t close
together. The gate was barred with a single bolt of pine which it took
three men to force into its place, and three to draw back so as to open
the gate, but Achilles could draw it by himself. Mercury opened the
gate for the old man, and brought in the treasure that he was taking
with him for the son of Peleus. Then he sprang from the chariot on to
the ground and said, "Sir, it is I, immortal Mercury, that am come with
you, for my father sent me to escort you. I will now leave you, and
will not enter into the presence of Achilles, for it might anger him
that a god should befriend mortal men thus openly. Go you within, and
embrace the knees of the son of Peleus: beseech him by his father, his
lovely mother, and his son; thus you may move him."

With these words Mercury went back to high Olympus. Priam sprang from
his chariot to the ground, leaving Idaeus where he was, in charge of
the mules and horses. The old man went straight into the house where
Achilles, loved of the gods, was sitting. There he found him with his
men seated at a distance from him: only two, the hero Automedon, and
Alcimus of the race of Mars, were busy in attendance about his person,
for he had but just done eating and drinking, and the table was still
there. King Priam entered without their seeing him, and going right up
to Achilles he clasped his knees and kissed the dread murderous hands
that had slain so many of his sons.

As when some cruel spite has befallen a man that he should have killed
some one in his own country, and must fly to a great man's protection
in a land of strangers, and all marvel who see him, even so did
Achilles marvel as he beheld Priam. The others looked one to another
and marvelled also, but Priam besought Achilles saying, "Think of your
father, O Achilles like unto the gods, who is such even as I am, on the
sad threshold of old age. It may be that those who dwell near him
harass him, and there is none to keep war and ruin from him. Yet when
he hears of you being still alive, he is glad, and his days are full of
hope that he shall see his dear son come home to him from Troy; but I,
wretched man that I am, had the bravest in all Troy for my sons, and
there is not one of them left. I had fifty sons when the Achaeans came
here; nineteen of them were from a single womb, and the others were
borne to me by the women of my household. The greater part of them has
fierce Mars laid low, and Hector, him who was alone left, hi