Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A65118
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The destruction of Troy, an essay upon the second book of Virgils Æneis. Written in the year, 1636.; Aeneis. Liber 2. English
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Virgil.; Denham, John, Sir, 1615-1669.
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1656
(1656)
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Wing V624; ESTC R796
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10,153
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38
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Shepherds bring Who to betray us did himself betray At once the Taker and at once the Prey Firmly prepar'd of one Event secur'd Or of his Death or his Design assur'd The Trojan Youth about the Captive flock To wonder or to pitty or to mock Now hear the Grecian fraud and from this one Conjecture all the rest Disarm'd disorder'd casting round his eyes On all the Troops that guarded him he cryes What Land what Sea for me what Fate attends Caught by my Foes condemned by my Friends Incensed Troy a wretched Captive seeks To sacrifice a Fugitive the Greeks To Pitty This Complaint our former Rage Converts we now enquire his Parentage What of their Councels or affairs he knew Then fearless ' he replies Great King to you All truth I shall relate Nor first can I My self to be of Grecian Birth deny And though my outward state misfortune hath Deprest thus low it cannot reach my Faith You may by chance have heard the famous name Of Palimede who from old Belus came Whom but for voting Peace The Greeks pursue Accus'd unjustly then unjustly slew Yet mourn'd his death My Father was his friend And Me to his commands did recommend While Laws and Councels did his Throne support I but a youth yet some Esteem and Port We then did bear till by Ulysses craft Things known I speak he was of life bereft Since in dark sorrow I my days did spend Till now disdaining his unworthy end I could not silence my Complaints but vow'd Revenge if ever fate or chance allow'd My wisht return to Greece From hence his hate From thence my crimes and all my ills bear date Old guilt fresh malice gives The peoples ears He fills with rumors and their hearts with fears And then the Prophet to his party drew But why do I these thankless truths pursue Or why defer your Rage on me for all The Greeks let your revenging fury fall Ulysses this th' Atridae this desire At any rate We streight are set on fire Unpractis'd in such Mysteries to enquire The manner and the cause Which thus he told With gestures humble as his Tale was bold Oft have the Greeks the siege detesting tyr'd With tedious war a stoln retreat desir'd And would to heaven they 'had gone But still dismay'd By Seas or Skies unwillingly they stayd Chiefly when this stupendious Pile was rais'd Strange noises fill'd the Air we all amaz'd Dispatch Eurypilus to enquire our Fates Who thus the sentence of the Gods relates A Virgins slaughter did the storm appease When first towards Troy the Grecians took the Seas Their safe retreat another Grecians blood Must purchase All at this confounded stood Each thinks himself the Man the fear on all Of what the mischief but on one can fall Then Chalcas by Ulysses first inspir'd Was urg'd to name whom th' angry Gods requir'd Yet was I warn'd for many were as well Inspir'd as he and did my fate foretel Ten days the Prophet in suspence remain'd Would no mans fate pronounce at last constrain'd By Ithacus he solemnly design'd Me for the Sacrifice the people joyn'd In glad consent and all their common fear Determine in my fate the day drew neer The sacred Rites prepar'd my Temples crown'd With holy wreaths Then I confess I found The means to my escape my bonds I brake Fled from my Guards and in a muddy Lake Amongst the Sedges all the night lay hid Till they their Sails had hoist if so they did And now alas no hope remains for me My home my father and my sons to see Whom They enrag'd will kill for my Offence And punish for my guilt their Innocence Those Gods who know the Truths I now relate That faith which yet remains inviolate By mortal Men By these I beg redress My causless wrongs and pitty such distress And now true Pitty in exchange he finds For his false Tears his Tongue his hands unbinds Then spake the King be Ours who ere thou art Forget the Greeks But first the truth impart Why did they raise or to what use intend This Pile to'a Warlike or Religious end Skilfull in fraud his native Art his hands Towards heaven he rais'd deliver'd now from bands Ye pure Aethereal flames ye Powers ador'd By mortal men ye Altars and the sword I scap'd ye sacred Fillets that involv'd My destin'd head grant I may stand absolv'd From all their Laws and Rites renounce all name Of faith or love their secret thoughts proclaim Only O Troy preserve thy faith to me If what I shall relate preserveth thee From Pallas favour all our hopes and all Counsels and Actions took Original Till Diomed for such attempts made fit By dire conjunction with Ulysses wit Assails the sacred Tower the Guards they slay Defile with bloody hands and thence convey The fatal Image straight with our success Our hopes fell back whilst prodigies express Her just disdain her flaming eyes did throw Flashes of lightning from each part did flow A briny sweat thrice brandishing her spear Her Statue from the ground it self did rear Then that we should our Sacriledge restore And reconveigh their gods from Argos shore Chalcas perswades till then we urge in vain The fate of Troy To measure back the Main They all consent but to return agen When re inforc'd with aids of Gods and men Thus Chalcas then instead of that this Pile To Pallas was design'd to reconcile Th' offended Power and expiate our guilt To this vast height and monstrous stature built Least through your gates receiv'd it might renew Your vows to her and her Defence to you But if this sacred gift you dis-esteem Then cruel Plagues which heaven divert on them Shall fall on Priams State But if the horse Your walls ascend assisted by your force A League 'gainst Greece all Asia shall contract Our Sons then suffering what their Sires would act Thus by his fraud and our own faith o'recome A feined tear destroys us against whom Tydides nor Achilles could prevail Nor ten years conflict nor a thousand sail This seconded by a most sad Portent Which credit to the first imposture lent Laocoon Neptunes Priest upon the day Devoted to that God a Bull did slay When two prodigious Serpents were descride Whose circling stroaks the Seas smooth face divide Above the deep they raise their scaly Crests And stemme the flood with their erected breasts Their winding tails advance and steer their course And 'gainst the shore the breaking Billow force Now landing from their brandisht tongues there came A dreadful hiss and from their eyes a flame Amaz'd we flie directly in a line Laocoon they pursue and first intwine Each preying upon one his tender sons Then him who armed to their rescue runs They seiz'd and with intangling folds imbrac'd His neck twice compassing and twice his wast Their poys'nous knots he strives to break and tear Whilst slime and blood his sacred wreaths besmear Then loudly roars as when th' enraged Bull From th' Altar flies