Burst the strong nerves, and crash’d the solid
bone.
Supine he tumbles on the crimson sands,
Before his helpless friends, and native bands,
And spreads for aid his unavailing hands.
The foe rush’d furious as he pants for breath,
And through his navel drove the pointed death:
His gushing entrails smoked upon the ground,
And the warm life came issuing from the wound.
His lance bold Thoas at the conqueror sent,
Deep in his breast above the pap it went,
Amid the lungs was fix’d the winged wood,
And quivering in his heaving bosom stood:
Till from the dying chief, approaching near,
The AEtolian warrior tugg’d his weighty spear:
Then sudden waved his flaming falchion round,
And gash’d his belly with a ghastly wound;
The corpse now breathless on the bloody plain,
To spoil his arms the victor strove in vain;
The Thracian bands against the victor press’d,
A grove of lances glitter’d at his breast.
Stern Thoas, glaring with revengeful eyes,
In sullen fury slowly quits the prize.
Thus fell two heroes; one the pride of Thrace,
And one the leader of the Epeian race;
Death’s sable shade at once o’ercast their
eyes,
In dust the vanquish’d and the victor lies.
With copious slaughter all the fields are red,
And heap’d with growing mountains of the dead.
Had some brave chief this martial scene beheld,
By Pallas guarded through the dreadful field;
Might darts be bid to turn their points away,
And swords around him innocently play;
The war’s whole art with wonder had he seen,
And counted heroes where he counted men.
So fought each host, with thirst of glory fired,
And crowds on crowds triumphantly expired.
{Illustration: Map of the Plain of Troy.}
ARGUMENT.
THE ACTS OF DIOMED.
Diomed, assisted by Pallas, performs wonders in this
day’s battle. Pandarus wounds him with
an arrow, but the goddess cures him, enables him to
discern gods from mortals, and prohibits him from contending
with any of the former, excepting Venus. AEneas
joins Pandarus to oppose him; Pandarus is killed,
and AEneas in great danger but for the assistance
of Venus; who, as she is removing her son from the
fight, is wounded on the hand by Diomed. Apollo
seconds her in his rescue, and at length carries off
AEneas to Troy, where he is healed in the temple of
Pergamus. Mars rallies the Trojans, and assists
Hector to make a stand. In the meantime AEneas
is restored to the field, and they overthrow several
of the Greeks; among the rest Tlepolemus is slain by
Sarpedon. Juno and Minerva descend to resist
Mars; the latter incites Diomed to go against that
god; he wounds him, and sends him groaning to heaven.
The first battle continues through this book.
The scene is the same as in the former.
