Page:The Story of the Iliad.djvu/160

132 counsel you all to go, for Troy ye never shall take as ye desire, seeing that Zeus, who seeth all things before, holdeth over it his hand, and her sons are a valiant folk. And now go your way; carry back this answer to the princes of the Greeks: 'Devise ye in your hearts some better counsel whereby ye may keep the men of Troy from your ships; for this counsel availeth naught, so fierce is my anger.' But let the old man Phœnix abide with me in my tent to-night, that he may sail in my ship on the morrow. Verily he shall sail, if he will; but I will not take him by force."

Thus spake Achilles. And the chiefs sat still and held their peace, marvelling at his speech, so vehement was he in his denying. But at the last the old man Phœnix made answer. With many tears he spake, for he was sore afraid lest the ships of the Greeks should perish: "If indeed thou art minded to depart, and carest not to save the ships from devouring fire, how can I endure to be left alone of thee? For the old man Peleus made me thy teacher, both of words and of deeds, in the day when he sent thee