No More Learning

Let this suffice: the immutable decree
No force can shake: what is, that ought to be.
Goddess, submit; nor dare our will withstand,
But dread the power of this avenging hand:
The united strength of all the gods above
In vain resists the omnipotence of Jove. "

[Illustration: VULCAN. ]

VULCAN.


The thunderer spoke, nor durst the queen reply;
A reverent horror silenced all the sky.
The feast disturb'd, with sorrow Vulcan saw
His mother menaced, and the gods in awe;
Peace at his heart, and pleasure his design,
Thus interposed the architect divine:
"The wretched quarrels of the mortal state
Are far unworthy, gods! of your debate:
Let men their days in senseless strife employ,
We, in eternal peace and constant joy.
Thou, goddess-mother, with our sire comply,
Nor break the sacred union of the sky:
Lest, roused to rage, he shake the bless'd abodes,
Launch the red lightning, and dethrone the gods.
If you submit, the thunderer stands appeased;
The gracious power is willing to be pleased. "

Thus Vulcan spoke: and rising with a bound,
The double bowl with sparkling nectar crown'd,(72)
Which held to Juno in a cheerful way,
"Goddess (he cried), be patient and obey.
Dear as you are, if Jove his arm extend,
I can but grieve, unable to defend
What god so daring in your aid to move,
Or lift his hand against the force of Jove?
Once in your cause I felt his matchless might,
Hurl'd headlong down from the ethereal height;(73)
Toss'd all the day in rapid circles round,
Nor till the sun descended touch'd the ground.
Breathless I fell, in giddy motion lost;
The Sinthians raised me on the Lemnian coast;(74)

He said, and to her hands the goblet heaved,
Which, with a smile, the white-arm'd queen received
Then, to the rest he fill'd; and in his turn,
Each to his lips applied the nectar'd urn,
Vulcan with awkward grace his office plies,
And unextinguish'd laughter shakes the skies.

Thus the blest gods the genial day prolong,
In feasts ambrosial, and celestial song. (75)
Apollo tuned the lyre; the Muses round
With voice alternate aid the silver sound.
Meantime the radiant sun to mortal sight
Descending swift, roll'd down the rapid light:
Then to their starry domes the gods depart,
The shining monuments of Vulcan's art:
Jove on his couch reclined his awful head,
And Juno slumber'd on the golden bed.

[Illustration: JUPITER. ]

JUPITER.


[Illustration: THE APOTHEOSIS OF HOMER. ]

THE APOTHEOSIS OF HOMER.





BOOK II.


ARGUMENT.

THE TRIAL OF THE ARMY, AND CATALOGUE OF THE FORCES.

Jupiter, in pursuance of the request of Thetis, sends a deceitful vision
to Agamemnon, persuading him to lead the army to battle, in order to make
the Greeks sensible of their want of Achilles. The general, who is deluded
with the hopes of taking Troy without his assistance, but fears the army
was discouraged by his absence, and the late plague, as well as by the
length of time, contrives to make trial of their disposition by a
stratagem. He first communicates his design to the princes in council,
that he would propose a return to the soldiers, and that they should put a
stop to them if the proposal was embraced. Then he assembles the whole
host, and upon moving for a return to Greece, they unanimously agree to
it, and run to prepare the ships. They are detained by the management of
Ulysses, who chastises the insolence of Thersites. The assembly is
recalled, several speeches made on the occasion, and at length the advice
of Nestor followed, which was to make a general muster of the troops, and
to divide them into their several nations, before they proceeded to
battle. This gives occasion to the poet to enumerate all the forces of the
Greeks and Trojans, and in a large catalogue.

The time employed in this book consists not entirely of one day.