The Metamorphoses of Publius Ovidus Naso in English blank verse Part 25

"'Gainst him Tyrinthius his unerring bow "Bent, and as high amid the clouds he tower'd, "And poising hung, pierc'd where his side and wing "Just met: nor deep the hurt; the sinew torn "Still him disabled, and deny'd the power "To move his wing, or strength to urge his flight.

"To earth he fell; his pinions unendow'd "With power to gather air: and the light dart "Fixt superficial in the wing, his fall "Deep in his body pierc'd; out his left side, "Close by his throat the pointed mischief stood.

"Now, valiant leader of the Rhodian fleet, "Judge what from me the great Alcides' deeds "Of blazonry can claim? Yet the revenge "I give my brethren, is on his brave acts "Silent to rest: to thee still firm ally'd "In friends.h.i.+p." Thus his eloquent discourse The son of Neleus ended, and the gift Of Bacchus, oft repeated, circled round To the old senior's words; then from the board They rose, and night's remainder gave to sleep.

But now the deity, whose trident rules The ocean waters, with a father's grief Mourns for his offspring to a bird transform'd.

Savage 'gainst fierce Achilles, he pursues His well-remember'd ire with hostile rage.

And now the war near twice ten years had seen, When long-hair'd Phbus, thus the G.o.d address'd; "O power! to me most dear, of all the sons "My brother boasts! whose hands with mine uprear'd "In vain the walls of Troy! griev'st thou not now "Those towers beholding as they ruin'd fall?

"Griev'st thou not now such thousands to behold "Slain, those high towers attempting to defend?

"Griev'st thou not (more I need not speak) to think "Of Hector's body round his own Troy dragg'd, "When still the fierce Achilles, ev'n than war "More ruthless, of our works destroyer, lives?

"Would it to me were given--my trident's power, "Well know I, he should prove; but since deny'd "To rush, and hand to hand this foe engage, "Slay him with unsuspected secret dart."

The Delian G.o.d consented, and at once His uncle's vengeance and his own indulg'd.

Veil'd in a cloud amid the Ilian host He darts, and 'mid a slaughter'd crowd beholds Where Paris, on plebean foes his shafts Unerring hurls: to him confess'd, the G.o.d Exclaims;--"Why wast'st thou in ign.o.ble blood "Thy weapons? If thy friends employ thy care, "Turn on Pelides every dart, revenge "Thy murder'd brothers."--Phbus spoke, and shew'd Where with his steel Achilles ranks on ranks Of Troy o'erthrew. On him the bow he turns; To him he guides the sure, the deadly dart.

Now may old Priam joy for Hector slain; For thou, Achilles, victor o'er such hosts, Fall'st by the coward's hand, who stole from Greece The ravish'd wife. O! if foredoom'd thy lot By woman-warrior to be slain, to fall By Amazonian weapon had'st thou chos'n.

Now burns aeacides, the Phrygians' dread; The pride, the guardian of the Grecian name; The chief in war unconquer'd: and the G.o.d Who arm'd him once, consumes him. Ashes now; Nought of the great Pelides can be found, Save what with ease a little urn contains.

But still his glory lives, and fills all earth: Such bounds alone the hero suit; his fame Equals himself, nor sinks he to the shades.

His s.h.i.+eld itself, as conscious whose the s.h.i.+eld, Fomented wars; and quarrels for his arms Arose. Tydides fear'd to urge his claim; Ajax, Oleus' son; Atrides' each, Him youngest, and the monarch who surpa.s.s'd In age and warlike skill; and all the crowd.

Laertes' son, and Telamon's alone Try'd the bold glorious contest. From himself All blame invidious Agamemnon mov'd: The Grecian chiefs amid the camp he plac'd, And bade the host around the cause decide.

*The Thirteenth Book.*

Contest of Ajax and Ulysses for the arms of Achilles. Success of Ulysses and death of Ajax. Sack of Troy. Sacrifice of Polyxena to the ghost of Achilles. Lamentation of Hecuba. She tears out the eyes of Polymnestor, and is changed into a b.i.t.c.h. Birds arise from the funeral pile of Memnon, and kill each other. Escape of aeneas from Troy, and voyage to Delos. The daughters of Anius transformed to doves. Voyage to Crete and Italy. Story of Acis and Galatea. Love of Glaucus for Scylla.

