain;
To stop, to turn, the various arts I know;
To push them on direct, or shun the foe.
With ready hand your voice I shall obey;
And urge their fury where you point the way.
The virgin thus; and thus Tydides said:
Your zeal I honor, but reject your aid.
Fierce are my steeds; their fury to restrain
The strongest hand requires and stiffest rein:
For oft, their mettle rous'd, they rush along;
Nor feel the biting curb, or sounding thong.
Oft have I seen you brave the toils of fight,
With dauntless courage but unequal might.
Small is your force; and, from your arm unstrung,
The harmless launce is impotently flung.
Yet not for this you shun the martial strife,
Patient of wounds and prodigal of life.
Where'er I combat, faithful to my side,
No danger awes you, and no toils divide.
Yet grudge not that your service I decline;
Homocleon's better hand shall guide the rein:
His manly voice my horses will obey,
And move submissive to his firmer sway.
To rule your steeds on me the task be laid;
Skill'd to direct their course with steddy rein,
To wake their fiery mettle, or restrain;
To stop, to turn, the various arts I know;
To push them on direct, or shun the foe.
With ready hand your voice I shall obey;
And urge their fury where you point the way.
The virgin thus; and thus Tydides said:
Your zeal I honor, but reject your aid.
Fierce are my steeds; their fury to restrain
The strongest hand requires and stiffest rein:
For oft, their mettle rous'd, they rush along;
Nor feel the biting curb, or sounding thong.
Oft have I seen you brave the toils of fight,
With dauntless courage but unequal might.
Small is your force; and, from your arm unstrung,
The harmless launce is impotently flung.
Yet not for this you shun the martial strife,
Patient of wounds and prodigal of life.
Where'er I combat, faithful to my side,
No danger awes you, and no toils divide.
Yet grudge not that your service I decline;
Homocleon's better hand shall guide the rein:
His manly voice my horses will obey,
And move submissive to his firmer sway.
43
Th' Etolian warrior thus; and, with a bound,
Rose to his lofty chariot from the ground.
The Goddess to the driver's seat proceeds;
Assumes the reins, and winds the willing steeds.
On their smooth sides the sounding lash she plies;
And thro' the fight the smoaking chariot flies.
Th' Athenians soon they pass'd; and Phocians strong,
Who from fair Crissa led their martial throng.
Th' Arcadians next from Alpheus' silver flood,
And hardy Eleans, grim with dust and blood,
In order rang'd. As when some pilot spies
The rocky cliffs in long succession rise,
When near the land his galley scours the shores,
By prosp'rous winds impell'd and speeding oars:
So, hastening to the fight, the hero flew.
And now the Spartan host appears in view:
By wounds subdu'd, their bravest warriors lay;
Others, by shameful flight, their fear obey;
The rest, in slow retreat, forsake the field,
O'ermatch'd by numbers, and constrain'd to yield.
Th' Etolian hero saw, and rais'd his voice,
Loud as the silver trumpet's martial noise;
And rush'd to fight: through all the field it flew;
The host at once the happy signal knew;
And joy'd, as they who, from the found'ring ship
Escap'd, had struggled long amid the deep:
Faint from despair, when hope and vigor fail,
If, hast'ning to their aid, appears a sail;
With force renew'd their weary limbs they strain,
And climb the slipp'ry ridges of the main.
So joy'd the Spartans to repulse the foe;
With hope restor'd, their gen'rous bosoms glow:
While Thebes, suspended 'midst her conquest, stands;
And feels a sudden check thro' all her bands.
Rose to his lofty chariot from the ground.
The Goddess to the driver's seat proceeds;
Assumes the reins, and winds the willing steeds.
On their smooth sides the sounding lash she plies;
And thro' the fight the smoaking chariot flies.
Th' Athenians soon they pass'd; and Phocians strong,
Who from fair Crissa led their martial throng.
Th' Arcadians next from Alpheus' silver flood,
And hardy Eleans, grim with dust and blood,
In order rang'd. As when some pilot spies
The rocky cliffs in long succession rise,
When near the land his galley scours the shores,
By prosp'rous winds impell'd and speeding oars:
So, hastening to the fight, the hero flew.
And now the Spartan host appears in view:
By wounds subdu'd, their bravest warriors lay;
Others, by shameful flight, their fear obey;
The rest, in slow retreat, forsake the field,
O'ermatch'd by numbers, and constrain'd to yield.
Th' Etolian hero saw, and rais'd his voice,
Loud as the silver trumpet's martial noise;
And rush'd to fight: through all the field it flew;
The host at once the happy signal knew;
And joy'd, as they who, from the found'ring ship
Escap'd, had struggled long amid the deep:
Faint from despair, when hope and vigor fail,
If, hast'ning to their aid, appears a sail;
With force renew'd their weary limbs they strain,
And climb the slipp'ry ridges of the main.
