scribes Thetis as preserving the body of Petroclus from corruption; and Boreas and Zephyrus as exciting a wind to consume his funeral pile. To exalt the leading characters of his work, the tutelary deities of each are always at hand. Minerva never deserts Ulysses or Diomede: she encourages and advises them; endows them with strength and fortitude. Whether in the battle or the council, she guides their motions and directs their judgments; and even when contending in the games she insures them success in the less elevated objects of their ambition. Venus is equally active in assisting Paris, and Apollo in encouraging Hector; Jupiter himself takes an active part in the minor incidents, and pours down drops of blood in honour of his son Sarpedon.
Thus, it appears, the movements of the whole system of Homer's machines are informed and conducted by celestial intervention; and thus his work acquired a general elevation from having all its incidents, whether of greater or lesser importance, committed to the guidance of superiour intelligences. But the sublime nature of the imagery, by which he has contrived to bring those beings into action, imparts to his descriptions a degree
of magnificence to which his own language only is competent to do any justice. Of this, we cannot offer a more appropriate example than that in which Jupiter ratifies his promise to Thetis.
* Η, και κυανεσιν επ' οφρυσι νεῦσε Κρονίων
Αμβροσιαι δ' αρα χαῖται επερρώσαντο ανακίος,
Κρατος απ' αθανατοιο, μεγαν δ' ελελιξεν Ολυμπον.
Il. I. v. 528-530.
The idea which he gives of his replete with the most sublime images, and expressed in the most energetick language.
* Κεκλυτε μεν παντες τε θεοι πᾶσαι τε θεαιναι,
Οφρ' είπω τα με θυμος ενι ςηθεσσι κελευει.
Μητε τισ εν θηλεια θεος τογε, μητε τις άρσην
Πειρατω διακερσαι εμον επος" αλλ' άμα παντες
Αινείτ', οφρα ταχιστα τελευτήσω ταδε έργα.
Ον δ' αν έγων απάνευθε θεών εθελοντα νοήσω
Ελθοντ', η Τρώεσσιν αρήγεμεν η Δαναοίσι,
Πληγείς ου κατα κόσμον ελεύσεται Ουλυμπονδέ
* He spoke, and awful bends his sable brows;
Shakes his ambrosial curls and gives the nod;
The stamp of fate, and sanction of the God:
High heav'n with trembling the dread signal took,
And all Olympus to the centre shook. Pops. Il. i. 682 6.
y Celestial states, immortal Gods! give ear,
Hear our decree, and rev'rence what ye hear;
έλων ρίψω ες Ταρταρον ηέροεντα,
Τῆλε μαλ', ἧχι βαθιστον ύπο χθονος εστι βερέθρον,
Ενθα σιδηρείαι τε πυλαι και χαλκεος ουδος,
Τοσσον ενερθ' αίδεω, όσον ουρανος εστ' απο γαιης
Γνωσετ' επειθ' όσον ειμι θεῶν καρτιστος απαντων.
ἅπαντ
Ειδ' αγε, πειρήσαθε θεοι, ἵνα είδετε παντες,
Σειρην χρυσείην εξ ουρανόθεν κρεμάσαντες·
Παντες δ' εξαπλεςθε θεοι πᾶσαι τε θεαιναι.
Αλλ' ουκ αν ερυσαιτ' εξ ουρανόθεν πεδίονδε
Ζῆν ύπατον μησωρ, ουδ' ει μάλα πολλα καμοιτε·
Αλλ' ίτε δη και εγω πρόφρων εθελοιμι ερυσσαι,
Αυτή κεν γαιη ερυσαιμ' αυτῇ τε θαλασση
The fix'd decree, which not all heav'n can move:
Thou, Fate, fulfil it, and ye Pow'rs, approve!
What God but enters yon forbidden field,
Who yields assistance, or but wills to yield,
Back to the skies with shame he shall be driv'n,
Gash'd with dishonest wounds, the scorn of heav'n :
Or far, oh far, from steep Olympus thrown,
Low in the dark Tartarian gulf shall groan,
With burning chains fix'd to the brazen floors,
And lock'd by hell's inexorable doors ;
And deep beneath th' infernal centre hurl'd,
As from that centre to th' æthereal world.
