Page:The battle of the books - Guthkelch - 1908.djvu/108

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
34
BATTLE OF THE BOOKS

visage, sounding weak and remote. Dryden, in a long harangue, soothed up the good Ancient; called him father; and by a large deduction of genealogies made it plainly appear that they were nearly related. Then he humbly proposed an exchange of armour, as a lasting mark of hospitality between them. Vergil consented, for the goddess Diffidence came unseen and cast a mist before his eyes, though his was of gold,[1] and cost a hundred beeves, the other's but of rusty iron. However, this glittering armour became the Modern yet worsen than his own. Then they agreed to exchange horses, but when it came to the trial, Dryden was afraid and utterly unable to mount. *

Alter hiatusIn MS. Lucan appeared upon a fiery horse, of admirable shape, but headstrong, bearing the rider where he list over the field. He made a mighty slaughter among the enemy's horse; which destruction to stop, Bl-ckm-re, a famous Modern, but one of the mercenaries, strenuously opposed himself, and darted his javelin with a strong hand, which falling

  1. Vid. Homer.