the touch
Made agile, wing'd their feet and nerved their arms.
Then, swift as stoops a falcon from the point 80
Of some rude rock sublime, when he would chase
A fowl of other wing along the meads,
So started Neptune thence, and disappear'd.
Him, as he went, swift Oiliades
First recognized, and, instant, thus his speech 85
To Ajax, son of Telamon, address'd.
Since, Ajax, some inhabitant of heaven
Exhorts us, in the prophet's form to fight
(For prophet none or augur we have seen;
This was not Calchas; as he went I mark'd 90
His steps and knew him; Gods are known with ease)
I feel my spirit in my bosom fired
Afresh for battle; lightness in my limbs,
In hands and feet a glow unfelt before.
To whom the son of Telamon replied. 95
I also with invigorated hands
More firmly grasp my spear; my courage mounts,
A buoyant animation in my feet
Bears me along, and I am all on fire
To cope with Priam's furious son, alone. 100
Thus they, with martial transport to their souls
Imparted by the God, conferr'd elate.
Meantime the King of Ocean roused the Greeks,
Who in the rear, beside their gallant barks
Some respite sought. They, spent with arduous toil, 105
Felt not alone their weary limbs unapt
To battle, but their hearts with grief oppress'd,
Seeing the numerous multitude of Troy
Within the mighty barrier; sad they view'd
That sight, and bathed their cheeks with many a tear, 110
Despairing of escape. But Ocean's Lord
Entering among them, soon the spirit stirr'd
Of every valiant phalanx to the fight.
Teucer and Leitus, and famed in arms
Peneleus, Thoas and Deipyrus, 115
Meriones, and his compeer renown'd,
Antilochus; all these in accents wing'd
With fierce alacrity the God address'd.
Oh shame, ye Grecians! vigorous as ye are
And in life's prime, to your exertions most 120
I trusted for the safety of our ships.
If _ye_ renounce the labors of the field,
Then hath the day arisen of our defeat
And final ruin by the powers of Troy.
Oh! I behold a prodigy, a sight 125
Tremendous, deem'd impossible by me,
The Trojans at our ships! the dastard race
Fled once like fleetest hinds the destined prey
Of lynxes, leopards, wolv