Let him who tempts me dread those dire abodes,
And know th' Almighty is the God of gods.
League all your forces then, ye Pow'rs above,
Join all, and try the omnipotence of Jove;
Let down our golden everlasting chain,
Whose strong embrace holds heav'n, and earth, and main :
Strive all, of mortal and immortal birth,
To drag by this the thund'rer down to earth.
Ye strive in vain! If I but stretch this hand,
I heave the gods, the ocean, and the land;
Σειρήν μεν κεν επειτα περι ριον Ουλύμποιο
Δησαιμην τα δε κ' αὔτε μετηορα παντα γενοιτο.
His description of Neptune's approach to the scene of action, so celebrated by Longinus, might be set in competition with this passage, as equally poetical in its conceptions and numbers, were it not too long for insertion. I trust however I shall be pardoned, for indulging myself in the pleasure of transcribing that sublime description, the battle of the gods; which is only parallelled by the battle of the Titans in Hesiod, and that of the angels in Milton;
Αυταρ επει μεθ' όμιλον Ολυμπιοι ήλυθον ανδρών,
Ωρτο δ' ερις κρατερη, λαοσσος· αε δ' Αθήνη,
Στᾶσ' ότε μεν παρα ταφρον ορυκτην τείχεος εκτος,
Αλλοτ' επ' ακταων εριδιυπων μακραν αΰτει·
Ανε δ' Αρης ἑτερωθεν, ερεμνῇ λαιλμπι ἴσις,
Οξυ κατ' ακροτάτης πολεως Τρώεσσι κελεύων,
I fix the chain to great Olympus' height,
And the vast world bangs trembling in my sight!
For such I reign, unbounded and above;
And such are men and gods compar'd to Jove.
* But when the pow'rs descending swell'd the fight, Then tumult rose ; fierce rage and pale affright
Αλλοτε παρ Σιμοεντι θεών επι Καλλικλωνῃ.
Ως τους αμφοτερους μακαρες θεοι οτρύνοντες,
Συμβαλον, εν δ' αυτοίς εριδα ρήγνυντο βαρείαν.
Δεινον δ' εβροντησε πατηρ ανδρῶν τε θεῶν τε
Υψόθεν αυταρ ενερθε Ποσειδάων ετίναξε
Γαίαν απειρεσίην, ορεων τ' αιπεινα καρηνα.
Παντες δ' εσσείοντο ποδες πολυπιδακου Ιδης,
Και κορυφαί, Τρώων τε πολις, και νῆες Αχαιών.
Εδδεισεν δ' υπένερθεν αναξ ανέρων Αϊδωνεύς,
Δείσας δ' εκ θρόνου άλτο, και ιαχε· μη δι ύπερθε
Γαϊαν αναρρήξειε Ποσειδάων ενοσίχθων,
Οικια δε θνητῶσι και αθανατοισι φανείη
Σμερδαλες, ευρώεντα, τα τε στυγεουσι θεοι περι
Τοσσος αρα κτυπος ὥρτο θεῶν ἔριδι ξυνιόντων.
Ήτοι μεν γαρ εναντα Ποσειδάωνος ανακτος
Ἱστατ ̓ Απολλων Φοΐβος, εχων ια πλεροεντα
Αντα δ' Ενυαλίοιο θεα γλαυκώπις Αθήνη
Ηρη δ' αντέστη χρυσηλάκατος κελαδεινη,
Varied each face; then Discord sounds alarms,
Earth echoes, and the nations rush to arms.
Now thro' the trembling shores Minerva calls,
And now she thunders from the Grecian walls;
Mars, hov'ring o'er his Troy, his terrours shrouds
In gloomy tempests and a night of clouds:
Now thro' each Trojan heart he fury pours
With voice divine from Ilion's topmost tow'rs ;
Now shouts to Simoïs from her beauteous hill;
The mountains shook, the rapid streams stood still.
Above, the sire of gods his thunder rolls,
And peals on peals redoubled rend the poles;
Beneath, stern Neptune shakes the solid ground;
The forests wave, the mountains nod around;
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