44
With hope restor'd, their gen'rous bosoms glow:
While Thebes, suspended 'midst her conquest, stands;
And feels a sudden check thro' all her bands.
Leophron only, far before the rest,
Tydides waited with a dauntless breast.
Firm and unaw'd the hardy warrior stood;
Like some fierce boar amid his native wood,
When armed swains his gloomy haunts invade,
And trace his footsteps thro' the lonely shade;
Resolv'd he hears approach the hostile sound,
Grinds his white teeth, and threat'ning glares around:
So stood Leophron trusting in his might,
And shook his armor, eager for the fight.
Tydides saw; and, springing from his car,
Thus brav'd the hero, as he rush'd to war:
O son unhappy, of a sire accurst!
The plague of all, and fated to the worst!
The injuries of Greece demand thy breath;
See, in my hand, the instrument of death.
Hegialus's ghost shall less deplore
His fate untimely on the Stygian shore,
When banish'd from the light, your shade shall come
To mingle with the dark infernal gloom.
Tydides thus; and Creon's son replies:
Your fear in vain, by boasting, you disguise;
Such vulgar art a novice oft confounds,
To scenes of battle new and martial sounds;
Tho' lost on me, who dwell amid alarms,
And never met a greater yet in arms.
Tydides waited with a dauntless breast.
Firm and unaw'd the hardy warrior stood;
Like some fierce boar amid his native wood,
When armed swains his gloomy haunts invade,
And trace his footsteps thro' the lonely shade;
Resolv'd he hears approach the hostile sound,
Grinds his white teeth, and threat'ning glares around:
So stood Leophron trusting in his might,
And shook his armor, eager for the fight.
Tydides saw; and, springing from his car,
Thus brav'd the hero, as he rush'd to war:
O son unhappy, of a sire accurst!
The plague of all, and fated to the worst!
The injuries of Greece demand thy breath;
See, in my hand, the instrument of death.
Hegialus's ghost shall less deplore
His fate untimely on the Stygian shore,
When banish'd from the light, your shade shall come
To mingle with the dark infernal gloom.
Tydides thus; and Creon's son replies:
Your fear in vain, by boasting, you disguise;
Such vulgar art a novice oft confounds,
To scenes of battle new and martial sounds;
45
And never met a greater yet in arms.
Thus as the warrior spoke, his launce with care
He aim'd, and sent it hissing thro' the air.
On Diomed's broad shield the weapon fell;
Loud rung the echoing brass with stunning knell:
But the strong orb, by Vulcan's labor bound,
Repell'd, and sent it blunted to the ground.
Tydides next his pond'rous jav'lin threw:
With force impell'd, it brighten'd as it flew;
And pierc'd the border of the Theban shield,
Where, wreath'd around, a serpent guards the field;
Through the close mail an easy passage found,
And mark'd his thigh, in passing, with a wound.
Now in close fight the angry chiefs engage;
Like two fell griffins rous'd to equal rage;
Pois'd on their rolling trains they fiercely rise,
With blood-bespotted crests and burning eyes;
With poison fraught they aim their deadly stings,
Clasp their sharp fangs, and mix their rattling wings.
In combat thus, the ardent warriors clos'd,
With shield to shield, and foot to foot oppos'd.
First at his foe Leophron aim'd a stroke;
But, on his polish'd casque, the faulcion broke:
From the smooth steel the shiver'd weapon sprung;
Aloft in air its hissing splinters sung.
Not so, Tydides, did thy weapon fail;
With force impell'd it pierc'd the silver mail,
Whose sliding plates the warrior's neck surround:
A tide of gore came rushing from the wound.
Stagg'ring to earth he sunk with head declin'd;
And life in long convulsive throbs resign'd.
Nor stop'd Tydides to despoil the slain;
The warrior Goddess led him, cross the plain,
Towards the grove where great Atrides lay;
Th' immortal spear she stretch'd, and mark'd the way.
He aim'd, and sent it hissing thro' the air.
On Diomed's broad shield the weapon fell;
Loud rung the echoing brass with stunning knell:
But the strong orb, by Vulcan's labor bound,
Repell'd, and sent it blunted to the ground.
Tydides next his pond'rous jav'lin threw:
With force impell'd, it brighten'd as it flew;
And pierc'd the border of the Theban shield,
Where, wreath'd around, a serpent guards the field;
Through the close mail an easy passage found,
And mark'd his thigh, in passing, with a wound.
Now in close fight the angry chiefs engage;
Like two fell griffins rous'd to equal rage;
Pois'd on their rolling trains they fiercely rise,
With blood-bespotted crests and burning eyes;
With poison fraught they aim their deadly stings,
Clasp their sharp fangs, and mix their rattling wings.
