tend
  With better hope toward the fleet of Greece. 375
  But should loud-thundering Jove his lieger swift
  Withhold, from me far be it to advise
  This journey, howsoe’er thou wish to go. 
    To whom the godlike Priam thus replied. 
  This exhortation will I not refuse, 380
  O Queen! for, lifting to the Gods his hands
  In prayer for their compassion, none can err. 
    So saying, he bade the maiden o’er the rest,
  Chief in authority, pour on his hands
  Pure water, for the maiden at his side 385
  With ewer charged and laver, stood prepared. 
  He laved his hands; then, taking from the Queen
  The goblet, in his middle area stood
  Pouring libation with his eyes upturn’d
  Heaven-ward devout, and thus his prayer preferr’d. 390
    Jove, great and glorious above all, who rulest,
  On Ida’s summit seated, all below! 
  Grant me arrived within Achilles’ tent
  Kindness to meet and pity, and oh send
  Thy messenger or ere I go, the bird 395
  Thy favorite most, surpassing all in strength,
  At my right hand, which seeing, I shall tend
  With better hope toward the fleet of Greece. 
    He ended, at whose prayer, incontinent,
  Jove sent his eagle, surest of all signs, 400
  The black-plumed bird voracious, Morphnos[11] named,
  And Percnos.[11] Wide as the well-guarded door
  Of some rich potentate his vans he spread
  On either side; they saw him on the right,
  Skimming the towers of Troy; glad they beheld 405
  That omen, and all felt their hearts consoled. 
    Delay’d not then the hoary King, but quick
  Ascending to his seat, his coursers urged
  Through vestibule and sounding porch abroad. 
  The four-wheel’d litter led, drawn by the mules 410
  Which sage Idaeus managed, behind whom
  Went Priam, plying with the scourge his steeds
  Continual through the town, while all his friends,
  Following their sovereign with dejected hearts,
  Lamented him as going to his death. 415
  But when from Ilium’s gate into the plain
  They had descended, then the sons-in-law
  Of Priam, and his sons, to Troy return’d. 
  Nor they, now traversing the plain, the note
  Escaped of Jove the Thunderer; he beheld 420
  Compassionate the venerable King,
  And thus his own son Mercury bespake. 
    Mercury! (for above all others thou
  Delightest to associate with mankind
  Familiar, whom thou wilt winning with ease 425
  To converse free) go thou, and so conduct
  Priam into the Grecian camp, that none
  Of all the numerous Danai may see
  Or mark him, till he reach Achilles’ tent. 
    He spake, nor the ambassador