The lance purfu'd the voice without delay;
Nor did the whizzing weapon miss the way,
But pierc'd his cuirafs, with fuch fury fent;
And fign'd his bofom with a purple dint.
At this the feed of Neptune; Goddess-born,
For ornament, not use, these arms are worn;
This helm, and heavy buckler, I can spare,
As only decorations of the war:
So Mars is arm'd for glory, not for need.
"Tis fomewhat more from Neptune to proceed,
Than from a daughter of the sea to spring :
Thy fire is mortal; mine is Ocean's king.
Secure of death, I fhould contemn thy dart,
Tho' naked, and impaffable depart:
He faid, and threw the trembling weapon pafs'd
Thro' nine bull-hides, each under other plac'd,
On his broad fhield, and ftuck within the last.
Achilles wrench'd it out; and sent again
The hoftile gift: the hoftile gift was vain.
He try'd a third, a tough well-chosen spear ;
Th' inviolable body ftood fincere,
Tho' Cygnus then did no defence provide,
But fcornful offer'd his unfhielded fide.
Not otherwife th' impatient hero far'd,
Than as a bull encompass'd with a guard,
Amid the circus roars: provok'd from far
By fight of fcarlet, and a fanguine war :
They quit their ground; his bended horns elude;
In vain pursuing, and in vain purfu'd.
Before to farther fight he would advance,
He flood confidering, and furvey'd his lance.
Doubts if he wielded not a wooden spear
Without a point: he look'd, the point was there.
This is my hand, and this my launce, he faid,
By which fo many thoufand foes are dead.
O whither is their ufual virtue fled !
I had it once; and the Lyrneffian wall,
And Tenedos, confefs'd it in their fall.
Thy ftreams, Caicus, roll'd a crimson flood;
And Thebes ran red with her own natives blood.
Twice Telephus employ'd their piercing fteel,
To wound him firft; and afterward to heal.
The vigour of this arm was never vain:
And that my wonted prowess I retain,
Witness these heaps of flaughter on the plain.
He faid, and, doubtful of his former deeds,
To fome new trial of his force proceeds.
He chofe Menætes from among the reft;
At him he lanc'd his fpear, and pierc'd his breaft:
On the hard earth the Lycian knock'd his head,
And lay fupine; and forth the fpirit fled.
Then thus the hero; Neither can I blame
The hand, or javelin; both are fill the fame.
The fame I will employ against this foe;
And with but with the fame fuccefs to throw.
So fpoke the chief; and while he spoke he threw ;
The weapon with unerring fury flew ;
At his left fhoulder aim'd: nor entrance found;
But back, as from a rock, with fwift rebound
Harmless return'd: a bloody mark appear'd,
Which with false joy the flatter'd hero chear'd.
Wound there was none; the blood that was in view,
The lance before from flain Menætes drew.
Headlong he leaps from off his lofty car,
And in clofe fight on foot renews the war.
Raging with high difdain, repeats his blows;
Nor fhield nor armor can their force oppofe;
Huge cantlets of his buckler ftrew the ground,
And no defence in his bor'd arms is found.
But on his flesh no wound or blood is feen;
The fword itself is blunted on the skin.
This vain attempt the chief no longer bears;
But round his hollow temples and his ears
His buckler beats: the fon of Neptune, ftunn'd
With these repeated buffets, quits his ground;
A fickly fweat fucceeds, and fhades of night;
Inverted nature fwims before his fight:
Th' infulting victor preffes on the more,
And treads the steps the vanquish'd trod before,
Nor reft, nor refpite gives. A ftone there lay
Behind his trembling foe, and ftopp'd his way:
Achilles took th' advantage which he found,
O'er-turn'd, and pufh'd him backward on the ground.
His buckler held him under, while he prefs'd,
With both his knees above, his panting breaft.
Unlac'd his helm: about his chin the twist
He try'd; and foon the strangled foul difmifs'd.
With eager hafte he went to ftrip the dead;
The vanquish'd body from his arms was fled.