In combat thus, the ardent warriors clos'd,
With shield to shield, and foot to foot oppos'd.
First at his foe Leophron aim'd a stroke;
But, on his polish'd casque, the faulcion broke:
From the smooth steel the shiver'd weapon sprung;
Aloft in air its hissing splinters sung.
Not so, Tydides, did thy weapon fail;
With force impell'd it pierc'd the silver mail,
46
A tide of gore came rushing from the wound.
Stagg'ring to earth he sunk with head declin'd;
And life in long convulsive throbs resign'd.
Nor stop'd Tydides to despoil the slain;
The warrior Goddess led him, cross the plain,
Towards the grove where great Atrides lay;
Th' immortal spear she stretch'd, and mark'd the way.
Thither amid surrounding foes they haste;
Who shun'd them, still retreating, as they pass'd:
And ent'ring found the Spartan hero laid
On the green sward, beneath the bow'ring shade.
The guard secure, lay stretch'd upon the ground;
Their shields resign'd, their launces pitch'd around:
One only near a winding riv'let stood,
Which turn'd its wand'ring current thro' the wood;
His helmet fill'd with both his hands he rear'd,
In act to drink; when in the grove appear'd
Th' Etolian prince. His armour's fiery blaze
The dark recess illumin'd with its rays.
Amaz'd the Theban stood; and, from his hand,
The helmet slip'd, and roll'd upon the sand.
Not more afraid the wond'ring swain descries,
'Midst night's thick gloom, a flaming meteor rise;
Sent by the furies, as he deems, to sow
Death and diseases on the earth below.
Tydides comes! with fault'ring voice he cry'd,
And straight to flight his willing limbs apply'd.
With sudden dread surpris'd the guards retire;
As shepherd swains avoid a lion's ire,
Who roams the heights and plains, from famine bold,
The stall to ravage or assault the fold.
Who shun'd them, still retreating, as they pass'd:
And ent'ring found the Spartan hero laid
On the green sward, beneath the bow'ring shade.
The guard secure, lay stretch'd upon the ground;
Their shields resign'd, their launces pitch'd around:
One only near a winding riv'let stood,
Which turn'd its wand'ring current thro' the wood;
His helmet fill'd with both his hands he rear'd,
In act to drink; when in the grove appear'd
Th' Etolian prince. His armour's fiery blaze
The dark recess illumin'd with its rays.
Amaz'd the Theban stood; and, from his hand,
The helmet slip'd, and roll'd upon the sand.
Not more afraid the wond'ring swain descries,
'Midst night's thick gloom, a flaming meteor rise;
Sent by the furies, as he deems, to sow
Death and diseases on the earth below.
Tydides comes! with fault'ring voice he cry'd,
And straight to flight his willing limbs apply'd.
With sudden dread surpris'd the guards retire;
As shepherd swains avoid a lion's ire,
47
The stall to ravage or assault the fold.
Now, lifeless as he lay, the martial maid
Atrides, with a pitying eye, survey'd;
And with her spear revers'd, the hero shook:
The touch divine his iron slumber broke;
As when his drowsy mate the shepherd swain
Stirs with his crook, and calls him to the plain;
When in the east he sees the morning rise,
And red'ning o'er his head the colour'd skies.
When from the ground his head the hero rais'd,
In full divinity the Goddess blaz'd;
Her left, reveal'd, the dreadful Ægis rears,
Whose ample field the snaky Gorgon bears;
Th' immortal launce stood flaming in the right,
Which scatters and confounds the ranks of fight.
Speechless the chiefs remain'd; amazement strong,
In mute suspence and silence, held them long.
And thus the Goddess: Atreus' son! arise,
Confess the partial favour of the skies.
For thee I leave the Thund'rer's lofty seat,
To wake thee slumb'ring on the verge of fate:
To you let Diomed his arms resign;
Unequal were your force to govern mine;
His stronger arm shall bear this pond'rous shield;
His better hand the weighty jav'lin wield.
Arise! be sudden, for your foes draw near;
Assur'd to conquer when the Gods appear.
Atrides, with a pitying eye, survey'd;
And with her spear revers'd, the hero shook:
The touch divine his iron slumber broke;
As when his drowsy mate the shepherd swain
Stirs with his crook, and calls him to the plain;
When in the east he sees the morning rise,
And red'ning o'er his head the colour'd skies.
When from the ground his head the hero rais'd,
In full divinity the Goddess blaz'd;
Her left, reveal'd, the dreadful Ægis rears,
Whose ample field the snaky Gorgon bears;
Th' immortal launce stood flaming in the right,
Which scatters and confounds the ranks of fight.
