Page:Homer The Iliad.djvu/90

76 Virgil must have sought another hero for his great poem.

Sthenelus, for his part, remembers the orders of his friend and chief, and drives off at once to the Greek camp with the much-coveted horses of Æneas. Diomed rushes in pursuit of Venus—whom he knows, by his new gift of clear vision—as she carries off her son through the ranks of the Trojans. She, at least, of all the divinities of Olympus, had no business, thought the Greek, in the mêlée of battle. Besides, he had received from Minerva special permission to attack her. Most ungallantly, to our notions, he does so. The scene is such a curious one, that it is well to give Lord Derby's version of it:—

Her, searching through the crowd, at length he found, And springing forward, with his pointed spear A wound inflicted on her tender hand. Piercing th' ambrosial veil, the Graces' work, The sharp spear grazed her palm below the wrist. Forth from the wound th' immortal current flowed, Pure ichor, life-stream of the blessed Gods; They eat no bread, they drink no ruddy wine, And bloodless thence and deathless they become. The goddess shrieked aloud, and dropped her son; But in his arms Apollo bore him off In a thick cloud enveloped, lest some Greek Might pierce his breast, and rob him of his life. Loud shouted brave Tydides, as she fled: 'Daughter of Jove, from battle-fields retire; Enough for thee weak women to delude; If war thou seek'st, the lesson thou shalt learn Shall cause thee shudder but to hear it named.' Thus he; but ill at ease, and sorely pained,