I had bene brought To ruine for what breeds that wish which is the mischiefe wrought By my accesse yet neuer found one harsh taunt one words ill From thy sweet cariage Twenty yeares do now their circles â—…ill Since my arriuall all which time thou didst not onely beare Thy selfe without checke But all else that my Lords brothers were Their sisters Lords sisters themselues the Queen my mother in law The king being neuer but most milde when thy mans spirits saw Sowre and reprochfull it would still reproue their bitternesse With sweet words And thy gentle soule And therefore thy deceasse I truly mourne for and my selfe curse as the wretched cause All brode Troy yeelding me not one that any humane lawes Of pitie or forgiuenesse mou'd t' entreate me humanely But onely thee all else abhorr'd me for my destinie These words made euen the coÌ„mons mourn to whom the king said Friends Priam to the Troians Now fetch wood for our funerall fire nor feare the foe intends Ambush or any violence Achilles gaue his word At my dismission that twelue dayes he would keepe sheath'd his sword And all mens else Thus oxen mules in chariots straite they put Went forth and an vnmeasur'd pile of Syluane matter cut Nine daies emploide in cariage but when the tenth morne shinde On wretched mortals then they brought the-fit-to-be-diuin'd Forth to be burn'd Troy swum in teares Vpon the piles most height They laid the person and gaue fire all day it burn'd all night But when th' eleuenth morne let on earth her rosie fingers shine The people flockt about the pile and first with blackish wine Quencht all the flames His brothers then and friends the snowy bones Gatherd into an vrne of gold still powring on their mones Then wrapt they in soft purple veiles the rich vrne digg'd a pit Grau'd it ramb'd vp the graue with stones and quickly built to it A sepulcher But while that worke and all the funerall rites Were in performance guards were held at all parts dayes and nights For feare of false surprise before they had imposde the crowne To these solemnities The tombe aduanc't once all the towne In Ioue-nurst Priams Court partooke a passing sumptuous feast And so horse-taming Hectors rites gaue vp his soule to Rest. Thus farre the Ilian Ruines I haue laid Open to English eyes In which repaid With thine owne value go vnualu'd Booke Liue and be lou'd If any enuious looke Hurt thy cleare fame learne that no state more hie Attends on vertue then pin'd Enuies eye Would thou wert worth it that the best doth wound Which this Age feedes and which the last shall bound THus with labour enough though with more comfort in the merits of my diuine Author I haue brought my translation of his Iliads to an end If either therein or in the harsh vtterance or matter of my Comment before I haue for haste scatterd with my burthen lesse then fifteene weekes being the whole time that the last twelue bookes translation stood me in I desire my present will and I doubt not hability if God giue life to reforme and perfect all heareafter may be ingenuouslly accepted for the absolute worke The rather considering the most learned with all their helpes and time haue bene so often and vnanswerably miserably taken halting In the meane time that most assistfull and vnspeakeable spirit by whose thrice sacred conduct and inspiration I haue finished this labour diffuse the fruitfull horne of his blessings through these goodnesse-thirsting watchings without which vtterly dry and bloodlesse is whatsoeuer Mortality soweth But where our most diligent Spondanus ends his worke with a prayer to be taken out of these Maeanders and Euripian riuers as he termes them of Ethnicke and prophane writers being quite contrarie to himselfe at the beginning I thrice humbly beseech the most deare and diuine mercie euer most incomparably preferring the great light of his truth in his direct and infallible Scriptures I may euer be enabled by resting wondring in his right comfortable shadowes in these to magnifie the clearenesse of his almighty apparance in the other And with this salutation of Poeâ—…ie giuen by our Spondanus in his Preface to these Iliads All haile Saint-sacred Poesie that vnder so much gall of fictioâ—… such abundance of honey doctrine hast hidden not reuealing them to the vnworthy worldly wouldst thou but so much make me that amongst thy Nâ—…uices I might be numbred no time should euer come neare my life that could make me forsake thee I will conclude with this my daily and nightly prayer learn'd of the most learned Symplicius Supplico tibi Domine Pater Dux rationis nostrae vt nostrae nobilitatis recordemur qua tu nos ornasti vt tu nobis praestò sis vt ijs qui per sese mouentur vt à corporis contagio brutorumque affectuum repurgemur eosque superemus regamus sicut decet pro instrumentis ijs vtamur Deinde vt nobis adiumento sis ad accuratam rationis nostrae correctionem coniunctionem cum ijs quae verè sunt per lucem veritatis Et tertium Saluatori supplex oro vt ab oculis