THE *Thirteenth Book* OF THE METAMORPHOSES OF OVID.

The princes sate; the common troops in crowds Circled them round; when Ajax in the midst, Lord of the seven-fold s.h.i.+eld, arose, with rage Uncurb'd. Sigaeum's sh.o.r.es he fiercely view'd; And s.h.i.+p-clad beach, while with extended arms, "O, Jupiter!" he cry'd, "before this fleet "Must then our cause be try'd? With me contends "Ulysses? He who yielded all a prey "To Hector's fires; whom I alone repell'd?

"Fires which I from that fleet drove far? More safe "'Tis sure with artful language to contend, "Than battle hand to hand. Hard 'tis for me "To speak; for him 'tis no less hard to fight.

"And much as I in keen-urg'd blows excel, "And arduous contest, such in words is he.

"My deeds, O Grecians! to rehea.r.s.e what need?

"Have you not seen them? Let Ulysses tell "His actions, feats without a witness done; "Night only privy. Mighty is the prize, "I own; but Ajax' glory suffers much, "Striving with such a rival. Granted, great "Its value; where the boast to have obtain'd "What this Ulysses hop'd for? He ev'n now "Enjoys th' advantage of the contest. Foil'd, "His pride will be to boast with me he strove.

"But I, if doubtful is my valor deem'd, "Have claims most potent in my n.o.ble race: "Sprung from great Telamon, who Troy's proud town, "'Neath brave Alcides captur'd; and explor'd "The sh.o.r.es of Colchis in th' Haemonian bark.

"His sire was aeacus, who equal law "Dispenses 'mid the silent shades; where toils "aeolian Sisyphus beneath his stone.

"Well mighty Jove knows aeacus, and owns "Him son. Thus Ajax ranks but third from Jove.

"Nor yet, O, Greeks! should this descent my cause "a.s.sist, save that Achilles claim'd the same.

"Of brothers born, a kinsman's right I ask.

"Why should one sprung of Sisyphaean blood, "Like his progenitor in theft and fraud, "Ingraft an alien name upon the stock "Of aeacus? Am I the arms refus'd "That first I join'd the warriors? join'd your host "Betray'd not by informers? Worthier he, "That last his arms he took? with madness feign'd "Shunning the warfare; till more crafty came "Naupliades, though luckless for himself;-- "Who shew'd his coward soul's devices plain; "And hither dragg'd him to the hated wars?

"Now let him arms most glorious take, who arms "To wear refus'd. Let me unhonor'd go, "Robb'd of my kindred right, who first arriv'd "To face the perils. Would, ye G.o.ds! that true, "Or thought so, his insanity had been.

"Then, counsellor of cruel deeds, he ne'er "Had join'd our camp before the Phrygian walls.

"Then thou, O Paean's son! had Lemnos ne'er "Known--to our shame abandon'd on the sh.o.r.e.

"Thou now, so fame reports, in woody caves "Shelter'd, ev'n rocks mov'st with thy rending groans; "Pray'st that Laertes' son his justest meeds "May gain. Ye G.o.ds! ye G.o.ds! grant ye his prayers "A favoring ear! Now he, by oath combin'd "With us in war;--O, heavens! a leader too!

"Heir to employ Alcides' faithful darts, "Sinks both by famine and disease opprest: "By birds sustain'd, and cloth'd by birds, he spends "Upon his feather'd prey, the darts design'd "To end the fate of Troy. Yet still he lives: "For here he never with Ulysses came.

"Content had hapless Palamedes been "Deserted so. Life might he have enjoy'd "Perchance; and blameless sure to death had sunk.

"He whom this wretch, too mindful of the time "His counterfeited madness was expos'd, "Feign'd had betray'd the Greeks; and prov'd the crime "By forg'd a.s.sistance: shewing forth the gold "First bury'd by himself. Thus he destroys "The strength of Greece, by exile or by death.

"Thus fights Ulysses; thus must he be fear'd "Who, though old faithful Nestor he surpa.s.s'd "In eloquence, not all would e'er avail, "To prove deserting Nestor was no shame: "Who press'd with age, and with a wounded horse "Delay'd, Ulysses' aid besought: behind "His coward comrade left him. Well, this deed "Tydides can declare, by me not feign'd, "Who oft him reprimanded by his name, "And curs'd the flying of his trembling friend.

