me a proof how much I am honoured in a share of his friendship. I must attribute to the fame motive that of feveral others of my friends, to whom all acknowledgments are rendered unneceffary by the privileges of a familiar correfpondence: and I am fatisfied I can no way better oblige men of their turn, than by my silence.

In fhort, I have found more patrons than ever Homer wanted. He would have thought himself happy to have met the fame favour at Athens, that has been fhewn me by its learned rival, the university of Oxford. If my Author had the Wits of after-ages for his defenders, his translator has had the Beauties of the prefent for his advocates; a pleasure too great to be changed for any fame in reverfion. And I can hardly envy him thofe pompous honours he received after death, when I reflect on the enjoyment of fo many agreeable obligations, and easy friendships, which make the fatisfaction of life. This diftinction is the more to be acknowledged, as it is fhewn to one whose pen has never gratified the prejudices of particular parties, or the vanities of particular men. Whatever the fuccefs may prove, I shall never repent of an undertaking in which I have experienced the candour and friendship of fo many perfons of merit; and in which I hope to pass some of those years of youth that are generally loft in a circle of follies, after a manner neither wholly unuseful to others, nor difagreeable to myself.

THE

The Contention of Achilles and Agamemnon.

IN the war of Troy, the Greeks, having facked fome of the neighbouring towns, and taken from thence two beautiful captives, Chryseïs and Bryseïs, allotted the first to Agamemnon, and the laft to Achilles. Chryfes, the father of Chryfeïs and priest of Apollo, comes to the Grecian camp to ransom her; with which the action of the poem opens, in the tenth year of the fiege. The priest being refused, and infolently difmiffed by Agamemnon, intreats for vengeance from his God, who inflicts a peftilence on the Greeks. Achilles calls a council, and encourages Chalcas to declare the cause of it, who attributes it to the refufal of Chryfeïs. The king being obliged to fend back his captive, enters into a furious conteft with Achilles, which Neftor pacifies; however, as he had the abfolute command of the army, he feizes on Brifeis in revenge. Achilles in difcontent withdraws himself and his forces from the rest of the Greeks; and complaining to Thetis, the fupplicates Jupiter to render them fenfible of the wrong done to her fon, by giving victory to the Trojans. Jupiter granting her fuit incenfes Juno, between whom the debate runs high, till they are reconciled by the addrefs of

Vulcan.

The time of two and twenty days is taken up in this book; nine during the plague, one in the council and quarrel of the princes, and twelve for Jupiter's ftay with the Ethiopians, at whofe return Thetis prefers her petition. The scene lies in the Grecian camp, then changes to Chryfa, and laftly to Olympus.

THE

ILI A

D.

A

BOOK I.

CHILLES' wrath, to Greece the direful spring Of woes unnumber'd, heavenly Goddess fing! That wrath which hurl'd to Pluto's gloomy reign The fouls of mighty Chiefs untimely flain; Whofe limbs unbury'd on the naked fhore, Devouring dogs and hungry vultures tore; Since great Achilles and Atrides strove,

Such was the fovereign doom, and fuch the will of Jove! Declare, O Mufe! in what ill-fated hour

Sprung the fierce strife, from what offended power? 10
Latona's fon a dire contagion spread,

And heap'd the camp with mountains of the dead
The king of men his reverend priest defy'd,
And for the king's offence the people dy'd.

For Chryfes fought with coftly gifts to gain
His captive daughter from the victor's chain.
Suppliant the venerable father stands,
Apollo's awful enfigns grace his hands:
By these he begs; and lowly bending down,
Extends the fceptre and the laurel crown.

15

He fued to all, but chief implor'd for grace
The brother-kings, of Atreus' royal race.

25

Ye kings and warriors! may your vows be crown'd, And Troy's proud walls lie level with the ground. May Jove restore you, when your toils are o'er, Safe to the pleasures of your native shore. But oh! relieve a wretched parent's pain, And give Chryfeïs to these arms again;

If mercy fail, yet let my prefents move,

And dread avenging Phoebus, fon of Jove.

The Greeks in fhouts their joint affent declare,
The priest to reverence, and release the fair.
Not fo Atrides: he, with kingly pride,

30

Repuls'd the facred fire, and thus reply'd:

Hence on thy life, and fly these hoftile plains, 35 Nor afk, prefumptuous, what the king detains; Hence, with thy laurel crown, and golden rod, Nor truft too far thofe enfigns of thy God. Mine is thy daughter, priest, and fhall remain; And prayers, and tears, and bribes, shall plead in vain z Till time shall rifle every youthful grace, And age difmifs her from my cold embrace, In daily labours of the loom employ'd, Or doomed to deck the bed the once enjoy'd. Hence then, to Argos shall the maid retire, Far from her native foil, and weeping fire. The trembling priest along the shore return'd, And in the anguish of a father mourn'd. Difconfolate, not daring to complain, Silent he wander'd by the founding main :

3

45

50 Till,