animorum nostrorum caliginem prorsus abstergas vt quod apud Homerum est Norimus bene qui Deus aut mortalis habendus Amen FINIS TO THE RIGHT GRACIOVS and worthy the Duke of LENNOX AMongst th'Heroes of the VVorlds prime years Stand here great Duke see theÌ„ shine about you Informe your princely minde and spirit by theirs And then like them liue euer looke without you For subiects fit to vse your place and grace VVhich throw about you as the Sunne his Raies In quickning with their power the dying Race Offriendlesse Vertue since they thus can raise Their honor'd Raisers to Eternitie None euer liu'd by Selfe-loue Others good Is th' obiect of our owne They liuing die That burie in them selues their fortunes brood To this soule then your gracious count'nance giue That gaue to such as you such meanes to liue TO THE MOST GRAVE AND honored Temperer of Law and Equitie the Lord CHANCELOR c. THat Poesie is not so remou'd a thing From graue administry of publike weales As these times take it heare this Poet sing Most iudging Lord and see how he reueales The mysteries of Rule and rules to guide The life of Man through all his choicest waies Nor be your timely paines the lesse applyed For Poesies idle name because her Raies Haue shin'd through greatest Counsellors and Kings Heare Royall Hermes sing th' Egyptian Lawes How Solon Draco Zoroastes sings Their Lawes in verse and let their iust applause By all the world giuen yours by vs allow That since you grace all vertue honour you TO THE MOST WORTHIE Earle Lord Treasurer and Treasure of our Countrey the Earle of SALISBVRY c. VOuchsafe great Treasurer to turne your eye And see the opening of a Grecian Mine VVhich VVisedome long since made her Treasury And now her
greedinesse to heare The rabble thus inclin'd Hurried together vprore seisd the high Court earth did grone Beneath the setling multitude tumult was there alone Thrise three voiciferous heralds rose to checke the rout and get Eare to their Ioue-kept Gouernors and instantly was set That huge confusion euery man set fast and clamor ceast Then stood diuine Atrides vp and in his hand comprest His scepter th'elaborate worke of fierie Mulciber The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Who gaue it to Saturnian Ioue Ioue to his messenger His messenger Argicides to Pelops skild in horse Pelops to Atreus chiefe of men he dying gaue it course To Prince Thyestes rich in heards Thyestes to the hand Of Agamemnon renderd it and with it the command Of many Iles and Argos all On this he leaning said O friends great sonnes of Danaus seruants of Mars Ioue laid Agamemnon to the Greekes A heauie curse on me to vow and binde it with the bent Of his high forehead that this Troy of all her people spent I should returne yet now to mocke our hopes built on his vow And charge ingloriously my flight when such an ouerthrow Of braue friends I haue authored But to his mightiest will We must submit vs that hath raz't and will be razing still Mens footsteps from so many townes because his power is most He will destroy most But how vile such and so great an hoast Will shew to future times that matcht with lesser numbers farre We flie not putting on the crowne of our so long-held warre Of which there yet appeares no end Yet should our foes and we Strike truce and number both our powers Troy taking all that be Her arm'd inhabitants and we in tens should all sit downe At our truce banquet euerie ten allow'd one of the towne To fill his feast-cup many tens would their attendant want So much I must affirme our power exceeds th' inhabitant But their auxiliarie bands those brandishers of speares From many cities drawne are they that are our hinderers Not suffering well-raisd Troy to fall Nine yeares are ended now Since Ioue our conquest vow'd and now our vessels rotten grow Our tackling failes our wiues yong sonnes sit in their doores and long For our arriuall yet the worke that should haue wreakt our wrong And made vs welcome lies vn wrought Come then as I bid all Obey and flie to our lou'd home for now nor euer shall Our vtmost take in broad-waid Troy This said the multitude Was all for home and all men else that what this would conclude Had not discouerd All the crowd was shou'd about the shore In sway like rude and raging waues rowsd with the feruent blore Simile Of th' East and South winds when they breake from Ioues clouds and are borne On rough backs of th' I carian seas or like a field of corne High growne that Zephyrs vehement gusts bring easily vnderneath And make the stiffe-vp-bristl'd eares do homage to his breath For euen so easily with the breath Atrides vsde was swaid The violent multitude To fleet with showts and disaraid All rusht and with a fogge of dust their rude feete dimd the day Each cried to other cleanse our ships come lanch aboord away The clamor of the runners home reacht heauen and then past fate The Greekes had left Troy had not then the Goddesse of estate Thus spoke to Pallas O foule shame thou