Miscellaneous writings of the late Dr. Maginn :: :: University of Virginia Library

Achilles and Patroclus there
They found with Nestor's son,
And Aias, with whom could as match compare
Of the host of the Danai none,
For manly form, and gallant air,
Save the faultless Peleion.

IV

Around Achilles pressed the throng
Of ghosts in the world below;
Soon passed Atrides' shade along,
And full was that shade of wo.

108

V

About the king came crowding all
Who, by a murderous stroke,
With him were slain in Ægisthus' hall;
And first Achilles spoke.

VI

“'Twas once, Atrides, our belief,
That thunder-joying Jove
Ne'er honored other hero-chief
With equal share of love.

VII

“Thy rule a mighty host obeyed,
And valiant was the array,
When outside Troy was our leaguer laid,
For many a woful day.

VIII

“Yet did the gloom of dismal doom
First on thy head alight;
From the fate that a birth is marked to come
Scaped never living wight.

IX

“Would that in honor on the ground,
Where high thou hadst held command,
Thy fallen body had been found,
Slain upon Trojan land.

X

“Where all the men of Achaian blood
Their chieftain's tomb might raise—

109

A tomb, in after-times to have stood,
For thy son proud mark of praise:
But 'twas fate that, by piteous death subdued,
Thou shouldst end thy glorious days.”

XI

“How blest,” then said Atrides' shade,
“Thy lot, who fell in war,
Godlike Achilles, lowly laid,
In Troy, from Argos far.

XII

“We round thy corse, as slain it lay,
The bravest and the best
Of either host, the livelong day
In slaughterous combat pressed.

XIII

“Mid clouds of dust, that o'er the dead,
In whirlwind fierce arose,
On the battle field, all vastly spread,
Did thy vast limbs repose;
The skill forgot, which whilome sped
Thy steed amid the foes.

110

XIV

“All day we fought, and no one thought
Of holding of the hand;
Till a storm to an end the contest brought,
Sent by high Jove's command.

XV

“From the field of fight thy corse we bore,
And for the ships we made;
We washed away the stains of gore,
And thy body fair anointed o'er,
Upon its last bed laid.

111

XVI

“Hot tears did the eyes of the Danai rain,
And they cut their flowing hair;
Uprose thy mother from the main,
With all the immortal sea-nymph train,
At the tidings of despair.

XVII

“Loud over the sea rose the voice of wail,
And the host was filled with dread;
And homeward they would, with hasty sail,
In their hollow ships have fled,

XVIII

“Had not a man, to whom was known
The wisdom of days of eld,
Who in council ever was wisest shown,
Nestor, their flight withheld:
For he spoke to them thus in sagest tone,
And their panic fear dispelled.

XIX

“‘Argives,’ he said, ‘your steps restrain,
Achaia's sons do not flee;
His mother is rising from out the main,
With all the immortal sea-nymph train,
The corse of her son to see.’

XX

“The flight was checked—and round thee came
The maids of the sea-god old;
Sad weeping as they wrapt thy frame
In vesture of heavenly fold.

112

XXI

“A mournful dirge the Muses nine
In strains alternate sung,
And from every eye the tearful brine
Through the Argive host was wrung;
For none could withstand the lay divine
Of the Muse's dulcet tongue.

XXII

“By day and night for ten days' space—
For ten days' space and seven,
Wept we the men of mortal race,
And the deathless gods of heaven.

XXIII

“And when the eighteenth morning came,
To the pile thy corse was borne;
And many fat sheep were slain at the flame,
And steers of twisted horn.

XXIV

“With ointment rich upon the pyre,
And honey covered o'er,
There didst thou burn in rich attire,
Such as immortals wore.

XXV

“And many a hero-chief renowned
Rushed forward, foot and horse,
The blazing death-pile to surround
Where burnt thine honored corse.

113

XXVI

“The tumult was loud of that martial crowd,
Till the flame had consumed thee quite;
And then, when the dawn of morning glowed,
We gathered thy bones so white.

XXVII

“In waterless wine, and ointment fine,
When the fire had ceased to burn,
We laid those relics prized of thine
All in a golden urn.

XXVIII

“This costly gift thy mother brought;
And she said it was bestowed
By the god of Wine—a vessel wrought
By the Fire-working god.

XXIX

“And there are laid thy bones so white,
Mingled, illustrious chief,
With his, thy friend, whose fall in fight
Wrought thee such mickle grief.

XXX

“Those of Antilochus apart
Are stored—for, of all the host,
After Patroclus slain, thy heart
Him loved and honored most.

XXXI

“And the Argive spearmen, gathering round,
Upraised a mighty heap,

114

For thy tomb, a large and lofty mound,
Upon a jutting steep.

XXXII

“Landmark conspicuous there for aye,
By Helle's waters wide,
For men who may sail on a future day,
As for those of the present tide.

XXXIII

“Thy mother then the gods besought,
And they gave what she chose to ask;
And many a glorious prize she brought,
To be won by manly task.

XXXIV

“I oft before, when heroes died,
Have joined beside their tomb
The youths of pride, who there to have tried
The feats of strength have come.

XXXV

“But such store of prize ne'er met my eyes
As there that day was seen,
Which Thetis brought for thine obsequies,
The silver-footed queen.

115

XXXVI

“Dear wert thou to the gods; and now,
Even in the world beneath,
Thy endless glory lies not low,
Achilles, with thy death.

XXXVII

“For ever shall that deathless name
Among all mankind live;
For ever meed of glorious fame
Shall from all the world receive.”