Then royal Agamemnon answered him.

"Nought hast thou said, oh sire, but what is meet. But yonder man would overtop us all,

Be all men's lord and master, deal to all
Dictates, which one, at least, will scarce obey.
The gods who live for ever made him brave:
But did they thereby licence him to rail?"

315

325

Then words of warning great Achilles spake. 320 "Call me a coward and a thing of naught, If I yield all at every word of thine. Talk thus to others-dictate not to me: For I shall hearken to thy words no more. But this I tell thee-cast it in thy mind! I will not draw the sword for yon girl's sake On thee or on another; since ye take The thing ye gave. But of all else that's mine, Treasured in my dark war-ship, not a thing Without my licence shalt thou take or touch. 330 Doubts't thou? Then try, that all this host may

see.

Thy blood that instant spouts around my spear."

C

So stood they face to face in wordy war. And ended was the council at the ships.

335

Achilles to his tents and stately fleet Went with Patroclus, and his followers all. The other launched a war-ship on the main, Manned her with twenty oars, and stowed therein A holy hecatomb, and seated there

Fair-cheeked Chryseis: and for captain, stept 340 On board Odysseus, he of many wiles.

So they set forth and sailed the watery ways. Then the King bade the people cleanse themselves.

They cleansed themselves, and cast into the sea
All their uncleanness: to Apollo next

They slew full hecatombs of bulls and goats
All by the barren waters: up to heaven
Went the sweet savour with the curling smoke.

345

In such wise toiled the host. Nor aught mean

while

Paused Agamemnon in his threatened wrath. 350

But to Talthybius and Eurybates,

His heralds twain and busy servants, spake,

"Go to Achilles' tent. Take thence and bring

The fair Briseis. If he say you nay,

I'll go, ev'n I, with yet a larger force,

355

And take her. And 'twill be the worse for him."

So forth he sent them, charged with hard

commands.

On, by the waters of the barren main
Unwillingly they fared: and reached at last

The vessels of the tented Myrmidons.

360

By his dark ship they found him in his tent;-
Little Achilles joyed at seeing them;—
Awe-struck and trembling they before the chief
Stood; nor accosted him, nor uttered sound:
But he knew well their purpose, and began. 355

"Hail, heralds, messengers of Zeus and men ! Draw near. I blame not you; I blame the King, Who sent you here for fair Briseis' sake.

But come, oh prince Patroclus, lead her forth,

And give her to their hand. And be these twain

My witnesses before the blessed gods

And mortal men and that untoward King:

371

When one day there ariseth need of me
Their shield from foul destruction! For the King
Raves, a doomed madman; nor can look at once
Before him and behind, and see whose arm
376
Let the Greeks battle by the ships and live."

He said. Patroclus his loved lord obeyed, And led the fair Briseis from the tent, And gave her to their hand. And straightway they Made for the Achaian ships; and with them

fared

381

The damsel all unwilling. But the chief
Wept; and from all his fellows gat apart,

And by the gray seas sate him down, and gazed
Far o'er the purpling waters: and to her
Who bore him lifted up his hands and prayed.

385

66

Mother! Thou brought'st me forth not long to live:

Therefore should Zeus, the Thunderer, of high

heaven,

Put glory in my hand. But not a whit

Honours he me: yea scorned am I of one,
Broad-realmèd Agamemnon, Atreus' son;

390

With his own arm he seized, and hath, my gift."

Weeping he spake. His queenly mother heard, 'Neath ocean sitting by her ancient sire:

And rose from the gray waters as a mist,

And sate her down beside her weeping son,

395

Fondled his hand, and spake, and called him by

his name.

Why weep'st thou, Son? What grief is on thy soul?

Speak, and nought hide: that I too know this thing."

And with a heavy groan the swift chief spake. "Shall I tell all to thee who know'st it all? 401 We came to sacred Thebes, Eetion's Thebes,

And spoiled her, and brought hither all the spoil. And fairly did the children of the Greeks,

Part it amongst them, and for Atreus' son 405