vntam'd seed of Ioue Iuno to Pallas Shall thus the seas broad backe be charg'd with these our friends remoue Thus leauing Argiue Hellen here thus Priam grac't thus Troy In whose fields farre from their lou'd owne for Hellens sake the ioy And life of so much Grecian birth is vanisht take thy way T' our brasse-arm'd people speake them faire let not a man obey The charge now giuen nor lanch one ship She said and Pallas did As she commanded from the tops of heauens steepe hill she slid And straight the Greekes swist ships she reacht Vlysses like to Ioue In gifts of counsell she found out who to that base remoue Stird not a foote nor toucht a ship but grieu'd at heart to see That fault in others To him close the blue-eyd deitie Made way and said Thou wisest Greeke diuine Laertes sonne Thus flie ye homewards to your ships shall all thus headlong runne Glorie to Priam thus ye leaue glorie to all his friends If thus ye leaue her here for whom so many violent ends Haue closd your Greeke eyes and so farre from their so loued home Go to these people vse no stay with faire termes ouercome Their foule endeuour not a man a flying saile let hoice Thus spake she and Vlysses knew t was Pallas by her voice Ranne to the runners cast from him his mantle which his man And Herald graue Eurybates the Ithacensian That followd him tooke vp Himselfe to Agamemnon went His incorrupted scepter tooke his scepter of descent And with it went about the fleete What Prince or man of name He found flight-giuen he would restraine with words of gentlest blame Good sir it fits not you to flie or fare as one afraid â—…lysses temper in restraining the flight You should not onely stay your selfe but see the people staid You know not clearely though you heard the kings words yet his mind He onely tries mens spirits now and whom his trials find Apt to this course he will chastise Nor you nor I heard all He spake in councell nor durst preasse too neare our Generall Lest we incenst him to our hurt The anger of a king Is mightie he is kept of Ioue and from Ioue likewise spring His honors which out of the loue of wise Ioue he enioyes Thus he the best sort vsd the worst whose spirits brake out in noise He cudgeld with his scepter chid and said Stay wretch be still And heare thy betters thou art base and both in powre and skill Poore and vnworthie without name in counsell or in warre We must not all be kings the rule is most irregularre Where many rule one Lord one king propose to thee and he To whom wise Saturns sonne hath giuen both law and Emperie To rule the publicke is that king Thus ruling he restrain'd The hoast from flight and then againe the Councell was maintain'd With such a concourse that the shore rung with the tumult made As when the farre-resounding sea doth in his rage inuade His sandie confines whose sides grone with his inuolued waue And make his owne breast eccho sighes All sate and audience gaue Thersites onely would speake all A most disorderd store Of words he foolishly powrd out of which his mind held more Then it could manage any thing with which he could procure Laughter he neuer could containe He should haue yet bene sure To touch no kings T' oppose their states becomes not iesters parts Thersites description But he the filthiest fellow was of all that had deserts In Troyes braue siege he was squint-eyd and lame of either foote
appaid Long since and held it as at first to Priam Ilion And all his subiects for the rape of his licentious sonne Proud Paris that despisde these dames in their diuine accesse Made to his cottage and praisd her that his sad wantonnesse So costly nourisht The twelfth morne now shin'd on the delay Of Hectors rescue and then spake the deitie of the day Apollo to the other gods Thus to th'immortals Shamelesse gods authors of ill ye are To suffer ill Hath Hectors life at all times show'd his care Of all your rights in burning thighs of Beeues and Goates to you And are your cares no more of him vouchsafe ye not euen now Euen dead to keepe him that his wife his mother and his sonne Father and subiects may be mou'd to those deeds he hath done See'ng you preserue him that seru'd you and sending to their hands His person for the rites of fire Achilles that withstands All helpe to others you can helpe one that hath neither hart Nor soule within him that will moue or yeeld to any part That fits a man but Lion-like vplandish and meere wilde Slaue to his pride and all his nerues being naturally compil'd Of eminent strength stalkes out and preyes vpon a silly sheepe And so fares this man That fit ruth that now should draw so deepe In all the world being lost in him And Shame a qualitie Shame a quality that hurts and helpes men exceedingly Of so much weight that both it helpes and hurts excessiuely Men in their manners is not knowne nor hath the powre to be In this mans being Other men a greater losse then he Haue vndergone a sonne suppose or brother of one wombe Yet after dues of woes and teares they bury