No More Learning

His lance bold Thoas at the conqueror sent,
Deep in his breast above the pap it went,
Amid the lungs was fix'd the winged wood,
And quivering in his heaving bosom stood:
Till from the dying chief, approaching near,
The ? tolian warrior tugg'd his weighty spear:
Then sudden waved his flaming falchion round,
And gash'd his belly with a ghastly wound;
The corpse now breathless on the bloody plain,
To spoil his arms the victor strove in vain;
The Thracian bands against the victor press'd,
A grove of lances glitter'd at his breast.
Stern Thoas, glaring with revengeful eyes,
In sullen fury slowly quits the prize.

Thus fell two heroes; one the pride of Thrace,
And one the leader of the Epeian race;
Death's sable shade at once o'ercast their eyes,
In dust the vanquish'd and the victor lies.
With copious slaughter all the fields are red,
And heap'd with growing mountains of the dead.

Had some brave chief this martial scene beheld,
By Pallas guarded through the dreadful field;
Might darts be bid to turn their points away,
And swords around him innocently play;
The war's whole art with wonder had he seen,
And counted heroes where he counted men.

So fought each host, with thirst of glory fired,
And crowds on crowds triumphantly expired.

[Illustration: Map of the Plain of Troy. ]

Map of the Plain of Troy.





BOOK V.


ARGUMENT.

THE ACTS OF DIOMED.

Diomed, assisted by Pallas, performs wonders in this day's battle.
Pandarus wounds him with an arrow, but the goddess cures him, enables him
to discern gods from mortals, and prohibits him from contending with any
of the former, excepting Venus. ?
neas joins Pandarus to oppose him;
Pandarus is killed, and ? neas in great danger but for the assistance of
Venus; who, as she is removing her son from the fight, is wounded on the
hand by Diomed. Apollo seconds her in his rescue, and at length carries
off ? neas to Troy, where he is healed in the temple of Pergamus. Mars
rallies the Trojans, and assists Hector to make a stand. In the meantime
? neas is restored to the field, and they overthrow several of the Greeks;
among the rest Tlepolemus is slain by Sarpedon. Juno and Minerva descend
to resist Mars; the latter incites Diomed to go against that god; he
wounds him, and sends him groaning to heaven.

The first battle continues through this book. The scene is the same as in
the former.

But Pallas now Tydides' soul inspires,(143)
Fills with her force, and warms with all her fires,
Above the Greeks his deathless fame to raise,
And crown her hero with distinguish'd praise.
High on his helm celestial lightnings play,
His beamy shield emits a living ray;
The unwearied blaze incessant streams supplies,
Like the red star that fires the autumnal skies,
When fresh he rears his radiant orb to sight,
And, bathed in ocean, shoots a keener light.
Such glories Pallas on the chief bestow'd,
Such, from his arms, the fierce effulgence flow'd:
Onward she drives him, furious to engage,
Where the fight burns, and where the thickest rage.

The sons of Dares first the combat sought,
A wealthy priest, but rich without a fault;
In Vulcan's fane the father's days were led,
The sons to toils of glorious battle bred;
These singled from their troops the fight maintain,
These, from their steeds, Tydides on the plain.
Fierce for renown the brother-chiefs draw near,
And first bold Phegeus cast his sounding spear,
Which o'er the warrior's shoulder took its course,
And spent in empty air its erring force.
Not so, Tydides, flew thy lance in vain,
But pierced his breast, and stretch'd him on the plain.