Page:Homer - Iliad, translation Pope, 1909.djvu/277

74—122 Then, not till then, shall great Achilles rise:

And lo! that instant, godlike Hector dies.

From that great hour the war's whole fortune turns,

Pallas assists, and lofty Ilion burns.

Not till that day shall Jove relax his rage,

Nor one of all the heavenly host engage

In aid of Greece. The promise of a god

I gave, and sealed it with the almighty nod,

Achilles' glory to the stars to raise;

Such was our word, and fate the word obeys."

The trembling queen, the almighty order given,

Swift from the Idæan summit shot to heaven.

As some wayfaring man, who wanders o'er,

In thought, a length of lands he trod before,

Sends forth his active mind from place to place,

Joins hill to dale, and measures space with space:

So swift flew Juno to the blest abodes,

If thought of man can match the speed of gods.

There sat the Powers in awful synod placed:

They bowed, and made obeisance as she passed,

Through all the brazen dome: with goblets crowned

They hail her queen; the nectar streams around.

Fair Themis first presents the golden bowl,

And anxious asks what cares disturb her soul.

To whom the white-armed goddess thus replies

"Enough thou knowest the tyrant of the skies,

Severely bent his purpose to fulfil,

Unmoved his mind, and unrestrained his will. Go thou, the feasts of heaven attend thy call;

Bid the crowned nectar circle round the hall;

But Jove shall thunder through the ethereal dome

Such stern decrees, such threatened woes to come,

As soon shall freeze mankind with dire surprise,

And damp the eternal banquets of the skies."

The goddess said, and sullen took her place:

Blank horror saddened each celestial face.

To see the gathering grudge in every breast,

Smiles on her lips a spleenful joy expressed,

While on her wrinkled front, and eyebrow bent,

Sat steadfast care, and lowering discontent.

Thus she proceeds: "Attend, ye powers above!

But know, 'tis madness to contest with Jove:

Supreme he sits, and sees, in pride of sway,

Your vassal godheads grudgingly obey;

Fierce in the majesty of power controls,

Shakes all the thrones of heaven, and bends the poles,

Submiss immortals! all he wills, obey;

And thou, great Mars, begin and shew the way.

Behold Ascalaphus! behold him die,