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Cleaves the firm wood, and aids the striker's force;

       Ev'n so unwearied is thy warlike soul.

       Yet blame not me for golden Venus' gifts:

       The gifts of Heav'n are not to be despis'd,

       Which Heav'n may give, but man could not command.

       But if thou wilt that I should dare the fight,

       Bid that the Trojans and the Grecians all

       Be seated on the ground; and in the midst

       The warlike Menelaus and myself

       Stand front to front, for Helen and the spoils

       Of war to combat; and whoe'er shall prove

       The better man in conflict, let him bear

       The woman and the spoils in triumph home;

       While ye, the rest, in peace and friendship sworn,

       Shall still possess the fertile plains of Troy;

       And to their native Argos they return,

       For noble steeds and lovely women fam'd."

      He said, and Hector joy'd to hear his words:

       Forth in the midst he stepp'd, and with his spear

       Grasp'd by the middle, stay'd the Trojan ranks.

       At him the long-haired Grecians bent their bows,

       Prompt to assail with arrows and with stones;

       But loud the monarch Agamemnon's voice

       Was heard; "Hold, Argives, hold! ye sons of Greece,

       Shoot not! for Hector of the glancing helm

       Hath, as it seems, some message to impart."

      He said; they held their hands, and silent stood

       Expectant, till to both thus Hector spoke:

       "Hear now, ye Trojans, and ye well-greav'd Greeks,

       The words of Paris, cause of all this war.

       He asks through me that all the host of Troy

       And Grecian warriors shall upon the ground

       Lay down their glitt'ring arms; while in the midst

       The warlike Menelaus and himself

       Stand front to front, for Helen and the spoils

       Of war to combat; and whoe'er shall prove

       The better man in conflict, let him bear

       The woman and the spoils in triumph home,

       While we, the rest, firm peace and friendship swear."

      Thus Hector spoke; the rest in silence heard;

       But Menelaus, bold in fight, replied:

       "Hear now my answer; in this quarrel I

       May claim the chiefest share; and now I hope

       Trojans and Greeks may see the final close

       Of all the labours ye so long have borne

       T' avenge my wrong, at Paris' hand sustain'd.

       And of us two whiche'er is doom'd to death,

       So let him die! the rest, depart in peace.

       Bring then two lambs, one white, the other black,

       For Tellus and for Sol; we on our part

       Will bring another, for Saturnian Jove:

       And let the majesty of Priam too

       Appear, himself to consecrate our oaths,

       (For reckless are his sons, and void of faith,)

       That none Jove's oath may dare to violate.

       For young men's spirits are too quickly stirr'd;

       But in the councils check'd by rev'rend age,

       Alike are weigh'd the future and the past,

       And for all int'rests due provision made."

      He said, and Greeks and Trojans gladly heard,

       In hopes of respite from the weary war.

       They rang'd the cars in ranks; and they themselves

       Descending doff'd their arms, and laid them down

       Close each by each, with narrow space between.

       Two heralds to the city Hector sent

       To bring the lambs, and aged Priam call;

       While Agamemnon to the hollow ships,

       Their lamb to bring, in haste Talthybius sent:

       He heard, and straight the monarch's voice obey'd.

      Meantime to white-arm'd Helen Iris sped,

       The heav'nly messenger: in form she seem'd

       Her husband's sister, whom Antenor's son,

       The valiant Helicaon had to wife,

       Laodice, of Priam's daughters all

       Loveliest of face: she in her chamber found

       Her whom she sought: a mighty web she wove,

       Of double woof and brilliant hues; whereon

       Was interwoven many a toilsome strife

       Of Trojan warriors and of brass-clad Greeks,

       For her encounter'd at the hand of Mars.

       Beside her Iris stood, and thus she spoke:

       "Come, sister dear, and see the glorious deeds

       Of Trojan warriors and of brass-clad Greeks.

       They who erewhile, impatient for the fight,

       Roll'd o'er the plain the woful tide of war,

       Now silent sit, the storm of battle hush'd,

       Reclining on their shields, their lances bright

       Beside them reared; while Paris in the midst

       And warlike Menelaus, stand prepar'd

       With the long spear for thee to fight; thyself

       The prize of conquest and the victor's wife."

      Thus as she spoke, in Helen's breast arose

       Fond recollection of her former Lord,

       Her home, and parents; o'er her head she threw

       A snowy veil; and shedding tender tears

       She issu'd forth, not unaccompanied;

       For with her went fair AEthra, Pittheus' child,

       And stag-ey'd Clymene, her maidens twain.

       They quickly at the Scaean gate arriv'd.

      Attending there on aged Priam, sat,

       The Elders of the city; Panthous,

       And Lampus, and Thymaetes; Clytius,

       Bold Icetaon, and Ucalegon,

       With sage Antenor, wise in council both:

       All these were gather'd at the Scaean gate;

       By age exempt from war, but in discourse

       Abundant, as the cricket, that on high

       From topmost boughs of forest tree sends forth

       His delicate music; so on Ilium's tow'rs

       Sat the sage chiefs and councillors of Troy.

       Helen they saw, as to the tow'r she came;

       And "'tis no marvel," one to other said,

       "The valiant Trojans and the well-greav'd Greeks

       For beauty such as this should long endure

       The toils of war; for goddess-like she seems;

       And yet, despite her

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