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The Iliad of Homer Rendered Into English Blank Verse
The Iliad of Homer Rendered Into English Blank Verse Author:Homer Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: BOOK II. A LL night in sleep repos'd the other Gods, And helmed warriors ; but the eyes of Jove Sweet slumber held not, pondering in his mind How to avenge... more » Achilles' cause, and pour Destructive slaughter on the Grecian host. 5 Thus as he mus'd, the wisest course appear'd By a deluding vision to mislead The son of Atreus; and with winged words Thus to a phantom form he gave command : " Hie thee, deluding Vision, to the camp 10 And ships of Greece, to Agamemnon's tent; There, changing nought, as I command thee, speak. Bid that he arm in haste the long-hair'd Greeks To combat; for the wide-built streets of Troy He now may capture ; since th' immortal Gods 15 Watch over her no longer ; all are gain'd By Juno's pray'rs; -and woes impend o'er Troy." He said: the Vision heard, and straight obey'd : Swiftly he sped, and reached the Grecian ships, And sought the son of Atreus ; him he found 20 Within his tent, wrapped in ambrosial sleep ; Above his head he stood, like If eleus' son, Nestor, whom Agamemnon rev'renc'd most Of all the Elders ; in his likeness cloth'd Thus spoke the heav'nly Vision; " Sleep'st thou, son Of Atreus, valiant warrior, horseman bold ? 26 To sleep all night but ill becomes a chief, Charg'd with the public weal, and cares of state. Hear now the words I bear; to thee I come A messenger from Jove, who from on high 30 Looks down on thee with eyes of pitying love. He bids thee arm in haste the long-hair'd Greeks To combat; since the wide-built streets of Troy Thou now mayst capture ; for th' immortal Gods Watch over her no longer; all are gain'd 35 By Juno's pray'rs ; and woes impend o'er Troy. Bear this in mind; and when from sleep arous'd Let not my words from thy remembrance fade." This said, he vanish'd ; and the monarch left, In...« less