frontier, breathless, pale, amazed, All gaze, all wonder: thus Achilles gazed: Thus stood the attendants stupid with surprise: All mute, yet seem'd to question with their eyes: Each look'd on other, none the silence broke, Till thus at last the kingly suppliant spoke: "Ah think, thou favour'd of the powers divine!(295) Think of thy father's age, and pity mine! In me that father's reverend image trace, Those silver hairs, that venerable face; His trembling limbs, his helpless person, see! In all my equal, but in misery! Yet now, perhaps, some turn of human fate Expels him helpless from his peaceful state; Think, from some powerful foe thou seest him fly, And beg protection with a feeble cry. Yet still one comfort in his soul may rise; He hears his son still lives to glad his eyes, And, hearing, still may hope a better day May send him thee, to chase that foe away. No comfort to my griefs, no hopes remain, The best, the bravest, of my sons are slain! Yet what a race! ere Greece to Ilion came, The pledge of many a loved and loving dame: Nineteen one mother bore--Dead, all are dead! How oft, alas! has wretched Priam bled! Still one was left their loss to recompense; His father's hope, his country's last defence. Him too thy rage has slain! beneath thy steel, Unhappy in his country's cause he fell! "For him through hostile camps I bent my way, For him thus prostrate at thy feet I lay; Large gifts proportion'd to thy wrath I bear; O hear the wretched, and the gods revere! "Think of thy father, and this face behold! See him in me, as helpless and as old! Though not so wretched: there he yields to me, The first of men in sovereign misery! Thus forced to kneel, thus grovelling to embrace The scourge and ruin of my realm and race; Suppliant my children's murderer to implore, And kiss those hands yet reeking with their gore!" These words soft pity in the chief inspire, Touch'd with the d