Speechless the chiefs remain'd; amazement strong,
In mute suspence and silence, held them long.
And thus the Goddess: Atreus' son! arise,
Confess the partial favour of the skies.
For thee I leave the Thund'rer's lofty seat,
To wake thee slumb'ring on the verge of fate:
To you let Diomed his arms resign;
Unequal were your force to govern mine;
His stronger arm shall bear this pond'rous shield;
His better hand the weighty jav'lin wield.
Arise! be sudden, for your foes draw near;
Assur'd to conquer when the Gods appear.
48
The Goddess thus; and, mixing with the wind,
Left in a heap her shining arms behind
Upon the field; with loud harmonious peal,
Th'immortal buckler rung, and golden mail.
And thus Atrides, rising from the ground:
In this, approv'd is hoar tradition found;
That oft, descending from th' ethereal tow'rs,
To mix with mortals, come the heav'nly pow'rs:
But ne'er till now I saw a God appear,
Or more than human voice did ever hear.
Do you, my friend, assume these arms divine;
The mortal and inferior shall be mine.
Atrides thus; and Diomed reply'd:
To heav'n obedience must not be deny'd;
Else you yourself th' immortal arms should wield,
And I with these attend you on the field.
But of the Pow'rs above, whose sov'reign sway
The fates of men and mortal things obey,
Pallas, with surest vengeance, still pursues
Such as obedience to her will refuse.
Left in a heap her shining arms behind
Upon the field; with loud harmonious peal,
Th'immortal buckler rung, and golden mail.
And thus Atrides, rising from the ground:
In this, approv'd is hoar tradition found;
That oft, descending from th' ethereal tow'rs,
To mix with mortals, come the heav'nly pow'rs:
But ne'er till now I saw a God appear,
Or more than human voice did ever hear.
Do you, my friend, assume these arms divine;
The mortal and inferior shall be mine.
Atrides thus; and Diomed reply'd:
To heav'n obedience must not be deny'd;
Else you yourself th' immortal arms should wield,
And I with these attend you on the field.
But of the Pow'rs above, whose sov'reign sway
The fates of men and mortal things obey,
Pallas, with surest vengeance, still pursues
Such as obedience to her will refuse.
He said; and straight his shining arms unbound,
The casque, the mail, the buckler's weighty round;
With secret joy th' immortal helmet took:
High on its crest the waving plumage shook.
This whosoever wears, his sharp'ned eyes
All dangers mock of ambush and surprize;
Their ray unquench'd, the midnight shade divides;
No cunning covers, and no darkness hides.
The breast-plate next he takes, whose matchless art
Firm courage fixes in the bounding heart;
The rage of war unmov'd the wearer braves,
And rides serene amid the stormy waves:
The glitt'ring mail a starry baldric bound,
His arm sustain'd the buckler's weighty round;
Impenetrably strong, its orb can bear
And turn, like softest lead, the pointed spear;
Nor yields to aught, in earth or heav'n above,
But the dread thunder of almighty Jove.
Th' immortal spear the hero last did wield,
Which fixes conquest and decides a field;
Nor strength nor numbers can its rage withstand,
Sent by a mortal or immortal hand.
The casque, the mail, the buckler's weighty round;
With secret joy th' immortal helmet took:
High on its crest the waving plumage shook.
This whosoever wears, his sharp'ned eyes
All dangers mock of ambush and surprize;
Their ray unquench'd, the midnight shade divides;
No cunning covers, and no darkness hides.
49
Firm courage fixes in the bounding heart;
The rage of war unmov'd the wearer braves,
And rides serene amid the stormy waves:
The glitt'ring mail a starry baldric bound,
His arm sustain'd the buckler's weighty round;
Impenetrably strong, its orb can bear
And turn, like softest lead, the pointed spear;
Nor yields to aught, in earth or heav'n above,
But the dread thunder of almighty Jove.
Th' immortal spear the hero last did wield,
Which fixes conquest and decides a field;
Nor strength nor numbers can its rage withstand,
Sent by a mortal or immortal hand.
Thus arm'd to meet the foe Tydides mov'd,
And glory'd conscious of his might improv'd;
Like the proud steed rejoicing in his force,
When the shrill trumpet wakes him to the course:
Fierce and impatient of restraint, he strains
With stiffen'd neck against the galling reins.
Taller he seem'd; as when the morning spread,
With golden lustre, crowns some mountain's head
In early spring; when, from the meads below,
A wreath of vapors binds his rocky brow;
In cloudy volumes settling as they rise,
They lift the lofty prospect to the skies:
So in immortal arms the chief appear'd,
His stature broad display'd and higher rear'd.
And glory'd conscious of his might improv'd;
Like the proud steed rejoicing in his force,
When the shrill trumpet wakes him to the course:
Fierce and impatient of restraint, he strains
With stiffen'd neck against the galling reins.
