His bended bow across his shoulders flung, His sword beside him negligently hung; Two pointed spears he shook with gallant grace, Menelaus, the husband of Helen, at once springs from his chariot in response to the challenge, and advances to meet 'vainglorious Paris, gallant gay;' but the latter, 'smit with a conscious sense,' shrinks back with dread when he sees who has come forward, and ignominiously flies for safety to the Trojan host. Here he is met by his brother, 'bright-crested Hector,' who reproaches him for his cowardice 'Unhappy Paris! but to women brave! So fairly formed, and only to deceive! Oh, hadst thou died when first thou saw'st the light, Or died at least before thy nuptial rite! A better fate than vainly thus to boast, And fly, the scandal of the Trojan host. Gods! how the scornful Greeks exult to see Paris, stung by the reproof, again proposes to fight Menelaus in sight of both armies on the open plain— the fair Helen to be the prize of the victor, and the glory and honour of the war also to be given to the army of the successful champion. Hector rejoices at this, and at once steps out from the Trojan ranks to make arrangements for the combat with the king of the Greeks. While all this is being done, Iris, 'the various goddess of the rainbow,' descends from Olympus and visits Helen in her chamber-telling her of the approaching combat, Iris brings Helen to the ramparts of the city to witness it. Here she takes a place among the elders of Troy, who are gathered to look upon the hostile forces, and even they confess themselves charmed with the wondrous beauty of her who is the cause of the 6 war. Now little blame, nor mickle shame, to fight for dame so fair! Ha! well for such a charmer may Greek and Trojan brook Long years of wars, so goddess-like in figure and in look!' Priam, the venerable king of Troy, places Helen beside himself, and asks her to indicate to him the heroes and notable men among the crested Grecians. Of those who are thus pointed out are Agamemnon, 'wide-ruling o'er the Greek;' the politic Ulysses; gigantic Ajax, the Achæan bulwark; the Cretan king, Idomeneus; and last of all, Helen tries to search out her two brothers amid the martial array of the Grecian host-Castor, 'the queller of the steed,' and Pollux, 'stout of fist ’— but they, unknown to her, had already fought their last fight, and sleep in death on the shores of Sparta. The preliminaries for the duel between Paris and Menelaus by this time are completed, sacrifices to the gods have been offered, and now lots are cast in a brazen helm by Hector to decide who first shall hurl the javelin, when Paris is fortunate. Both armies sat the combat to survey, And round the lists the generous coursers neigh. In gilded arms magnificently bright : The purple cuishes clasp his thighs around, With flowers adorned, with silver buckles bound : All pale with rage, and shake the threatening lance. Full on Atrides' ringing shield it flew ; Nor pierced the brazen orb, but with a bound In act to throw, but first prefers his prayers: Let this example future times reclaim, And guard from wrong fair friendship's holy name.' Broke short the fragments glittered on the sand. When crimes provoke us, Heaven success denies : B The casque, enraged, amidst the Greeks he threw ; The stern Atrides rages round the field : So some fell lion, whom the woods obey, But seeks in vain along the troops of Troy ; The recreant warrior, hateful as the grave. Paris having thus deserted the field, Agamemnon claims the victory for the Greeks, and demands that Helen be restored to her husband and his brother, Menelaus Atrides; but again there is interference on the part of the Olympian deities, and the demand of the Grecian king is refused. Juno will not consent that the Trojan war shall be ended by the fall of either Paris-(whom she hates, as the favourite of Venus)-or Menelaus, who is under her own special protection; and now she sends down Minerva, disguised as a Trojan warrior, to sow strife and dissension in their ranks, and break the truce between the two armies. Minerva accordingly persuades Pandarus, the leader of the Trojan archers, to |