POETRY.
IDYLLS OF THE ILIAD.—IX.
1FSEA.S.
ZZLETA, Lectum, spurs of Gargarus,
Shoot out their pine-e othed ridges to the north Of Ida, rolling to the western sea, And waves that laugh on Lemnos. In between There lies an emerald meadow, sloping down From caverned grottoes such as Proteus loves, A thousand paces' breadth, this way and that, To the white margent where the sea-mews shriek.
Here, while the heat yet quivered o'er the place Which once was Troy, a battered band of men, Stained with the stains of toil and fight and fire, Came wearily, and guarded in their midst The piteous relics of their vanished homes ; Motherless children, childless mothers, men Whose manhood age hat quenched, and lifeless things, Vessels and raiment, and the secret sheen Of jewels, and whate'er in you dark hour Each perilled life held dearest, nor was lack Of pious reverence for the household gods, Whose power the mightier power of Zeus had foiled.
Chiefest of all, in birth, in mien, in arms, 2Eneas, goddess-born, with either hand Guided the feeble steps of sire and son, Troy's past and future. Stern his brow, and sal With thoughts of lost Creusa, Priam lost, And lost the joy of battle with his peers.
Yet somewhat of a light was in his eye, And brave resolve, and, as the coming dawn Glimmers behind the blackness of the night, So through the settled sorrow of his gaze His steadfast purpose shone. Around him thick Gathered the crowd, as shipwrecked mariners Gather around the man who, all night long, Through sea, and surge, and surf, has held the helm, Undaunted, and, amid the crash of oars And parting planks, has cheered their sinking hearts To safety. So /Eneas stood, and spake :- " Comrades, brave hearts, ye who have dared to live When Priam, Pergamus, and hope are dead, And all the sweet of life is changed to sour, Hear me, and mark the words that I shall say.
For not without the guidance of the Gods Reach we the shelter of these hills, the home Of Dardanus, and cradle of our race.
Yea, and when great Poseidon came between, And snatched me from Achilles and from Death, Great words of promise sounded in mine ears, That Pergamns and hope should live again, And, if not Priam, yet a greater name Of me, and kings that shall be born from me, Sons of my sons, an empire without end.
And if some after bard shall sing the deeds Of Hector, and the great ones that are gone, I also in the months of men shall live, Not unremembered, and the tale of Troy Shall be but preface to a nobler tale, Named from 2Eneas, and /Eneas' crew.
Hear, then, this counsel, which my wiser sire, Known to you all as little less than god, Confirms. Build we, beneath these sheltering hills, Stout ships, to bear us to our Western home, The land of promise, which the dim presage Of Oracles, and voice of all the Gods, Has granted to our destinies, and named Hesperia, Heaven-pledged haven of our rest.
These kindly grots, meanwhile, a safer Troy, Shall house our weakness ; and yon piny wood, For many an age the Mighty Mother's haunt, Lending its sacred timbers to our need, Shall hallow all our voyage by her grace, And speed us to our goal. Only be men, After this sunset of your fortunes, face A night of labour, and the morrow's sun Shall rise, and lighten with a wider flame All after-time, nor ever set again."
So spake 2Eneas, and the valley rang With loud assent ; and all that winter through Rang Ida's ranges with the fall of trees, And sound of axe and hammer, and the toil Of men, the destined Masters of mankind.
And with the spring they spread their sails, and sought Hesperia, Heaven-pledged haven of their rest. 0. OGLI.
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