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The various-colour'd fcarf, the shield he rears,
The fhining helmet, and the pointed spears:
The dreadful weapons of the warriour's rage,
That, old in arms, difdain'd the peace of age.
Then, leaning on his hand his watchful head,
The hoary monarch rais'd his eyes, and faid :
What art thou, speak, that on designs unknown, 90
While others fleep, thus range the camp alone;
Seek'st thou fome friend, or nightly centinel ?
Stand off, approach not, but thy purpose tell.

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O fon of Neleus (thus the king rejoin'd)
Pride of the Greeks, and glory of thy kind!
Lo here the wretched Agamemnon stands,
Th' unhappy general of the Grecian bands;
Whom Jove decrees with daily cares to bend,
And woes, that only with his life fhall end!
Scarce can my knees thefe trembling limbs sustain, roo
And scarce my heart fupport its load of pain.
No tafte of fleep thefe heavy eyes have known ;
Confus'd, and fad, I wander thus alone,
With fears distracted, with no fix'd defign;
And all my people's miferies are mine.

If aught of ufe thy waking thoughts fuggeft,
(Since cares, like mine, deprive thy foul of reft)

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Impart thy counsel, and affift thy friend;

Now let us jointly to the trench descend,

At every gate the fainting guard excite.

Tir'd with the toils of day and watch of night:
Elfe may the fudden foe our works invade,
So near, and favour'd by the gloomy shade,

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Το

To him thus Neftor: Trust the Powers above,
Nor think proud Hector's hopes confirm'd by Jove:
How ill agree the views of vain mankind,
And the wife counfels of th' Eternal Mind!
Audacious Hector! if the Gods ordain

That great Achilles rife and rage again,
What toils attend thee, and what woes remain! 120.
Lo faithful Neftor thy command obeys;

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The care is next our other chiefs to raife:
Ulyffes, Diomed, we chiefly need;
Meges for ftrength, Oïleus fam'd for speed.
Some other be dispatch'd of nimbler feet,
To thofe tall hips, remotest of the fleet,
Where lie great Ajax, and the king of Crete.
To rouze the Spartan I myself decree;
Dear as he is to us, and dear to thee,
Yet must I tax his floth, that claims no share
With his great brother in this martial care :
Him it behov'd to every chief to sue,
Preventing every part perform'd by you;
For ftrong neceffity our toils demands,
Claims all our hearts, and urges all our hands.

125

To whom the king: With reverence we allow Thy juft rebukes, yet learn to spare them now. My generous brother is of gentle kind,

430

He feems remifs, but bears a valiant mind;
Through too much deference to our fovereign fway,
Content to follow when we lead the way.
But now, our ills induftrious to prevent,
Long ere the reft, he rofe, and fought my tent.

135

The

The chiefs you nam'd, already at his call,
Prepare to meet us near the navy wall;

Affembling there, between the trench and gates,
Near the night-guards, our chofen council waits.
Then none (faid Neftor) fhall his rule withftand,
For great examples, justify command.

345

With that the venerable warriour rofe; The fhining greaves his manly legs inclofe;

350

His purple mantle golden buckles join'd,
Warm with the fofteft wool, and doubly lin❜d.
Then, rushing from his tent, he fnatch'd in hafte
His freely lance, that lighten'd as he past.

155

The camp he travers'd through the fleeping croud,

Stop'd at Ulyffes' tent, and call'd aloud.

Ulyffes, fudden as the voice was fent,

Awakes, starts up, and iffues from his tent.

What new diftrefs, what sudden cause of fright,

160

Thus leads you wandering in the filent night;
O prudent chief! (the Pylian fage reply'd)
Wife as thou art, be now thy wisdom try'd ;
Whatever means of fafety can be fought,
Whatever counfels can infpire our thought,
Whatever methods, or to fly or fight;

All, all depend on this important night!

He heard, return'd, and took his painted field:

165

Then join'd the chiefs, and follow'd through the field.
Without his tent, bold Diomed they found,

All sheath'd in arms, his brave companions round:
Each funk in fleep, extended on the field,

His head reclining on his boffy fhield.

170

A wood

A wood of fpears food by, that, fixt upright,
Shot from their flashing points a quivering light, 173
A bull's black hide compos'd the hero's bed;
A fplendid carpet roll'd beneath his head.
Then, with his foot, old Neftor gently shakes
The flumbering chief, and in these words awakes:
Rife, son of Tydeus! to the brave and strong
Rest seems inglorious, and the night too long.
But fleep'st thou now? when from yon hill the foe
Hangs o'er the fleet, and fhades our walls below?

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185

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At this, foft lumber from his eyelids fled;
The warriour faw the hoary chief, and faid,
Wondrous old man! whose foul no respite knows,
Though years and honours bid thee feek repofe.
Let younger Greeks our fleeping warriours wake;
Ill fits thy age thefe toils to undertake.
My friend (he anfwer'd) generous is thy care,
These toils, my subjects and my fons might bear,
Their loyal thoughts and pious loves confpire
To ease a fovereign, and relieve a fire.
But now the last despair surrounds our hoft;
No hour must pass, no moment must be lost;
Each fingle Greek, in this conclufive ftrife,
Stands on the sharpeft edge of death or life;
Yet, if my years thy kind regard engage,
Employ thy youth as I employ my age;
Succeed to these my cares, and rouze the reft;
He serves me most, who serves his country best,
This faid, the hero o'er his fhoulders flung

A lion's fpoils, that to his ancles hung;
Then feiz'd his ponderous lance, and strode along.

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Meges

210

Meges the bold, with Ajax fam'd for fpeed,'
205
The warriour rouz'd, and to th' entrenchments led.
And now the chiefs approach the nightly guard ;
A wakeful fquadron, cach in arms prepar'd:
Th' unweary'd watch their listening leaders keep,
And, couching close, repel invading sleep.
So faithful dogs their fleecy charge maintain,
With toil protected from the prowling train,
When the gaunt lionefs, with hunger bold,
Springs from the mountains tow'rd the guarded fold -
Through breaking woods her rustling courfe they hear;
Loud, and more loud, the clamours ftrike their ear
Of hounds and men; they start, they gaze around,
Watch every fide, and turn to every found.
Thus watch'd the Grecians, cautious of furprize,
Each voice, each motion, drew their ears and eyes ; 220
Each step of paffing feet increas'd th' affright;

And hoftile Troy was ever full in fight.

Neftor with joy the wakeful band furvey'd,
And thus accofted through the gloomy shade:

'Tis well, my fons ! your nightly cares employ; 225
Elle muft our hoft become the fcorn of Troy.
Watch thus, and Greece fhall live-The hero faid;
Then o'er the trench the following chieftains led.
His fon, and god-like Merion march'd behind
(For these the princes to their council join'd);
The trenches past, th' affembled kings around
In filent state the confiftory crown'd.
A place there was yet undefil'd with gore,

230

The spot where Hector ftop'd his rage before;

When

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