And let dull Ajax bear away my right,
When all his days outbalance this one night.
Nor fought I darkling ftill: the fun beheld
With flaughter'd Lycians when I ftrew'd the
You faw, and counted as I pafs'd along,
Alaftor, Cromius, Ceranos the ftrong,
Alcander, Prytanis, and Halius,
Noemon, Charopes, and Ennomus,
Choon, Cherfidamas; and five befide,
Men of obfcure defcent, but courage try'd: 405
All these this hand laid breathlefs on the ground;
Nor want I proofs of many a manly wound:
All honeft, all before: believe not me;
Words may deceive, but credit what you fee.
At this he bar'd his breast, and show'd his
fcars, As of a furrow'd field, well plough'd with wars; Nor is this part unexercis'd, faid he;
That giant bulk of his from wounds is free:
Safe in his fhield he fears no foe to try,
And better manages his blood than I :
But this avails me not; our boafter ftrove
Not with our foes alone, but partial Jove,
To fave the fleet: this I confefs is true,
(Nor will I take from any man his due :)
But thus affuming all, he robs from you.
Some part of honour to your share will fall, 421
He did the best indeed, but did not all.
Patroclus in Achilles' arms, and thought
The chief he feem'd, with equal ardor fought; Preferv'd the fleet, repell'd the raging fire, 425And forc'd the fearful Trojans to retire.
But Ajax boafts, that he was only thought A match for Hector, who the combat fought: Sure he forgets the king, the chiefs, and me; All were as eager for the fight as he;
He but the ninth, and, not by public voice,
Or ours preferr'd, was only fortune's choice:
They fought; nor can our hero boast th' event,
For Hector from the field unwounded went.
Why am I forc'd to name that fatal day, 435 That fnatch'd the prop and pride of Greece away?
I faw Pelides fink, with pious grief,
And ran in vain, alas! to his relief;
For the brave foul was fled: full of my friend,
I rufh'd amid the war, his relics to defend: 440
Nor ceas'd my toil till I redeem'd the prey,
And, loaded with Achilles, march'd away:
Thofe arms, which on thefe fhoulders then I
bore,
'Tis juft you to thefe fhoulders fhould restore.
You fee I want not nerves, who could sustain
The pond'rous ruins of fo great a man.
Or if in others equal force you find,
None is endu'd with a more grateful mind.
Did Thetis then, ambitious in her care, Thefe arms thus labour'd for her fon prepare; That Ajax after him the heav'nly gift should
For that dull foul to ftare, with ftupid eyes,
On the learn'd unintelligible prize!
What are to him the fculptures of the shield,
Heav'n's planets, earth, and ocean's watry
field?
The Pleiads, Hyads; lefs, and greater Bear,
Undipp'd in feas; Orion's angry ftar;
Two diff'ring cities, grav'd on either hand?
Would he wear arms he cannot understand?
Befide, what wife objections he prepares 460
Against my late acceffion to the wars?
Does not the fool perceive his argument
Is with more force against Achilles bent?
For, if diffembling be fo great a crime,
The fault is common, and the fame in him: 465
And if he taxes both of long delay,
My guilt is lefs, who fooner came away.
His pious mother, anxious for his life,
Detain'd her fon; and me, my pious wife.
To them the bloffoms of our youth were due:
Our riper manhood we referv'd for you.
But grant me guilty, 'tis not much my care,
When with fo great a man my guilt I share :
My wit to war the matchlefs hero brought,
But by this fool he never had been caught. 475
Nor need I wonder, that on me he threw Such foul afperfions, when he fpares not you: If Palamede unjustly fell by me,
Your honour fuffer'd in th' unjust decree:
I but accus'd, you doom'd: and yet he dy'd, Convinc'd of treafon, and was fairly try'd: 481 You heard not he was falfe; your eyes beheld The traitor manifeft; the bribe reveal'd.
That Philoctetes is on Lemnos left, Wounded, forlorn, of human aid bereft, Is not my crime, or not my crime alone; Defend your juftice, for the fact's your own: "Tis true, the advice was mine; that staying, there
weary limbs with reft repair, From a long voyage free, and from a longer
He took the counfel, and he lives at leaft;
The event declares I counfell'd for the best:
Though faith is all in minifters of ftate;
For who can promife to be fortunate ?
Now fince his arrows are the fate of Troy, 495
Do not my wit, or weak addrefs, employ;
Send Ajax there, with his perfuafive fenfe,
To mollify the man, and draw him thence:
But Xanthus fhall run backward; Ida ftand
A leaflefs mountain; and the Grecian band 500
Shall fight for Troy; if, when my counfels fail,
The wit of heavy Ajax can prevail.
Hard Philoctetes, exercise thy fpleen Against thy fellows, and the king of men ; Curfe my devoted head, above the reft, And with in arms to meet me breast to breast: Yet I the dangerous task will undertake, And either die myself, or bring thee back.
Nor doubt the fame fuccefs, as when before The Phrygian prophet to these tents I bore, 510 Surpriz'd by night, and forc'd him to declare In what was plac'd the fortune of the war; Heaven's dark decrees and answers to difplay, And how to take the town, and where the fecret lay:
Yet this I compafs'd, and from Troy convey'd
The fatal image of their guardian maid;
That work was mine; for Pallas, though our
Yet while fhe was in Troy, did Troy defend.
Now what has Ajax done, or what defign'd?
A noify nothing, and an empty wind.
If he be what he promises in fhow,
Why was I fent, and why fear'd he to go? Our boasting champion thought the task not light
To pass the guards, commit himself to night;
Not only through a hoftile town to pass,
But fcale, with fteep afcent, the facred place;
With wand'ring fteps to fearch the citadel,
And from the priests their patroness to steal:
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