feasts ambrosial, and celestial song.(75) Apollo tuned the lyre; the Muses round With voice alternate aid the silver sound. Meantime the radiant sun to mortal sight Descending swift, roll'd down the rapid light: Then to their starry domes the gods depart, The shining monuments of Vulcan's art: Jove on his couch reclined his awful head, And Juno slumber'd on the golden bed. [Illustration: JUPITER.] JUPITER. [Illustration: THE APOTHEOSIS OF HOMER.] THE APOTHEOSIS OF HOMER. BOOK II. ARGUMENT. THE TRIAL OF THE ARMY, AND CATALOGUE OF THE FORCES. Jupiter, in pursuance of the request of Thetis, sends a deceitful vision to Agamemnon, persuading him to lead the army to battle, in order to make the Greeks sensible of their want of Achilles. The general, who is deluded with the hopes of taking Troy without his assistance, but fears the army was discouraged by his absence, and the late plague, as well as by the length of time, contrives to make trial of their disposition by a stratagem. He first communicates his design to the princes in council, that he would propose a return to the soldiers, and that they should put a stop to them if the proposal was embraced. Then he assembles the whole host, and upon moving for a return to Greece, they unanimously agree to it, and run to prepare the ships. They are detained by the management of Ulysses, who chastises the insolence of Thersites. The assembly is recalled, several speeches made on the occasion, and at length the advice of Nestor followed, which was to make a general muster of the troops, and to divide them into their several nations, before they proceeded to battle. This gives occasion to the poet to enumerate all the forces of the Greeks and Trojans, and in a large catalogue. The time employed in this book consists not entirely of one day. The scene lies in the Grecian camp, and upon the sea-shore