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The Contention of Achilles and Aga

I

memnon.

N the war of Troy, the Greeks having fack'd fome of the neighbouring towns, and taken from thence two beautiful captives, Chryfeis and Brifeïs, 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 ransome her;, with which the action of the poem opens, in the tenth year of the fiege. The priest being refus'd and infolently difmifs'd 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 Chryfeis. The King being obliged to fend back his captive, enters into a furious contest 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, fhe 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 quarnel of the Princes, and twelve for Jupiter's ftay with the Ethiopians, at whofe return Thetis prefers her petition. The fcene lies in the Grecian camp, then changes to, Chryfa, and lastly to Olympus..

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Achilles enraged ag Agamemnon fears by his feeptern he throws to the Earth in the midst of the affembly.never more to affist the Greeks: Neftor endeavours, but in vain to reconcile them.

THE

FIRST BOOK

OF THE

ILIA D.

HE Wrath of Peleus' Son, the direful spring Of all the Grecian woes, O Goddess, fing; That Wrath which hurl'd to Pluto's gloomy The fouls of mighty chiefs untimely flain : (reign

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NOTES.

Whofe

is fomething ftrange that of all the commentators upon Homer there is hardly one whofe principal defign is to illuftrate the poetical beauties of the author. They are volu minous in explaining thofe fciences which he made but fubfervient to his Poetry, and fparing only upon that are which conftitutes his character. This has been occafion'd by the oftentation of men who had more reading than tafte, and

were

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