"G.o.ds with just eyes all mortal actions view.

"Lo! he who aid would give not, aid requires!

"Who Nestor left, deserted was himself: "Himself prescrib'd the treatment which he found.

"Loud call'd he to his friends. I come, I see, "Pale trembling, where he lies, with dread to view "Impending death. My mighty s.h.i.+eld I fling; "Beneath it shade him, and his coward breast "(My smallest claim to glory) I protect.

"If still persisting, thou the strife wilt urge, "Thither again return. Recal the foe; "Thy wound; thy wonted terror; and lie hid "Beneath my s.h.i.+eld. 'Neath that with me contend.

"Lo! him I s.n.a.t.c.h'd from death, whose wounds refus'd "Ev'n power to stand; r.e.t.a.r.ded not by wounds, "In agile flight sped on. Now Hector comes, "Whom in the fight the deities attend.

"Where'er he swept, not thou Ulysses sole "Wast struck with dread; the bravest of our host "Shrunk, such the terror which then fill'd the field.

"When hand to hand engag'd, him p.r.o.ne I laid, "Proud of his slaughter, on th' ensanguin'd plain, "With a huge stone. I singly him oppos'd, "All single challeng'd; all the Greeks to me "Pray'd for the lot: nor vain your prayers were found.

"Enquire ye, what the fortune of the fight?

"I stood, by him unconquer'd, when all Troy "Rush'd on the fleet of Greece, with fire, with sword, "And aiding Jove: Where was Ulysses then?

"The eloquent Ulysses? I alone, "A thousand s.h.i.+ps, the hopes of your return, "Defended with my breast: this crowd of s.h.i.+ps "Deserves those arms. Nay, if with truth to speak "You grant, those arms more glory gain from me "Than I from them; our honor is conjoin'd.

"Ajax the arms demand, not Ajax arms.

"Let Ithacus compare his Rhaesus slain; "And slain unwarlike Dolon; and trepann'd "Helenus, Priam's son; and Pallas' form.

"In open day nought done, and nought perform'd, "Save Diomed' a.s.sisted. Grant for once, "Such paltry service could the armour claim; "Divide the prize, and lo! the largest share "Tydides must demand. But why this prize "Seeks Ithacus? who all his deeds performs "In private; traversing unarm'd; the foe, "While unsuspecting, conquering by deceit.

"This helmet's radiance from the glittering gold "Darting, would shew his plots, and open lay "The latent spy. But his Dulichian head, "Cas'd in Achilles' casque, the weight would 'whelm, "And for his languid arms, the Pelian spear "Too weighty would be found. That s.h.i.+eld engrav'd, "With all earth's various scenes, but ill would grace "His arm, for stealthy deeds alone design'd.

"Presumptuous fool! to seek a prize, which gain'd "Would only mar thy power. By erring votes "Of Grecians giv'n to thee, cause would it be "The foe would strip thee; not thy prowess fear.

"And flight, in which, O trembler! erst alone "Thou all surpa.s.s'd, slow would'st thou then pursue; "Such ponderous armor dragging. Those, thy s.h.i.+eld "Which bears so rare the brunt of battle, s.h.i.+nes "Yet whole: a new successor mine demands, "Which gash'd by weapons, shews a thousand rents.

"To end, what need of words? let actions shew "Each one's deserts. Amid the foe be thrown "The valiant warrior's arms. Thence bid us bring "The prize;--who brings it, let him wear the spoil."

So spake the Telamonian warrior; round A murmur follow'd from the circling crowd.

Till up the chief of Ithaca arose; His eyes (awhile cast down) rais'd from the earth; The chiefs with anxious look'd-for sounds address'd: Nor grace was wanting to persuasive words.

"O Grecians! had your prayers and mine been heard, "Owner of what such cause of strife affords "Were now not dubious: thou, Pelides, still "These arms possessing, we possessing thee.

"But since unpitying fate, to you, to me, "Denies him"--(here as weeping, o'er his eyes His hand he draws)--"who with so just a right "Can great Achilles now succeed, as he "Who great Achilles brought the Greeks to join?

"Let it not aid his cause, that fool he seems, "Or stupid is indeed; nor aught let harm "The ingenuity I claim, to mine: "Which, O, ye Argives! still has aided you.