Taller he seem'd; as when the morning spread,
With golden lustre, crowns some mountain's head
In early spring; when, from the meads below,
A wreath of vapors binds his rocky brow;
In cloudy volumes settling as they rise,
They lift the lofty prospect to the skies:
So in immortal arms the chief appear'd,
His stature broad display'd and higher rear'd.
50
Now from the field approaching to the grove,
Embattel'd thick, the Theban warriors move;
Slowly they move, as swains with doubtful steps
Approach the thicket where a lion sleeps.
Tydides saw; and, rushing from the shade,
The Spartan call'd and to the combat led.
Unaw'd the hero met the hostile band;
Nor could united force his rage withstand.
They wheel'd aloof; as when a dragon springs
From his dark den, and rears his pointed wings
Against approaching swains, when summer burns,
And the fresh lakes to parched desert turns;
They fly dispers'd, nor tempt his fatal ire,
His wrath-swoln neck and eyes of living fire:
So fled the Thebans, nor escap'd by flight.
Amid their squadrons, like a faulcon light,
The hero sprung; who, stooping from the skies,
The feather'd race disperses as he flies.
Still from his hand th' immortal weapon flew;
And ev'ry flight an armed warrior slew.
Andremon first, beneath his mighty hand,
Of life bereft, lay stretch'd upon the sand.
Pherecydes gigantic press'd the plain;
And valiant Tereus sunk amid the slain.
Warriors to these of vulgar name succeed;
And all his path is mark'd with heaps of dead.
As when some woodman, by incessant strokes,
Bestrews a mountain with its falling oaks;
Fells the thick planes, the hawthorn's flow'ry shade,
The poplar fair by passing currents fed,
The laurel with unfading verdure crown'd;
Heaps roll'd on heaps, the forest sinks around:
So spreads the slaughter as the chief proceeds;
At ev'ry stroke an armed warrior bleeds.
Atrides cambats by the hero's side,
To share his glory and the toil divide:
Unmov'd amid the hostile ranks they go;
Before them far retreats the routed foe.
Embattel'd thick, the Theban warriors move;
Slowly they move, as swains with doubtful steps
Approach the thicket where a lion sleeps.
Tydides saw; and, rushing from the shade,
The Spartan call'd and to the combat led.
Unaw'd the hero met the hostile band;
Nor could united force his rage withstand.
They wheel'd aloof; as when a dragon springs
From his dark den, and rears his pointed wings
Against approaching swains, when summer burns,
And the fresh lakes to parched desert turns;
They fly dispers'd, nor tempt his fatal ire,
His wrath-swoln neck and eyes of living fire:
So fled the Thebans, nor escap'd by flight.
Amid their squadrons, like a faulcon light,
The hero sprung; who, stooping from the skies,
The feather'd race disperses as he flies.
Still from his hand th' immortal weapon flew;
And ev'ry flight an armed warrior slew.
Andremon first, beneath his mighty hand,
Of life bereft, lay stretch'd upon the sand.
Pherecydes gigantic press'd the plain;
And valiant Tereus sunk amid the slain.
Warriors to these of vulgar name succeed;
And all his path is mark'd with heaps of dead.
As when some woodman, by incessant strokes,
Bestrews a mountain with its falling oaks;
Fells the thick planes, the hawthorn's flow'ry shade,
The poplar fair by passing currents fed,
51
Heaps roll'd on heaps, the forest sinks around:
So spreads the slaughter as the chief proceeds;
At ev'ry stroke an armed warrior bleeds.
Atrides cambats by the hero's side,
To share his glory and the toil divide:
Unmov'd amid the hostile ranks they go;
Before them far retreats the routed foe.
And now the Spartan host appear'd in sight,
By toil subdu'd and ling'ring in the fight.
Their valiant leader saw, and rais'd his voice,
Loud as the silver trumpet's martial noise,
With hopes of victory his bands to chear;
It swiftly flew: the distant Spartans hear
With glad surprize. Polyctes thus addrest,
And rous'd the languid valor of the rest.
Myceneans! Spartans! taught to seek renown
From dangers greatly brav'd, and battles won;
With sorrow and regret I see you yield,
And Thebes victorious drive you from the field.
Atrides calls us; to his aid repair:
No foe subdues you but your own despair.
He yet survives, beset with hostile bands,
And, from your valor, present aid demands.
He said. The rigor of the shock returns;
The slaughter rages, and the combat burns.
As when a reaping train their sickles wield,
Where yellow harvest loads some fruitful field;
The master's heart, with secret joy, o'erflows;
He prompts the work, and counts the length'ning rows;
So 'midst the war, the Pow'r of battles stood,
Pleas'd with the carnage and the streams of blood.