in his tombe All their deplorings Fates haue giuen to all that are true men True manly patience but this man so soothes his bloudy veine That no bloud serues it he must haue diuine-soul'd Hector bound To his proud chariot and danc't in a most barbarous round About his lou'd friends sepulcher when he is slaine T is vile And drawes no profit after it But let him now awhile Marke but our angers his is spent let all his strength take heed It tempts not our wraths he begets in this outragious deed The dull earth with his furies hate White-wristed Iuno said Being much incenst This doome is one that thou wouldst haue obaid Thou bearer of the siluer bow that we in equall care And honour should hold Hectors worth with him that claimes a share In our deseruings Hector suckt a mortall womans brest Aeacides a goddesses our selfe had interest Both in his infant nourishment and bringing vp with state And to the humane Pelâ—…s we gaue his bridall mate Because he had th'immortals loue To celebrate the feast Of their high nuptials euery god was glad to be a guest And thou fedst of his fathers cates touching thy harpe in grace Of that beginning of our friend whom thy perfidious face In his perfection blusheth not to match with Priâ—…m sonne O thou that to betray and shame art still companion Iâ—…e thus receiu'd her Neuer giue these brode termes to a god Iâ—…e to 〈◊〉 Those two men shall not be compar'd and yet of all that trod The well-pau'd Iliâ—… none so deare to all the deities As Hector was at least to me For offrings most of prise His hands would neuer pretermit Our altars euer stood Furnisht with banquets fitting vs odors and euery good Smokt in our temples and for this foreseeing it his fate We markt with honour which must stand but to giue stealth estate In his deliuerance shun we that nor must we fauour one To shame another Priuily with wrong to Thetis sonne We must not worke out Hectors right There is a ransome due And open course by lawes of armes in which must humbly sue The friends of Hector Which iust meane if any god would stay And vse the other t would not serue for Thetis night and day Is guardian to him But would one call Iris hither I Would giue directions that for gifts the Trâ—…n king should buy His Hectors body which the sonne of Thetis shall resigne This said his will was done the Dame that doth in vapours shine Dewie and thin footed with stormes iumpt to the sable seas Twixt Samos and sharpe Imbers cliffes the lake gron'd with the presse Of her rough feete and plummet-like put in an oxes horne That beares death to the raw-fed fish she diu'd and found forlorne Thetis lamenting her sonnes fate who was in Troy to haue Iris to Thetis Farre from his countrey his death seru'd Close to her Iris stood And said Rise Thetis prudent Ioue whose counsels thirst not blood Cals for thee Thetis answerd her with asking What 's the cause The great god cals my sad powres fear'd to breake th' immortall lawes In going fil'd with griefes to heauen But he sets snares for none With colourd counsels not a word of him but shall be done She said and tooke a sable vaile a blacker neuer wore A heauenly shoulder and gaue way Swift Iris swum before About both rowld the brackish waues They tooke their banks and flew Vp to Olympus where they found Satâ—…nius farre-of-view Spher'd with heauens-euerbeing states Minerua rose and gaue Her place to Thetis neare to Ioue and Iâ—…no did receiue Her entry with a cup of gold in which she dranke to her Grac't her with comfort and the cup to her hand did referre She dranke resigning it And then the sire of men and gods Thus entertain'd her Com'st thou vp to these our blest abodes Faire goddesse Thetis yet art sad and that in so high kind As passeth suffrance this I know and try'd thee and now find Thy will by mine rulde which is rule to all worlds gouernment Besides this triall yet this cause sent downe for thy ascent Nine dayes Contention hath bene held amongst th'immortals here For Hectors person and thy sonne and some aduices were To haue our good spie Mercurie steale from thy sonne the Corse But that reproch I kept farre off to keepe in future force Thy former loue and reuerence Haste then and tell thy sonne The gods are angrie and my selfe take that wrong he hath done To Hector in worst part of all the rather since he still Detaines his person Charge him then if he respect my will For any reason to resigne slaine Hector I will send Iris to Priam to redeeme his sonne and recommend Fit ransome to Achilles grace in which right he may ioy And end his vaine griefe To this charge bright Thetis did employ Instant endeuour From heauens tops she reacht Achilles tent Found him still sighing and some friends with all their complements Soothing his humour othersome with all contention Dressing his dinner all their paines and skils consum'd vpon Thetis to Achilles A huge wooll-bearer slaughterd there His reuerend mother then Came neare tooke kindly his faire hand and askt him Deare sonne