And they came into the misty hall, beneath the snow-crowned crag;
and saw the great Centaur lying, with his huge limbs spread upon
the rock; and beside him stood Achilles, the child whom no steel
could wound, and played upon his harp right sweetly, while Cheiron
watched and smiled.
Then Cheiron leapt up and welcomed them, and kissed them every one,
and set a feast before them of swine's flesh, and venison, and good
wine; and young Achilles served them, and carried the golden goblet
round. And after supper all the heroes clapped their hands, and
called on Orpheus to sing; but he refused, and said, 'How can I,
who am the younger, sing before our ancient host?' So they called
on Cheiron to sing, and Achilles brought him his harp; and he began
a wondrous song; a famous story of old time, of the fight between
the Centaurs and the Lapithai, which you may still see carved in
stone. {1} He sang how his brothers came to ruin by their folly,
when they were mad with wine; and how they and the heroes fought,
with fists, and teeth, and the goblets from which they drank; and
how they tore up the pine-trees in their fury, and hurled great
crags of stone, while the mountains thundered with the battle, and
the land was wasted far and wide; till the Lapithai drove them from
their home in the rich Thessalian plains to the lonely glens of
Pindus, leaving Cheiron all alone.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93