By toil subdu'd and ling'ring in the fight.
Their valiant leader saw, and rais'd his voice,
Loud as the silver trumpet's martial noise,
With hopes of victory his bands to chear;
It swiftly flew: the distant Spartans hear
With glad surprize. Polyctes thus addrest,
And rous'd the languid valor of the rest.
Myceneans! Spartans! taught to seek renown
From dangers greatly brav'd, and battles won;
With sorrow and regret I see you yield,
And Thebes victorious drive you from the field.
Atrides calls us; to his aid repair:
No foe subdues you but your own despair.
He yet survives, beset with hostile bands,
And, from your valor, present aid demands.
He said. The rigor of the shock returns;
The slaughter rages, and the combat burns.
As when a reaping train their sickles wield,
Where yellow harvest loads some fruitful field;
52
He prompts the work, and counts the length'ning rows;
So 'midst the war, the Pow'r of battles stood,
Pleas'd with the carnage and the streams of blood.
Elpenor first lay lifeless on the plain,
By stern Plexippus with a jav'lin slain,
A grief to Thebes. Euryalus the bold,
Rich in his flocks and rich in sums of gold,
Beneath the arm of Aristæus fell;
Loud rung his silver arms with echoing knell:
And like some flow'r, whose painted foliage fair
With fragrant breath perfumes the vernal air,
If the rude scythe its tender root invades,
It falls dishonor'd and its lustre fades.
Thus fell Euryalus; whose matchless grace,
In youth's full bloom, surpass'd the human race;
For Cynthius only could with him compare,
In comely features, shape, and flowing hair.
By stern Plexippus with a jav'lin slain,
A grief to Thebes. Euryalus the bold,
Rich in his flocks and rich in sums of gold,
Beneath the arm of Aristæus fell;
Loud rung his silver arms with echoing knell:
And like some flow'r, whose painted foliage fair
With fragrant breath perfumes the vernal air,
If the rude scythe its tender root invades,
It falls dishonor'd and its lustre fades.
Thus fell Euryalus; whose matchless grace,
In youth's full bloom, surpass'd the human race;
For Cynthius only could with him compare,
In comely features, shape, and flowing hair.
Now o'er the fields the rage of war is spread;
And heaps on heaps ascend the hills of dead.
Ranks meeting ranks oppose with equal rage:
As when the north and stormy south engage,
Beneath their strife the troubled ocean roars;
And rushing waves o'erwhelm the rocky shores;
So rag'd the fight; when, bursting from a crowd
Of thick opposing foes, the princes stood
Between the hosts. And thus th' Etolian lord:
Spartans! behold your valiant chief restor'd;
Ye owe his safety to Minerva's care;
Let hecatombs your gratitude declare,
Soon as from Thebes you reach your native ground,
Where flocks and herds for sacrifice abound;
Now fight and conquer; let this signal day
Your tedious toils, with victory, repay;
And, for Hegialus, let thousands dead
With ample vengeance gratify his shade.
As thus the hero spoke, the warriors heard,
And hope rekindling thro' the host appear'd;
With joyful shouts they rent the trembling air,
And bless'd the gods, and own'd Minerva's care.
And heaps on heaps ascend the hills of dead.
Ranks meeting ranks oppose with equal rage:
As when the north and stormy south engage,
Beneath their strife the troubled ocean roars;
And rushing waves o'erwhelm the rocky shores;
So rag'd the fight; when, bursting from a crowd
Of thick opposing foes, the princes stood
53
Spartans! behold your valiant chief restor'd;
Ye owe his safety to Minerva's care;
Let hecatombs your gratitude declare,
Soon as from Thebes you reach your native ground,
Where flocks and herds for sacrifice abound;
Now fight and conquer; let this signal day
Your tedious toils, with victory, repay;
And, for Hegialus, let thousands dead
With ample vengeance gratify his shade.
As thus the hero spoke, the warriors heard,
And hope rekindling thro' the host appear'd;
With joyful shouts they rent the trembling air,
And bless'd the gods, and own'd Minerva's care.
Now, tow'ring in the midst, Atrides stood,
And call'd his warriors to the fight aloud:
As mariners with joy the sun descry,
Ascending, in his course, the eastern sky;
Who all night long, by angry tempests tost,
Shun'd with incessant toil some faithless coast;
So to his wishing friends Atrides came;
Their danger such before, their joy the same.
Again the rigor of the shock returns;
The slaughter rages, and the combat burns;
With thirst of vengeance ev'ry bosom glows.
Tydides leads, and rushes on his foes;
Around his head a ray of light'ning shone
From the smooth helmet and the glitt'ring cone;
Like that by night which streams with fiery glare
When some red meteor glides along the air,
Sent by the angry gods, with tainted breath,
To sow the seeds of pestilence and death:
From look to look infectious terror spreads;
And ev'ry wretch th'impending vengeance dreads.
