The low on earth, the venerable man,

Suppliant before the brother kings began.

He fued to all, but chief implor'd for

grace

The brother kings of Atrcus' royal race; Ye kings and warriors, may your vows be crown'd,

And Troy's proud walls lie level with the ground;

May Jove reftore you, when your toils are o'er,

Safe to the pleafures of your native

fhore.

To all he fued, but chief implor'd for grace
The brother kings, of Atreus' royal race.

Ye fons of Aireus, may your vows be crown'd,
Kings and warriors

Your labours, by the Gods be all your labours

crown'd;

So

So

may

the Gods your arms with conqueft bless,

And Troy's proud walls lie level with the grounds Till laid

And crown your labours with deferv'd fuccefs; May Jove restore you, when your toils are o'er, Safe to the pleafures of your native shore..

But, oh! relieve a wretched parent's pain,,
And give Chryfeis to thefe arms again;
If mercy fail, yet let my prefent move,.
And dread avenging Phobus, fon of
Jove..

But, oh! relieve a hapless parent's pain,
And give my daughter to thefe arms again;

Receive my gifts; if mercy fails, yet let my

prefent move,

And fear the God that deals his darts around, avenging Phoebus,. fon of Jove..

3.

The

The Greeks, in fhouts, their joint affent

declare

The priest to reverence, and release the fair.

Not fo Atrides; he, with kingly pride, Repuls'd the facred Sire, and thus reply'd.

He faid, the Greeks their joint affent declare,
The father faid, the gen'rous Greeks relent,

T'accept the ranfom, and release the fair:
Revere the priest, and fpeak their joint affent:

Not fo the tyrant, he, with kingly pride,
Atrides

Repuls'd the facred Sire, and thus reply'd.

[Not fo, the tyrant. DRYDEN.]

Of thefe lines, and of the whole first book, I am told that there was yet a former copy, more varied, and more de

formed with interlineations.

The

The beginning of the fecond book varies very little from the printed page, and is therefore fet down without any parallel; the few flight differences do not require to be elaborately difplayed.

Now pleafing fleep had feal'd each mortal eye;

Stretch'd in their tents the Grecian leaders

All but the ever-watchful eye of Jove.

To honour Thetis' fon he bends his

care,

And plunge the Greeks in all the woes

of war.

Then

Then bids an empty phantom rise to

fight,

And thus commands the vifion of the night:

directs

Fly hence, delufive dream, and, light as

air,

To Agamemnon's royal tent repair;

Bid him in arms draw forth th' embattled

train,

March all his legions to the dufty plain. Now tell the King 'tis given him to destroy

Declare ev'n now

The lofty walls of wide-extended Troy;

towers

For now no more the Gods with Fate.

contend;

At Juno's fuit the heavenly factions end. Deftruction hovers o'er yon devoted wall, hangs

And nodding Ilium waits th' impending

fall.

Invo