coming to the tower they softly spake winged words one to the other:
"Small blame is it that Trojans and well-greaved Achaians should for
such a woman long time suffer hardships; marvellously like is she to the
immortal goddesses to look upon. Yet even so, though she be so goodly,
let her go upon their ships and not stay to vex us and our children
after us."

So said they, and Priam lifted up his voice and called to Helen: "Come
hither, dear child, and sit before me, that thou mayest see thy former
husband and they kinsfolk and thy friends. I hold thee not to blame;
nay, I hold the gods to blame who brought on me the dolorous war of the
Achaians--so mayest thou now tell me who is this huge hero, this Achaian
warrior so goodly and great. Of a truth there are others even taller by
a head; yet mine eyes never behold a man so beautiful nor so royal; for
he is like unto one that is a king."

And Helen, fair among women, spake and answered him: "Reverend art thou
to me and dread, dear father of my lord; would that sore death had been
my pleasure when I followed thy son hither, and left my home and my
kinsfolk and my daughter in her girlhood and the lovely company of mine
age-fellows. But that was not so, wherefore I pine with weeping. Now
will I tell thee that whereof thou askest me and enquirest. This is
Atreides, wide-ruling Agamemnon, one that is both a goodly king and
mighty spearman. And he was my husband's brother to me, ah shameless me;
if ever such an one there was."

So said she, and the old man marvelled at him, and said: "Ah, happy
Atreides, child of fortune, blest of heaven; now know I that many sons
of the Achaians are subject to thee. Erewhile fared I to Phrygia, the
land of vines, and there saw I that the men of Phrygia, they of the