ou looking for one of your mules or for some comrade? Do
not stand there and say nothing, but speak. What is your business?"

And Agamemnon answered, "Nestor, son of Neleus, honour to the Achaean
name, it is I, Agamemnon son of Atreus, on whom Jove has laid labour
and sorrow so long as there is breath in my body and my limbs carry me.
I am thus abroad because sleep sits not upon my eyelids, but my heart
is big with war and with the jeopardy of the Achaeans. I am in great
fear for the Danaans. I am at sea, and without sure counsel; my heart
beats as though it would leap out of my body, and my limbs fail me. If
then you can do anything--for you too cannot sleep--let us go the round
of the watch, and see whether they are drowsy with toil and sleeping to
the neglect of their duty. The enemy is encamped hard and we know not
but he may attack us by night."

Nestor replied, "Most noble son of Atreus, king of men, Agamemnon, Jove
will not do all for Hector that Hector thinks he will; he will have
troubles yet in plenty if Achilles will lay aside his anger. I will go
with you, and we will rouse others, either the son of Tydeus, or
Ulysses, or fleet Ajax and the valiant son of Phyleus. Some one had
also better go and call Ajax and King Idomeneus, for their ships are
not near at hand but the farthest of all. I cannot however refrain from
blaming Menelaus, much as I love him and respect him--and I will say so
plainly, even at the risk of offending you--for sleeping and leaving
all this trouble to yourself. He ought to be going about imploring aid
from all the princes of the Achaeans, for we are in extreme danger."

And Agamemnon answered, "Sir, you may sometimes blame him justly, for
he is often remiss and unwilling to exert himself--not indeed from
sloth, nor yet heedlessness, but because he looks to me and expects me
to take the lead. On this occasion, however, he was awake before I was,
and came to me of his own accord. I have already sent him to call the
very men whom you have named. And now let us be going. We shall find
them with the watch outside the gates, for it was there I said that we
would meet them."

"In that case," answered Nestor, "the Argives will not blame him nor
disobey his orders when he urges them to fight or gives them
instructions."

With this he put on his shirt, and bound his sandals about his comely
feet. He buckled on his purple coat, of two thicknesses, large, and of
a rough shaggy texture, grasped