He spake. Patroclus hearkened, and obeyed His well-beloved friend, who meantime placed A block beside the fire, and on it laid Chines of a sheep and of a fatling goat, And of a sow, the fattest of her kind. Automedon stood by and held them fast; Achilles took the knife and skilfully Carved them in portions, and transfixed the parts With spits. Patroclus, the divine in form, Woke to a blaze the fire; and when the flame Had ceased to rise he raked the glowing coals Apart, and o’er them stretched the spits, and strewed, Raising the flesh, the sacred salt o’er all. And when he had made ready and had spread The banquet on the board, Patroclus took The bread and offered it to all the guests In shapely canisters. Achilles served The meats, and took his seat against the wall, In front of great Ulysses. There he bade His friend Patroclus offer sacrifice, Casting the first rich morsels to the flames. The guests put forth their hands and shared the feast; And when the calls of hunger and of thirst Were felt no longer, Ajax gave a nod