LITMIR.BIZ

      Thus having spoken, evanish'd, to lofty Olympus ascending,

      Hermes: but Priam delay'd not, and sprang from his car on the sea-beach;

      And, while Idæus remain'd to have care of the mules and the horses,

      On did the old man pass, and he enter'd, and found the Peleides

      Seated apart from his train: two only of Myrmidons trustful,

      Hero Automedon only, and Alkimus, sapling of Ares,

      Near to him minist'ring stood; he repos'd him but now from the meal-time,

      Sated with food and with wine, nor remov'd from him yet was the table.

      All unobserv'd of them enter'd the old man stately, and forthwith

      Grasp'd with his fingers the knees and was kissing the hands of Achilles —

      Terrible, murderous hands, by which son upon son had been slaughter'd.

      As when a man who has fled from his home with the curse of the blood-guilt,

      Kneels in a far-off land, at the hearth of some opulent stranger,

      Begging to shelter his head, there is stupor on them that behold him;

      So was Achilles dumb at the sight of majestical Priam —

      He and his followers all, each gazing on other bewilder'd.

      But he uplifted his voice in their silence, and made supplication: —

      "Think of thy father at home," (he began,) "O godlike Achilles!

      Him, my coëval, like me within age's calamitous threshold!

      Haply this day there is trouble upon him, some insolent neighbours

      Round him in arms, nor a champion at hand to avert the disaster:

      Yet even so there is comfort for him, for he hears of thee living;

      Day unto day there is hope for his heart amid worst tribulation,

      That yet again he shall see his belovéd from Troia returning.

      Misery only is mine; for of all in the land of my fathers,

      Bravest and best were the sons I begat, and not one is remaining.

      Fifty were mine in the hour that the host of Achaia descended:

      Nineteen granted to me out of one womb, royally mother'd,

      Stood by my side; but the rest were of handmaids born in my dwelling.

      Soon were the limbs of the many unstrung in the fury of Arēs:

      But one peerless was left, sole prop of the realm and the people:

      And now at last he too, the protector of Ilion, Hector,

      Dies by thy hand. For his sake have I come to the ships of Achaia,

      Eager to ransom the body with bountiful gifts of redemption.

      Thou have respect for the Gods, and on me, O Peleides! have pity,

      Calling thy father to mind; but more piteous is my desolation,

      Mine, who alone of mankind have been humbled to this of endurance —

      Pressing my mouth to the hand that is red with the blood of my children."

      Hereon Achilles, awak'd to a yearning remembrance of Peleus,

      Rose up, took by the hand, and remov'd from him gently the old man.

      Sadness possessing the twain – one, mindful of valorous Hector,

      Wept with o'erflowing tears, lowlaid at the feet of Achilles;

      He, sometime for his father, anon at the thought of Patroclus,

      Wept, and aloft in the dwelling their long lamentation ascended.

      But when the bursting of grief had contented the godlike Peleides,

      And from his heart and his limbs irresistible yearning departed,

      Then from his seat rose he, and with tenderness lifted the old man,

      Viewing the hoary head and the hoary beard with compassion:

      And he address'd him, and these were the air-wing'd words that he utter'd: —

      "Ah unhappy! thy spirit in truth has been burden'd with evils.

      How could the daring be thine to come forth to the ships of Achaia

      Singly, to stand in the eyes of the man by whose weapon thy children,

      Many and gallant, have died? full surely thy heart is of iron.

      But now seat thee in peace, old man, and let mourning entirely

      Pause for a space in our minds, although heavy on both be affliction;

      For without profit and vain is the fulness of sad lamentation,

      Since it was destined so of the Gods for unfortunate mortals

      Ever in trouble to live, but they only partake not of sorrow;

      For by the threshold of Zeus two urns have their station of old time,

      Whereof the one holds dolings of good, but the other of evil;

      And to whom mixt are the doles of the thunder-delighting Kronion,

      He sometime is of blessing partaker, of misery sometime;

      But if he gives of the ill, he has fixt him the mark of disaster,

      And over bountiful earth the devouring Necessity drives him,

      Wandering ever forlorn, unregarded of gods and of mortals.

      Thus of a truth did the Gods grant glorious gifts unto Peleus,

      Even from the hour of his birth, for above compare was he favour'd,

      Whether in wealth or in power, in the land of the Myrmidons reigning;

      And albeit a mortal, his spouse was a goddess appointed.

      Yet even to him of the God was there evil apportion'd –

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