"Let not my eloquence, if such I boast, "And words, whose 'vantage often you have prov'd, "Now for their author, move invidious thoughts: "Nor what each claims his proper gift, refuse.

"Scarce can we call our ancestry, our race, "Or deeds by them perform'd, merits our own: "Yet since of grandsire Jove this Ajax boasts, "I too, can boast him author of my line: "Nor more degrees remov'd. My sire was nam'd "Laertes; his Arcesius; and from Jove "Arcesius came direct: nor in this line, "E'er any exil'd or condemn'd appear'd.

"Cyllenius too, his n.o.ble lineage adds "Through my maternal stock. Each parent boasts "A G.o.d-descended race. Yet claim I not "The arms contested, merely that I spring "Maternally more n.o.ble; nor them claim "That from a brother's blood my sire is free: "By merits solely you the cause adjudge.

"These only none to Ajax, that his sire, "And Peleus brethren were, e'er grant. The prize "Desert, and not propinquity of blood, "Should gain. If kindred, then the hero's heir "Demands it: Peleus still survives, his sire; "And Pyrrhus is his son. Where Ajax' right?

"To Phthia, or to Scyros be it borne.

"Nor less is Teucer cousin than himself; "Yet does he ask, or does he hope the arms?

"But since the obvious contest is by deeds "Perform'd, though mine outnumber far what words "Can easy compa.s.s; yet will I relate "In order some:--

"The Nered mother knew "His future fate; her offspring's dress disguis'd; "And all, ev'n Ajax, the fallacious robes "Deceiv'd. With female wares I mingled arms, "Which stir the martial soul. Nor had the youth "Disrob'd him of his virgin dress, when grasp'd "As in his hand the s.h.i.+eld and lance he held, "I cry'd'--O, G.o.ddess-born! reserv'd for thee "Is Ilium's fate. The mighty Trojan walls "Why to o'erthrow demur'st thou?--Him I seiz'd.

"Sent the brave youth, brave actions to atchieve: "And all his actions as my own I claim.

"My spear then conquer'd Telephus in fight; "And after heal'd the suppliant vanquish'd foe.

"Thebes low by me was laid. I, you must own, "Lesbos, and Tenedos, and Scyros took; "Chrysa, and Cylla, bright Apollo's towns.

"My arm Lyrnessus' walls shook, and laid low.

"But other deeds I well may pa.s.s: since I "Gave to the host what dreadful Hector slew; "By me renowned Hector fell. Those arms "I claim, who gave those arms, which to the Greeks "Achilles found. Living, those arms I gave; "Him dead, those arms I gave, again demand.

"The wrongs of one through every Grecian breast "Spread wide; a thousand s.h.i.+ps th' Euban port "Of Aulis fill'd. The long-expected gales "Or came not, or blew adverse to the fleet.

"The rigid oracle Atrides bade "His guiltless daughter sacrifice to calm "Ruthless Diana. Stern the sire deny'd, "And rag'd against the G.o.ds: the sovereign all "Lost in the father. I with soothing words "The parent's bosom mollify'd, and turn'd "To thoughts of public good. Still, I confess, "(And such confession will the king excuse;) "An arduous cause I pleaded, where my judge "Was by affection warp'd. The people's weal, "His brother, and the lofty rank he held "Mov'd him at length; and glory with his blood "He bought. Then to the mother was I sent, "Where reasoning had no force, but subtle craft.

"There had you sent the son of Telamon, "Still had jour sails the needful breezes lack'd.

"Sent was I also to the Ilian towers, "A daring envoy. Troy's fam'd court I saw; "Troy's court I enter'd, then with heroes fill'd.

"There undismay'd, I pleaded all that Greece "Bade for their common cause; Paris accus'd; "Helen demanded, and the stolen spoil; "And Priam and Antenor both convinc'd.

"But Paris, Paris' brethren, and the crowd "Who aided in the rape, their impious hands "Could scarce withhold. (Thou, Menelaus, know'st, "Who then with me the dawning of the war "Didst prove in danger.) Long the tale, to speak "Of all my deeds have done, the public cause "To aid; since first the lengthen'd war began: "By counsel or by valor. Wag'd the first "Rough skirmish, long our foes within their walls "Protected lay; no scope for open war: "But in the tenth year now we fight again.

"In all that period what hast thou, who know'st "But fighting, done? Where was thy service then?