GAISFORD PRIZE:

HOMERIC HEXAMETERS,

392

RECITED IN THE THEATRE, OXFORD,

JUNE 17, M DCCC LXIII.

BY

CHARLES J. PEARSON,

SCHOLAR OF CORPUS CHRISTI COLLEGE.

ERRATUM.

Page 5, for lines 4 and 5 from bottom, read :

:

ἔλλαβε, τοῖς δέ κεν αὖτις ἐελδομένοισιν ὀπίσσω πετράων προθέλυμνα καρήατα παιπαλοεσσῶν

MILTON'S PARADISE LOST.

BOOK VI. 824-877.

So spake the Son, and into terror changed
His countenance, too severe to be beheld,
And full of wrath bent on His enemies.
At once, the four spread out their starry wings,
With dreadful shade contiguous, and the orbs
Of His fierce chariot roll'd, as with the sound
Of torrent floods, or of a numerous host.
He on His impious foes right onward drove,
Gloomy as night: under His burning wheels
The stedfast empyrean shook throughout,
All but the throne itself of God. Full soon
Among them He arriv'd; in His right hand
Grasping ten thousand thunders, which He sent
Before Him, such as in their souls infixed
Plagues they, astonish'd, all resistance lost,
All courage: down their idle weapons dropt:
O'er shields, and helms, and helmed heads He rode
Of Thrones and mighty Seraphim prostrate,

That wish'd the mountains now might be again
Thrown on them, as a shelter from His ire.
Nor less on either side tempestuous fell

Η, περὶ δ ̓ ἀμβροσίοις ἐνεδύσατο δεῖμα προσώποις, δυσμενέων δ ̓ ἄρ ̓ ὅ γ ̓ ἔθνος ἐσέδρακεν· οὐδέ τις ἔτλη ἄντα ἰδεῖν· τόσσον ῥα κοτεσσάμενος χαλέπηνεν. οἱ δ ̓ ἅμα τοῦ πίσυρες μάλα μὲν κλύον, αἶψα δ' ἔπειτα ἀμπέτασαν πτέρυγας λελιημένοι ἀστεροέσσας, τάων δὲ σκότος αἰνὸς ἐχεύατον κύκλα δ ̓ ἄφαρ οἱ δίφρου σμερδαλέοιο ἐδίνεον, ὥστ ̓ ὀρυμαγδῷ χειμάρρων ποταμῶν ἠὲ στρατοῦ εὐρέος ἀνδρῶν. ἀντικρὺ δ ̓ ὅ γ ̓ ἔλαυνεν, ἐρεμνῇ νυκτὶ ἐοικώς, δυσμενέων κατὰ μέσσον· ὁ δ ̓ ἔβραχεν ἔμπεδος αιθήρ, ἄξονος αιθομένοιο, διαπρύσιον δ' ελελίχθη πλήν γ ̓ ἕδεος Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ. ὁ δ ̓ ἀμβροσίοισι διώκων ἅρμασιν αἶψ' ἄρα τούς γε κιχήσατο· δεξιτερῇ δὲ μυρία γέντο βέλη, φλόγα δὲ προέηκε κεραυνῶν· βαλλομένοισι δὲ τοῖσιν ἐπήλυθε νοῦσος ἀεικὴς ἔμπεδος ἀργαλέη, βροντῶν ὕπο λαμπομενάων· οἱ δ' ἐλάθοντο μάχης πεφοβημένοι ἠδὲ καὶ ἀλκῆς, ἔγχεα δέ σφιν ἀεργὰ χαμαὶ πέσον· ἀλλὰ μάλ ̓ αἰεὶ ἀγ κεφαλὰς κόρυθάς τε καὶ ἀσπίδας ἡνιόχευεν ἡμιθέων Σεράφων, ὑπὸ γὰρ τρόμος εἰσορόωντας ἔλλαβε, τοῖς δέ κεν αὖτις ἐελδομένοισιν ἂψ ὀρέων προθέλυμνα καρήατα παιπαλοέντων κάππεσον, εἴ πως πείραθ ̓ ὑπεκπροφύγοιεν ὀλέθρου. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς χύτο οἱ βέλε ̓ ἄσπετα, σα θυέλλῃ, ἵππων ἀμφοτέρωσε· τά τ' εὖ μάλα τετραπρόσωποι