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Article WINGED WORDS OF ANCIENT ARCHERS.—PART III. ← Page 3 of 4 →
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Winged Words Of Ancient Archers.—Part Iii.
for his brother-leeches on tlie opposing side . For he , along with Podalirius—both " Divine professors of the healing art , " as well the born sons of iEsculapius might be—brought a trim fleet of thirty well-manned barks to take Troy-toAvn , heading their folloivers in tlie field . Somewhat more we may have to see or say of this Avorthy hereaftermeantime it
: may be curious to view him , for a moment , in his professional capacity . But where be his surgical instruments ? Ten useful ones hael he , five on each hand , possessing one great recommendation , that they were always at hand . Nay , he had an eleventh , at the tip of his tongue , between his lips . Approaching hastily the wounded hero , who still stood steady on his legs , showing his blood and game . —
" He strove To draw the bearded weapon through the belt , l ' ut , drawing , bent the barbs- he lllcrefore loosed ' 1 'be broidcr'd zone , the corslet , and the quilt , Work of Ihe armourer , and , laying bare The wound inflicted by the bitter shaft . Sucked fortli the blood , then spread it smoothly o ' er With balms , the gift of Cliiiou to his sire . ''
Listen himself could not have done better with such " appliances and means to boot ; " and thus ended the delicate operation , to the great relief of the patient , and the credit of tlie performer , —though to the deep and poignant disappointment of another actor on the scene , the baffled Pandarus , who , at the distance of some five hundred yards off , from "behind the shields of his surrounding friends , " witnessed the failure of his very best intentions . How it happened—whether some breath from heaven
, or blast from hell , had blown aside his well-aimed shaft—he could not tell ; it was unaccountable to one who never missed his mark , even to a hair ; and many a hare and wild goat had he hit , when roving but a boy in Lycian land . Not the first Capricorn bow was that he used . But fate was now against him ; and like a true philosopher—and all Archers and Anglers are , and must be , such—he abode in patience , determined the next time to do execution ; or else that
fleecy hecatomb were vowed in vain , and the god had deserted his most devoted votary . Some misgivings , perhaps , had he at the moment about the soundness of his theology ; but his creed being polytheistieal , he knew that the deities did sometimes fight against one another like demons , or mortal men ; and therefore , possibly , some hostile god or goddess had prevented Apollo from favouring his present prayer . Now , againhis like the le ' sscanned keenlthe wide fieldin searcli
, eye , eag , y , of further quarry for his aim ; nor long sought he for head of noble game . * 'ln every quarter fierce Tydidcs raged , Amid the Greek , amid the Trojan train , Rapt through the ranks , he thunders o'er the plain . " The Lycian leader saw , and marked his man . " His bended bow against the chief he
dretv—, Swift to the mark the thirsty arroAV Hew , Whose forky point the hollow breast-prate tore , D'ep In fiis shoulder pierced , and drank the gore : The rushing stream his brazen armour dyed—AA'hile the proud areJier thus exulting cried : — Hither ye Trojans , hither drive your steeds I Lo ! by my hand the bravest Grecian bleeds . Not long the deathful dart he can sustain ; Ot- Phcebus urged me to these fields in vain . "
VOL . II . A A
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Winged Words Of Ancient Archers.—Part Iii.
for his brother-leeches on tlie opposing side . For he , along with Podalirius—both " Divine professors of the healing art , " as well the born sons of iEsculapius might be—brought a trim fleet of thirty well-manned barks to take Troy-toAvn , heading their folloivers in tlie field . Somewhat more we may have to see or say of this Avorthy hereaftermeantime it
: may be curious to view him , for a moment , in his professional capacity . But where be his surgical instruments ? Ten useful ones hael he , five on each hand , possessing one great recommendation , that they were always at hand . Nay , he had an eleventh , at the tip of his tongue , between his lips . Approaching hastily the wounded hero , who still stood steady on his legs , showing his blood and game . —
" He strove To draw the bearded weapon through the belt , l ' ut , drawing , bent the barbs- he lllcrefore loosed ' 1 'be broidcr'd zone , the corslet , and the quilt , Work of Ihe armourer , and , laying bare The wound inflicted by the bitter shaft . Sucked fortli the blood , then spread it smoothly o ' er With balms , the gift of Cliiiou to his sire . ''
Listen himself could not have done better with such " appliances and means to boot ; " and thus ended the delicate operation , to the great relief of the patient , and the credit of tlie performer , —though to the deep and poignant disappointment of another actor on the scene , the baffled Pandarus , who , at the distance of some five hundred yards off , from "behind the shields of his surrounding friends , " witnessed the failure of his very best intentions . How it happened—whether some breath from heaven
, or blast from hell , had blown aside his well-aimed shaft—he could not tell ; it was unaccountable to one who never missed his mark , even to a hair ; and many a hare and wild goat had he hit , when roving but a boy in Lycian land . Not the first Capricorn bow was that he used . But fate was now against him ; and like a true philosopher—and all Archers and Anglers are , and must be , such—he abode in patience , determined the next time to do execution ; or else that
fleecy hecatomb were vowed in vain , and the god had deserted his most devoted votary . Some misgivings , perhaps , had he at the moment about the soundness of his theology ; but his creed being polytheistieal , he knew that the deities did sometimes fight against one another like demons , or mortal men ; and therefore , possibly , some hostile god or goddess had prevented Apollo from favouring his present prayer . Now , againhis like the le ' sscanned keenlthe wide fieldin searcli
, eye , eag , y , of further quarry for his aim ; nor long sought he for head of noble game . * 'ln every quarter fierce Tydidcs raged , Amid the Greek , amid the Trojan train , Rapt through the ranks , he thunders o'er the plain . " The Lycian leader saw , and marked his man . " His bended bow against the chief he
dretv—, Swift to the mark the thirsty arroAV Hew , Whose forky point the hollow breast-prate tore , D'ep In fiis shoulder pierced , and drank the gore : The rushing stream his brazen armour dyed—AA'hile the proud areJier thus exulting cried : — Hither ye Trojans , hither drive your steeds I Lo ! by my hand the bravest Grecian bleeds . Not long the deathful dart he can sustain ; Ot- Phcebus urged me to these fields in vain . "
VOL . II . A A