, he suffers sorrow, nor am I, going
to him, able to avail him aught. The maid whom the sons of the Greeks
selected as a reward for him, her hath king Agamemnon taken back again
from his hands. Certainly, grieving for her, he has been wasting his
soul; whilst the Trojans were hemming in the Greeks at the ships, nor
suffered them to go beyond the gates: but the elders of the Greeks
supplicated him, and named many distinguished presents. But then he
refused to avert destruction, yet he clad Patroclus in his own armour,
and sent him forth to the battle, and he gave with him much people. All
day they fought round the Scaean gates, and certainly on that day had
overturned Troy, had not Apollo slain, among the foremost warriors, the
gallant son of Menoetius, after having done much mischief, and given
glory to Hector. On this account do I now approach thy knees, if thou
wilt give to my short-lived son a shield and helmet, and beautiful
greaves, joined with clasps, and a corslet: for what were his, his
faithful companion has lost, subdued by the Trojans; and he (Achilles)
lies upon the ground, grieving in his soul."

Her then illustrious Vulcan answered: "Take courage, nor let these
things be cause of uneasiness in thy mind; for would that I could so
surely conceal him from dread-sounding death, when grievous fate
approaches him, as that beautiful armour shall be ready for him, such as
any one of many men shall hereafter admire, whosoever may behold it."

So saying, he left her there, and went towards the bellows, which he
turned towards the fire, and commanded them to work. And full twenty
bellows blew in the furnaces, exciting a varied well-regulated[595]
blast, to be ready for him, at one time busy, at another the reverse, as
Vulcan pleased, and that the work might be complete. He cast into the
fire impenetrable brass, and tin, precious gold and silver; but next he
placed the mighty anvil on the stock, and took in [one] hand his strong
hammer, and with the other grasped the forceps.

[Footnote 595: _I.e._ one that would either blow, or not,
according as the progress of the work required. The student will
do well to compare Virg. Georg. iv. 171, sqq., AEn. viii. 449,
sqq., and Callimach. in Dian. 59, sqq.]

First of all he formed a shield,[596] both large and solid, decorating
it all over, and around it he threw a shining border, triple and
glittering, and from it [there hung] a silver belt. Of the shield
itse