His fea-god fire, t' immortalize his fame,
Had turn'd it to the bird that bears his name.
A truce fucceeds the labors of this day,
And arms fufpended with a long delay.
While Trojan walls are kept with watch and ward;
The Greeks before their trenches mount the guard;
The feaft approach'd; when to the blue-ey'd maid
His vows for Cygnus flain the victor paid,
And a white heifer on her altar laid.
The reeking entrails on the fire they threw ;
And to the Gods the grateful odour flew :
Heav'n had its part in facrifice: the rest
Was broil'd and roafted for the future feast,
The chief invited guests were set around:
And hunger firft affuag'd, the bowls were crown'd,
Which in deep draughts their cares and labors drown'd.
The mellow harp did not their ears employ:
And mute was all the warlike fymphony;
Difcourfe, the food of fouls, was their delight,,
And pleasing chat prolong'd the fummer's night.
The fubject, deeds of arms; and valour shown,
Or on the Trojan fide, or on their own.
Of dangers undertaken, fame atchiev'd,
They talk'd by turns; the talk by turns reliev'd.
What things but these could fierce Achilles tell,
Or what could fierce Achilles hear fo well?
The laft great act perform'd, of Cygnus flain,
Did most the martial audience entertain :
Wond'ring to find a body, free by fate
From fteel, and which could ev'n that fteel rebate:
Amaz'd, their admiration they renew;
And fcarce Pelides could believe it true.
Then Neftor, thus; What once this age has known, In fated Cygnus, and in him alone,
Thefe eyes have seen in Cæneus long before,
Whole body not a thousand swords could bore.
Cæneus, in courage, and in ftrength, excell'd,
And still his Othrys' with his fame is fill'd:
But what did moft his martial deeds adorn,
(Tho' fince he chang'd his fex) a woman born.
A novelty fo ftrange, and full of fate,
His lift'ning audience ask'd him to relate.
Achilles thus commends their common fute;
O father, firft for prudence in repute,
Tell, with that eloquence, fo much thy own,
What thou hait heard, or what of Cæneus known :
What was he, whence his change of sex begun,
What trophies, join'd in wars with thee, he won?
Who conquer'd him, and in what fatal ftrife
The youth, without a wound, could lofe his life?
Neleides then; Tho' tardy age and time,
Have fhrunk my finews, and decay'd my prime;
Tho' much I have forgotten of my store,
Yet not exhausted, I remember more.
Of all that arms atchiev'd, or peace defign'd,
That action ftill is fresher in my mind
Than ought befide. If reverend age can give
To faith a fanction, in my third I live.
"Twas in my fecond cent'ry, I furvey'd
Young Canis, then a fair Theffalian maid:
Canis the bright was born to high command;
A princefs, and a native of thy land,
Divine Achilles every tongue proclaim'd
Her beauty, and her eyes all hearts inflam'd,
Peleus, thy fire, perhaps had fought her bed,
Among the reft; but he had either led
Thy mother then, or was by promise ty'd;
But fhe to him, and all, alike her love deny'd,
It was her fortune once, to take her way
Along the fandy margin of the sea :
The power of Ocean view'd her as fhe pafs'd,
And, lov'd as soon as seen, by force embrac'd.
So fame reports. Her virgin treasure feiz'd,
And his new joys the ravisher fo pleas'd,
That thus, tranfported, to the nymph he cry'd ;
Afk what thou wilt, no pray'r fhall be deny'd.
This alfo fame relates: the haughty fair,
Who not the rape ev'n of a God could bear,
This anfwer, proud, return'd: To mighty wrongs
A mighty recompence, of right, belongs.
Give me no more to fuffer fuch a fhame;
But change the woman, for a better name;
One gift for all: fhe faid; and while she spoke,
A ftern, majestic, manly tone fhe took.
A man fhe was and as the Godhead fwore,
To Caneus turn'd, who Canis was before.
To this the lover adds, without request:
No force of steel should violate his breaft.
Glad of the gift, the new-made warrior goes;
And arms among the Greeks, and longs for equal foes.
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