stood a Trojan, not unknown to fame, Aetion's son, and Podes was his name: With riches honour'd, and with courage bless'd, By Hector loved, his comrade, and his guest; Through his broad belt the spear a passage found, And, ponderous as he falls, his arms resound. Sudden at Hector's side Apollo stood, Like Phaenops, Asius' son, appear'd the god; (Asius the great, who held his wealthy reign In fair Abydos, by the rolling main.) "Oh prince! (he cried) Oh foremost once in fame! What Grecian now shall tremble at thy name? Dost thou at length to Menelaus yield, A chief once thought no terror of the field? Yet singly, now, the long-disputed prize He bears victorious, while our army flies: By the same arm illustrious Podes bled; The friend of Hector, unrevenged, is dead!" This heard, o'er Hector spreads a cloud of woe, Rage lifts his lance, and drives him on the foe. But now the Eternal shook his sable shield, That shaded Ide and all the subject field Beneath its ample verge. A rolling cloud Involved the mount; the thunder roar'd aloud; The affrighted hills from their foundations nod, And blaze beneath the lightnings of the god: At one regard of his all-seeing eye The vanquish'd triumph, and the victors fly. Then trembled Greece: the flight Peneleus led; For as the brave Boeotian turn'd his head To face the foe, Polydamas drew near, And razed his shoulder with a shorten'd spear: By Hector wounded, Leitus quits the plain, Pierced through the wrist; and raging with the pain, Grasps his once formidable lance in vain. As Hector follow'd, Idomen address'd The flaming javelin to his manly breast; The brittle point before his corslet yields; Exulting Troy with clamour fills the fields: High on his chariots the Cretan stood, The son of Priam whirl'd the massive wood. But erring from its aim, the impetuous spear Struck to the dust the squire and charioteer Of martial Merion: Coeranus his name,