The Third Volume of the Works of Mr. William Congreve containing Poems upon Several Occasions |
 |
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
 | The Third Volume of the Works of Mr. William Congreve |  |
Now did the Saffron Morn her Beams display,
Gilding the Face of Universal Day;
When mourning Priam to the Town return'd;
Slowly his Chariot mov'd, as that had mourn'd;
The Mules, beneath the mangled Body go,
As bearing (now) unusual Weight of Woe.
To Pergamus high top Cassandra flies,
Thence, she afar the sad Procession spies:
Her Father and Idæus first appear,
Then Hector's Corps extended on a Bier;
At which, her boundless Grief loud Cries began,
And, thus lamenting, thro' the Streets she ran:
Hither, ye wretched Trojans, hither all!
Behold the Godlike Hector's Funeral!
If e'er you went with Joy, to see him come
Adorn'd with Conquest and with Lawrels home,
Assemble now, his Ransom'd Body see,
What once was all your Joy, now all your Misery!
Gilding the Face of Universal Day;
887
Slowly his Chariot mov'd, as that had mourn'd;
The Mules, beneath the mangled Body go,
As bearing (now) unusual Weight of Woe.
To Pergamus high top Cassandra flies,
Thence, she afar the sad Procession spies:
Her Father and Idæus first appear,
Then Hector's Corps extended on a Bier;
At which, her boundless Grief loud Cries began,
And, thus lamenting, thro' the Streets she ran:
Hither, ye wretched Trojans, hither all!
Behold the Godlike Hector's Funeral!
If e'er you went with Joy, to see him come
Adorn'd with Conquest and with Lawrels home,
Assemble now, his Ransom'd Body see,
What once was all your Joy, now all your Misery!
She spake, and strait the num'rous Crowd obey'd,
Nor Man, nor Woman, in the City staid;
Common Consent of Grief had made 'em one,
With clam'rous Moan to Scæas Gate they run,
There the lov'd Body of their Hector meet,
Which they, with loud and fresh Lamentings, greet.
His Rev'rend Mother, and his Tender Wife,
Equal in Love, in Grief had equal Strife:
In Sorrow they no Moderation knew,
But wildly wailing, to the Chariot flew;
There strove the rolling Wheels to hold, while each
Attempted first his breathless Corps to reach;
Aloud they beat their Breasts, and tore their Hair,
Rending around with Shrieks the suff'ring Air.
Nor Man, nor Woman, in the City staid;
888
With clam'rous Moan to Scæas Gate they run,
There the lov'd Body of their Hector meet,
Which they, with loud and fresh Lamentings, greet.
His Rev'rend Mother, and his Tender Wife,
Equal in Love, in Grief had equal Strife:
In Sorrow they no Moderation knew,
But wildly wailing, to the Chariot flew;
There strove the rolling Wheels to hold, while each
Attempted first his breathless Corps to reach;
Aloud they beat their Breasts, and tore their Hair,
Rending around with Shrieks the suff'ring Air.
Now had the Throng of People stopt the Way,
Who would have there lamented all the Day,
But Priam from his Chariot rose, and spake,
Trojans enough; Truce with your Sorrows make;
Give way to me, and yield the Chariot Room;
First let me bear my Hector's Body home,
Then mourn your fill. At this the Croud gave way,
Yielding, like Waves of a divided Sea.
Who would have there lamented all the Day,
But Priam from his Chariot rose, and spake,
Trojans enough; Truce with your Sorrows make;
Give way to me, and yield the Chariot Room;
First let me bear my Hector's Body home,
889
Yielding, like Waves of a divided Sea.
Idæus to the Palace drove, then laid,
With Care, the Body on a Sumptuous Bed,
And round about were skilful Singers plac'd,
Who wept, and sigh'd, and in sad Notes express'd
Their Moan; All in a Chorus did agree
Of Universal, Mournful Harmony.
When, first, Andromache, her Passion broke,
And thus (close pressing his pale Cheeks) she spoke.
With Care, the Body on a Sumptuous Bed,
And round about were skilful Singers plac'd,
Who wept, and sigh'd, and in sad Notes express'd
Their Moan; All in a Chorus did agree
Of Universal, Mournful Harmony.
When, first, Andromache, her Passion broke,
And thus (close pressing his pale Cheeks) she spoke.
| The Third Volume of the Works of Mr. William Congreve | |