To whelm some city under waves of fire; Now sink in gloomy clouds the proud abodes, Now crack the blazing temples of the gods; The rumbling torrent through the ruin rolls, And sheets of smoke mount heavy to the poles. The heroes sweat beneath their honour'd load: As when two mules, along the rugged road, From the steep mountain with exerted strength Drag some vast beam, or mast's unwieldy length; Inly they groan, big drops of sweat distil, The enormous timber lumbering down the hill: So these--Behind, the bulk of Ajax stands, And breaks the torrent of the rushing bands. Thus when a river swell'd with sudden rains Spreads his broad waters o'er the level plains, Some interposing hill the stream divides. And breaks its force, and turns the winding tides. Still close they follow, close the rear engage; Aeneas storms, and Hector foams with rage: While Greece a heavy, thick retreat maintains, Wedged in one body, like a flight of cranes, That shriek incessant, while the falcon, hung High on poised pinions, threats their callow young. So from the Trojan chiefs the Grecians fly, Such the wild terror, and the mingled cry: Within, without the trench, and all the way, Strow'd in bright heaps, their arms and armour lay; Such horror Jove impress'd! yet still proceeds The work of death, and still the battle bleeds. [Illustration: VULCAN FROM AN ANTIQUE GEM.] VULCAN FROM AN ANTIQUE GEM. BOOK XVIII. ARGUMENT. THE GRIEF OF ACHILLES, AND NEW ARMOUR MADE HIM BY VULCAN. The news of the death of Patroclus is brought to Achilles by Antilochus. Thetis, hearing his lamentations, comes with all her sea- nymphs to comfort him. The speeches of the mother and son on this occasion. Iris appears to Achilles by the command of Juno, and orders him to show himself at the head of the intrenchments. The sight of him turns the fortunes of the day, and the body of Patroclus is carried off by the Gr