And call'd his warriors to the fight aloud:
As mariners with joy the sun descry,
Ascending, in his course, the eastern sky;
Who all night long, by angry tempests tost,
Shun'd with incessant toil some faithless coast;
So to his wishing friends Atrides came;
Their danger such before, their joy the same.
Again the rigor of the shock returns;
The slaughter rages, and the combat burns;
With thirst of vengeance ev'ry bosom glows.
Tydides leads, and rushes on his foes;
Around his head a ray of light'ning shone
From the smooth helmet and the glitt'ring cone;
54
When some red meteor glides along the air,
Sent by the angry gods, with tainted breath,
To sow the seeds of pestilence and death:
From look to look infectious terror spreads;
And ev'ry wretch th'impending vengeance dreads.
Before the chief the Theban bands retire,
As shepherd swains avoid the lion's ire.
Clytander only, by the fates impell'd,
Oppos'd him single and disdain'd to yield;
Lycaon's son; deceiv'd by glory's charms,
Superior might he brav'd and matchless arms.
Nor was his brother present by his side,
To share the danger and the toil divide;
Himself a youth, and yet by time unsteel'd,
Single, he met Tydides in the field.
Against th' immortal shield his launce he flung,
Whose hollow orb with deaf'ning clangor rung:
The tow'rs of Thebes re-echo'd to the sound;
The spear repuls'd fell blunted on the ground.
Tydides next th' immortal jav'lin threw;
With force impell'd, it brighten'd as it flew;
And pierc'd the Theban helmet near the cone;
Behind his ear the starting weapon shone.
Supine the warrior fell, his spirit fled,
And mix'd with heroes in th' Elysian shade.
To spoil the slain the ardent victor flew:
First from the wound the fixed lance he drew,
The helmet loos'd, the costly mail unbound,
And shining shield with sculptur'd figures crown'd.
These spoils the hero, in his grateful mind,
A present for the gen'rous youth design'd;
Who still in perilous battle sought his side,
And proffer'd late his warlike steeds to guide.
Fatal the gift, the cause of future woe!
But good and ill th' immortals only know.
The armor to a vulgar hand consign'd,
Again the hero, swifter than the wind,
To combat rush'd.
As shepherd swains avoid the lion's ire.
Clytander only, by the fates impell'd,
Oppos'd him single and disdain'd to yield;
Lycaon's son; deceiv'd by glory's charms,
Superior might he brav'd and matchless arms.
Nor was his brother present by his side,
To share the danger and the toil divide;
Himself a youth, and yet by time unsteel'd,
Single, he met Tydides in the field.
Against th' immortal shield his launce he flung,
Whose hollow orb with deaf'ning clangor rung:
The tow'rs of Thebes re-echo'd to the sound;
The spear repuls'd fell blunted on the ground.
Tydides next th' immortal jav'lin threw;
With force impell'd, it brighten'd as it flew;
And pierc'd the Theban helmet near the cone;
Behind his ear the starting weapon shone.
Supine the warrior fell, his spirit fled,
And mix'd with heroes in th' Elysian shade.
To spoil the slain the ardent victor flew:
First from the wound the fixed lance he drew,
55
And shining shield with sculptur'd figures crown'd.
These spoils the hero, in his grateful mind,
A present for the gen'rous youth design'd;
Who still in perilous battle sought his side,
And proffer'd late his warlike steeds to guide.
Fatal the gift, the cause of future woe!
But good and ill th' immortals only know.
The armor to a vulgar hand consign'd,
Again the hero, swifter than the wind,
To combat rush'd.
But, from his throne above
Declin'd, the all-surveying eye of Jove
His progress mark'd. The herald pow'r, who brings
His sov'reign mandates on immortal wings,
He thus address'd: To yonder sphere descend;
Bid Phœbus straight his ev'ning charge attend:
For, with reverted eye, he views the war,
And checks the progress of his downward car.
Let him not linger in th' ethereal way,
But lash his steeds, and straight conclude the day;
For, if the gods descend not to her aid,
Or ev'ning interpose with friendly shade,
Thebes now must perish; and the doom of fate,
Anticipated, have an earlier date
Than fate ordains: for, like devouring flame,
Tydides threatens all the Theban name;
Immortal arms his native force improve,
Conferr'd by Pallas, partial in her love.
These to retrieve must be your next essay;
Win them by art, and hither straight convey:
For man with man an equal war shall wage;
Nor with immortal weapons arm his rage.
