His bended bow across his shoulders flung,

His sword beside him negligently hung;

Two pointed spears he shook with gallant grace,
And dared the bravest of the Grecian race.

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
Their fears of danger undeceived in thee!'

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

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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,
Beside each chief his azure armour lay,

And round the lists the generous coursers neigh.
The beauteous warrior now arrays for fight,

In gilded arms magnificently bright :

The purple cuishes clasp his thighs around,

With flowers adorned, with silver buckles bound :
Lycaon's corselet his fair body dressed,
Braced in, and fitted to his softer breast:
A radiant baldrick, o'er his shoulders tied,
Sustained the sword that glittered at his side :
His youthful face a polished helm o'erspread;
The waving horsehair nodded on his head :
His figured shield, a shining orb, he takes,
And in his hand a pointed javelin shakes.
With equal speed, and fired by equal charms,
The Spartan hero sheathes his limbs in arms.
Now round the lists the admiring army stand,
With javelins fixed, the Greek and Trojan band.
Amidst the dreadful vale the chiefs advance,

All pale with rage, and shake the threatening lance.
The Trojan first his shining javelin threw ;

Full on Atrides' ringing shield it flew ;

Nor pierced the brazen orb, but with a bound
Leaped from the buckler blunted on the ground.
Atrides then his massy lance prepares,

In act to throw, but first prefers his prayers:
'Give me, great Jove! to punish lawless lust,
And lay the Trojan gasping in the dust:
Destroy the aggressor, aid my righteous cause,
Avenge the breach of hospitable laws:

Let this example future times reclaim,

And guard from wrong fair friendship's holy name.'
He said, and poised in air the javelin sent:
Through Paris' shield the forceful weapon went,
His corselet pierces, and his garment rends,
And, glancing downward, near his flank descends.
The wary Trojan, bending from the blow,
Eludes the death, and disappoints his foe:
But fierce Atrides waved his sword, and struck
Full on his casque; the crested helmet shook ;
The brittle steel, unfaithful to his hand,

Broke short the fragments glittered on the sand.
The raging warrior to the spacious skies
Raised his upbraiding voice and angry eyes :
'Then is it vain in Jove himself to trust?
And is it thus the gods assist the just?

When crimes provoke us, Heaven success denies :
The dart falls harmless, and the falchion flies.'
Furious he said, and toward the Grecian crew
(Seized by the crest) the unhappy warrior drew:
Struggling he followed, while the embroidered thong
That tied his helmet, dragged the chief along.
Then had his ruin crowned Atrides' joy,
But Venus trembled for the prince of Troy.
Unseen she came, and burst the golden band,
And left an empty helmet in his hand.

B

The casque, enraged, amidst the Greeks he threw ;
The Greeks with smiles the polished trophy view.
Then, as once more he lifts the deadly dart,
In thirst of vengeance, at his rival's heart,
The queen of love her favoured champion shrouds
(For gods can all things) in a veil of clouds.

The stern Atrides rages round the field :

So some fell lion, whom the woods obey,
Roars through the desert, and demands his prey.
Paris he seeks, impatient to destroy,

But seeks in vain along the troops of Troy ;
Even those had yielded to a foe so brave

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