The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-05-19
THE ATTACK OF THE TROJANS ON
THE GREEK FLEET.
BY WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT.

| or Hector, son OF Prlau, TO attack
The roomy ships. The hero was aroused
To fury fierce as Mars when brandishing
His spear, or as a desolating name
That RACES on mountain-side among
Were white with foam: his eyes from underneath
His frowning broWs streamed FIRE; and as he
fought,
Upon the hero's temples fearfully
The helmet nodded. Jupiter himself
Sent aid from his high seat, and heaped on him
Honor and fame beyond the other chiefs
Lnd there were many, for hs term OF life
Was to be short. Minerva even now
Was planning to bring on its closing day;
Made fatal by the might OF Peeus's son.
And now he stroye to break the GrecIan ranks,
Assaulting where he saw the thlckest crowd
And the best weapons yet In vain lie strove
With all his valor. Through the serried lines
He could not break; the Greeks In solid squares
Resisted, like rock that huge and high
BY the gray deep abldes the butIetings
or the shrill winds and swollen waves that beat
Against 1t. Firmly thus the Greeks withstood
The Trojan host, and fed not. In blaze
or arm0r, Hector, rushing towards their ranks,
Fell on them like mighty billow raised
By the strong cloud-born Winds, that 1ings itself
On swift ship, and whelms 1t In Its spray,
While fearfully among the cordage howis
The blast; the sailors tremble and are laint
With fear, as men who deem their death-hour
So the Greek warriers were dlsmayed at heart.
AS when hungry lion suddenly
Springs on herd OF kline that crop the grass
BY hundreds In the broad moist meadow grounds,
Beneath the eye Of one who never learned
To guard his horned charge from beasts OF prey,
But ever walks before them or behind;
While the grim spoiler bounds into the midst
And makes prey Of one. and all the rest
Are scattered in alright, so all the Greeks
Were scattered by the will Of Heaven before
Hector and Father Jove. Yet only one,
Young PeriphGtes, OF Mycena, fell,
The son Of Copreus. Once his father went
An envoy from Eurystheus TO the court
or mighty Hercules. The son excelled
The father in all gifts Of form and mind,
In speed In war, In council eminent
Among the noblest Of his land. His death
Brought Hector no renown I; for as he turned,
Stepping by chance upon his buckler's rim,
His fence against the enemy's darts-he fell
Backward. his helmet clashing fearfully
IN IN hast haste. g and pierced his bosom with his spear,
Among his fellow.warriors, who with griel
Beheld, yet dared not aid him, such their awe
or noble Hector. Now the Greeks retired
nraW,is M The beach: the foe poured after them,
In hot pursuit; again the Greeks fell back,
Constrained and left that foremost row behind,
And stood beside their tents In close array,
And not dispersed throughout the camp, Tor shame
And fear restrained them, and increasingly
With shouts they babe each other braVey stand.
Chiefly Gerenan Nest0r, wise to guide
The cOunsels Of the Creeks adjured them ALL
And in their parents name, to keep their ground;
20 Friends be men; go act that none may feel
Ashamed TO meet the eyes OF other men,
Think each one OF his children and his vile,
His home his parents, living yet or dead.
For them, the absent ones, supplicate,
And bid you rally here, and scorn to n.y."
lie spake, and his brave words to every heart
Carried new strength and courage. psilas s, then
Lifted the heaven-sent cloud that yelled the fght
And all things in the clear full light were seen
Un eIlnsr SIDE, uu,i whore the gaIIeys lay
And where the warriors struggled. They Deheld
Hector the great In war, and oil his host,
Both those who formed the rear and welded not
TherSyms, and those who combatted In front
BesldeNhe ships. And now 1t pleased no more
The soul OF valiant Ajax to remain
In the thick squadr0ns with the other Greeks,
But striding on the galley.decks, hebOre
sea-pike two and twenty cuoits long,
Huge, and beset with iron nails. AS when
Chooses four horses from numerous herd,
And on the highway TO populous town
Drives them, while men and women In crowd
Behold his feats with wonder, as he leaps
Boldly, without fall from steed to steed,
And back again. and all the while they run,
So on the lofty decks OF those good ships
From ship to ship flew Ajax, lifting up
His mighty voice-a shout that reached to heaV-
And babe the Greeks defend their fleet and tents
Nor loitered Hector in those armed throngs
Or Troy, but as tawny eagle swoops
Upon g dock Of birds that seek their food
Along rivers border-geese or cranes
Or long -necked swans-so Hector In hot haste
Sprang toward galley with an azure Prov,
While nightly the power OF Joye lmpelled
The hero onward and n1amed his train
With courage. Flercely then around the ships
The struggle was renewed. Thou wouldst have
said
No tolls Of war could tire those resolute arms,
So stubbornly they fought. In every mind
The thought WAS this the Greeks were In despair
or rescue, and believed their hour had come
To perish; every Trojan hoped TO glye.
The feet to 1ames and slay the sons OF Greece.
Wish thoughts like these the hostile warriors
closed
Then Hector laid his hand upon the stern
or o staunch galley, beautiful and swift,
1t never bore him. Around its Keel
The Trojans and the Greeks fought hand to hand,
And slew each other. For no more they sent
The arrow or the jayelin from afar,
Waiting to see the wound 1t gave, but each
With equal fury pressed upon his foe
With halberd and with trenchant batte.axe,
Huge sword and two-edged spear Upon the
ground
With solid handles, some from slain mems hands,
Some from Topped arms OF warriors; the dark
earth
Ran red with blood. But Hector, having laid
To the carved point, and called upon his mem:
"Brlng ire, and press In throngs upon the foe;
For now doth Joye vouchsaie to us day
Worth all the pasta day on which we make
The ships our prey Against tile WIN ol ID neasen HIS
| Disasters many, through the coward Tears
| or our own elders, who denied my wish
| To Combat at the galleys, and held back
| The people. But II then the Thunderer
| DarEened our minds, his spirit moves US now
| Ia what we do, and we obey his Will:
He spake; and they with fercer va0r Tell
| IJpon the Greeks. Even AUX could no more
| Withstand the charge, but, fearing TO be slain,
| Amid storm OF darts, withdrew space,
| To where the seyen-foot bench OF rowers lay,
And left the galley's stern. There, as ne stood,
| lie watched the assaants keenly, and beat PACK
WIth thrusts Of his long spear whoever brought
! The lrebrand With terrific shouts lie calleu
| Upon the Greeks to combat manfully:
so friends, Achaian heroes, ministers
| OF Mars, be men, be mindful OF your ialae
For valor. DO ye dream that III your rear
| Are succors waiting US, or lrmer Walls
That may protect us YETI Nay, no lenceu tomL
| Have we for refuge, fanEeu with lowers lrom
which - ~,
Fresh troops may take our place. Between the
| sea
| And country OF the well.armed Trojans lie
| Our tents our native land is 1ar away;
| And now our only hope OF safety left
| Ia in our weapons: there Is no retreat
| He spake, and nightly with his sharp spear
| Thrust a: whoever OF the men OF Troy
| AT Heutor's bidding came with fire to burn
The galleys. On the blade OF that long spear
The hero took them as they came, and slew
| In close encounter twelve before the reet.
NET READY FOR SUMMER
! JOUIS BAY r D,