But round the corse the heroes pant for breath, And thick and heavy grows the work of death: O’erlabour’d now, with dust, and sweat, and gore, Their knees, their legs, their feet, are covered o’er; Drops follow drops, the clouds on clouds arise, And carnage clogs their hands, and darkness fills their eyes. As when a slaughter’d bull’s yet reeking hide, Strain’d with full force, and tugg’d from side to side, The brawny curriers stretch; and labour o’er The extended surface, drunk with fat and gore: So tugging round the corse both armies stood; The mangled body bathed in sweat and blood; While Greeks and Ilians equal strength employ, Now to the ships to force it, now to Troy. Not Pallas’ self, her breast when fury warms, Nor he whose anger sets the world in arms, Could blame this scene; such rage, such horror reign’d; Such, Jove to honour the great dead ordain’d.