85

O kill not all my kindred o'er again,
Nor tempt the dangers of the dufty plain ;
But in this tower, for our defence, remain.
Thy wife and fon are in thy ruin loft:
This is a husband's and a father's post.
The Scean gate commands the plains below;
Here marshal all thy foldiers as they go; 90
And hence with other hands repel the foe.
By yon wild fig-tree lies their chief afcent,
And thither all their powers are daily bent;
The two Ajaces have I often feen,
And the wrong'd husband of the Spartan queen:
With him his greater brother; and with these 96
Fierce Diomede and bold Meriones:
Uncertain if by augury, or chance,
But by this easy rife they all advance;
Guard well that pafs, fecure of all befide. 100
To whom the noble Hector thus reply'd.

That and the reft are in my daily care;
But, fhould I fhun the dangers of the war,
With fcorn the Trojans would reward my pains,
And their proud ladies with their fweeping
trains.

The Grecian fwords and lances I can bear:
But lofs of honour is my only fear.

105

The epithet aλsgos is here a term of affection and endearment, and heightens the pathos: it is not, as many Homeric epithets are, general, but is defigned to mark ftrongly the wife's affection for her blooming and youthful husband. JOHN WARTON.

Shall Hector, born to war, his birthright yield, Belye his courage, and forfake the field? Early in rugged arms I took delight,

110

And still have been the foremost in the fight:
With dangers dearly have I bought renown,
And am the champion of my father's crown.
And yet my mind forebodes, with fure prefage,
That Troy fhall perish by the Grecian rage. 115
The fatal day draws on, when I muft fall,
And univerfal ruin cover all.

120

Not Troy itself, though built by hands divine,
Nor Priam, nor his people, nor his line,
My mother, nor my brothers of renown,
Whofe valour yet defends the unhappy town;
Not thefe, nor all their fates which I foresee,
Are half of that concern I have for thee.
I fee, I fee thee, in that fatal hour,
Subjected to the victor's cruel
power;
Led hence a slave to fome infulting sword,
Forlorn, and trembling at a foreign lord;
A fpectacle in Argos, at the loom,
Gracing with Trojan fights a Grecian room;

125

Ver. 129. Gracing with Trojan fights a Grecian room ;] A fine improvement on the fimple original:

Καί κεν ἐν "Αργει ἰᾶσα, πρὸς ἄλλης ἰσὸν ὑφαίνοις.

by the addition of a circumftance which confiderably heightens the diftrefs. So the facred hiftorian aggravates the mifery of the prodigal fon, by relating that he was fent into the fields to feed fwine, animals held in deteftation and abhorrence by the Jews. This little natural ftroke Pope has transferred into his tranflation without acknowledgement. JOHN WARTON.

Or from deep wells the living stream to take, 130
And on thy weary shoulders bring it back.
While, groaning under this laborious life,
They infolently call thee Hector's wife;
Upbraid thy bondage with thy husband's name ;
And from my glory propagate thy fhame.
This when they fay, thy forrows will increase
With anxious thoughts of former happiness;
That he is dead who could thy wrongs redrefs.
But I, opprefs'd with iron fleep before,
Shall hear thy unavailing cries no more.

He faid

135

140

Then, holding forth his arms, he took his boy,
The pledge of love and other hope of Troy.
The fearful infant turn'd his head away,
And on his nurfe's neck reclining lay,
His unknown father fhunning with affright, 145
And looking back on so uncouth a fight;
Daunted to see a face with fteel o'er-spread,
And his high plume that nodded o'er his head.
His fire and mother fmil'd with filent joy;
And Hector haften'd to relieve his boy;
Difmifs'd his burnish'd helm, that shone afar,
The pride of warriors, and the pomp of war:
The illuftrious babe, thus reconcil'd, he took:
Hugg'd in his arms, and kifs'd, and thus he
spoke.

150

Parent of gods and men, propitious Jove, 155 And you bright fynod of the Powers above;

On this my fon your gracious gifts bestow;
Grant him to live, and great in arms to grow,
To reign in Troy, to govern with renown,
To fhield the people, and affert the crown:
That when hereafter he from war shall come,
And bring his Trojans peace and triumph
home,

160

Some aged man, who lives this act to fee,
And who in former times remember'd me,
May fay, The fon in fortitude and fame
Outgoes the mark, and drowns his father's

name:

That at these words his mother may rejoice,
And add her fuffrage to the publick voice.
Thus having faid,

165

He first with fuppliant hands the gods ador❜d: 170 Then to the mother's arms the child reftor'd: With tears and fmiles fhe took her fon, and

prefs'd

The illuftrious infant to her fragrant breast.
He, wiping her fair eyes, indulg'd her grief,
And eas'd her forrows with this laft relief. 175
My wife and mistress, drive thy fears away,
Nor give fo bad an omen to the day;
Think not it lies in any Grecian's power,
To take my life before the fatal hour.
When that arrives, nor good nor bad can fly 180
The irrevocable doom of destiny.

Return, and, to divert thy thoughts at home,

There task thy maids, and exercife the loom,}

Employ'd in works that womankind

The toils of war, and feats of chivalry
Belong to men, and most of all to me.

185

At this, for new replies he did not ftay, But lac'd his crested helm, and ftrode away. His lovely confort to her house return'd, And looking often back in filence mourn'd: 190 Home when she came, her fecret woe fhe vents, And fills the palace with her loud laments; Thefe loud laments her echoing maids restore, And Hector, yet alive, as dead deplore.

Ver. 194. And Hector] Such was the attempt of Dryden on the Iliad; confidering what a tranflation we have fince feen, we cannot regret that he did not finifh it. We all know his very fpirited, if not accurate, tranflation of the Eneid, and muft think Swift's cenfure of it too violent and undeferved.

"On the left wing of the horfe, Virgil appeared in thining armour, completely fitted to his body: he was mounted on a dapple-grey steed, the flowness of whofe pace was an effect of the higheft mettle and vigour. He caft his eye on the adverse wing, with defire to find an object worthy of his valour; when, behold, upon a forrel gelding, of a mouftrous fize, appeared a foe, iffuing from among the thickeft of the enemy's squadrons; but his speed was less than his noife; for his horfe, old and lean, spent the dregs of his ftrength in a high trot, which, though it made flow advances, yet caufed a loud clashing of his armour, terrible to hear. The two cavaliers had now approached within the throw of a lance, when the ftranger defired a parley, and lifting up the vizard of his helmet, a face hardly appeared from within, which, after a paufe, was known for that of the renowned Dryden. The brave Antient suddenly started, as one poffeffed with surprise and difappointment together; for the helmet was nine times too large for the head, which appeared fituate far in the hinder part, even like the lady in a lobster, or like a mouse under a canopy of ftate, or like a shrivelled beau from within the pent-house of a