Declin'd, the all-surveying eye of Jove
His progress mark'd. The herald pow'r, who brings
His sov'reign mandates on immortal wings,
He thus address'd: To yonder sphere descend;
Bid Phœbus straight his ev'ning charge attend:
For, with reverted eye, he views the war,
And checks the progress of his downward car.
Let him not linger in th' ethereal way,
But lash his steeds, and straight conclude the day;
For, if the gods descend not to her aid,
Or ev'ning interpose with friendly shade,
Thebes now must perish; and the doom of fate,
Anticipated, have an earlier date
Than fate ordains: for, like devouring flame,
Tydides threatens all the Theban name;
Immortal arms his native force improve,
Conferr'd by Pallas, partial in her love.
56
Win them by art, and hither straight convey:
For man with man an equal war shall wage;
Nor with immortal weapons arm his rage.
He said. And Maia's son, with speed, addrest
His flight to Phœbus hov'ring in the west.
Upon a cloud his winged feet he stay'd;
And thus the mandates of his sire convey'd.
Ruler of light! let now thy car descend,
And silent night her peaceful shade extend,
Else Thebes must perish; and the doom of fate,
Anticipated, have an earlier date
Than fate decrees: for, like devouring flame,
Tydides threatens all the Theban name;
Immortal arms his native force improve,
Conferr'd by Pallas, partial in her love.
His flight to Phœbus hov'ring in the west.
Upon a cloud his winged feet he stay'd;
And thus the mandates of his sire convey'd.
Ruler of light! let now thy car descend,
And silent night her peaceful shade extend,
Else Thebes must perish; and the doom of fate,
Anticipated, have an earlier date
Than fate decrees: for, like devouring flame,
Tydides threatens all the Theban name;
Immortal arms his native force improve,
Conferr'd by Pallas, partial in her love.
The son of Maia thus. The God obey'd;
The sounding lash upon his steeds he lay'd.
Swift to the goal with winged feet they flew;
The night ascending as the day withdrew.
The sounding lash upon his steeds he lay'd.
Swift to the goal with winged feet they flew;
The night ascending as the day withdrew.
To Thebes the herald next pursu'd his way;
Shot like a meteor with the setting ray.
Behind Tydides in the fight he stay'd;
And on his head the potent sceptre lay'd:
Whose magic pow'r on waking sense prevails;
Or, in profoundest sleep, the eye unseals;
The struggling ghost unbinds from mortal clay,
And drives it down the dark Tartarean way.
Subdu'd the hero stood by pow'rful charms,
Till Hermes stript him of th' immortal arms;
And, mounting to the starry roofs above,
Dispos'd them in the armory of Jove.
And, recollected, thus Tydides spoke:
Whate'er they give, th' immortals may revoke.
I own their favor; that, of mortal line
The first, I wore a panoply divine.
But if the day were lengthen'd to my will,
With light to point my jav'lin where to kill,
Thebes now should perish; but the morning ray
Shall finish what the ev'ning shades delay.
Shot like a meteor with the setting ray.
Behind Tydides in the fight he stay'd;
And on his head the potent sceptre lay'd:
Whose magic pow'r on waking sense prevails;
Or, in profoundest sleep, the eye unseals;
57
And drives it down the dark Tartarean way.
Subdu'd the hero stood by pow'rful charms,
Till Hermes stript him of th' immortal arms;
And, mounting to the starry roofs above,
Dispos'd them in the armory of Jove.
And, recollected, thus Tydides spoke:
Whate'er they give, th' immortals may revoke.
I own their favor; that, of mortal line
The first, I wore a panoply divine.
But if the day were lengthen'd to my will,
With light to point my jav'lin where to kill,
Thebes now should perish; but the morning ray
Shall finish what the ev'ning shades delay.
And now the night began her silent reign;
Ascending, from the deep, th' ethereal plain,
O'er both the hosts she stretch'd her ample shade,
Their conflict to suspend: the hosts obey'd.
The field no more a noisy scene appears,
With steeds and chariots throng'd and glitt'ring spears;
But still, and silent: like the hoary deep,
When, in their caves, the angry tempests sleep,
Peaceful and smooth it spreads from shore to shore,
Where storms had rag'd and billows swell'd before:
Such seem'd the field; the martial clangors cease;
And war tumultuous lulls itself to peace.
Ascending, from the deep, th' ethereal plain,
O'er both the hosts she stretch'd her ample shade,
Their conflict to suspend: the hosts obey'd.
The field no more a noisy scene appears,
With steeds and chariots throng'd and glitt'ring spears;
But still, and silent: like the hoary deep,
When, in their caves, the angry tempests sleep,
Peaceful and smooth it spreads from shore to shore,
Where storms had rag'd and billows swell'd before:
Such seem'd the field; the martial clangors cease;
And war tumultuous lulls itself to peace.
| The Epigoniad | |