No More Learning

Yet, if desire of fame, and thirst of pow'r,
A beauteous princess, with a crown in dow'r,
So fire your mind, in arms assert your right,
And meet your foe, who dares you to the fight. Mankind, it seems, is made for you alone;
We, but the slaves who mount you to the throne: A base ignoble crowd, without a name,
Unwept, unworthy, of the fun'ral flame,
By duty bound to forfeit each his life,
That Turnus may possess a royal wife.
Permit not, mighty man, so mean a crew
Should share such triumphs, and detain from you The post of honor, your undoubted due.
Rather alone your matchless force employ,
To merit what alone you must enjoy. "
These words, so full of malice mix'd with art, Inflam'd with rage the youthful hero's heart.
? THE ELEVENTH BOOK OF THE _NEIS $75
Then, groaning from the bottom of his breast,
He heav'd for wind, and thus h_s wrath express'd:
"You, Drances, never want a stream of words, Then, when the pubhc need requires our swords. F_rst in the council hall to steer the state,
And ever foremost m a tongue-debate,
While our strong walls secure us from the foe, Ere yet with blood our ditches overflow:
But let the potent orator declaim,
And with the brand of coward blot my name; Free leave is giv'n him, when his fatal hand
Has cover'd w_th more corps the sanguine strand, And high as mine his tow'ring trophies stand.
If any doubt remains, who dares the most,
Let us decide it at the Trojan's cost,
And issue both abreast, where honor calls--
Foes are not far to seek w_thout the walls--
Unless his noisy tongue can only fight,
And feet were giv'n him but to speed his flight.
I beaten from the field? I forc'd away?
Who, but so known a dastard, dar_s to say?
Had he but ev'n beheld the fight, his eyes
Had witness'd for me what his tongue denies: What heaps of Trojans by this hand were slain, And how the bloody Tiber swell'd the mare.
All saw, but he, th' Arcadian troops retire
In scatter'd squadrons, and their prince expire The giant brothers, in their camp, have found,
I was not fore'd with ease to quit my ground.
Not s_eh the Trojans tried me, when, inclos'd,
I singly their united arms oppos'd:
First fore'd an entrance thro' their thick array; Then, glutted with their slaughter, freed my way. 'Tis a destructive war? So let it be,
But to the Phrygian pirate, and to thee!
Meantime proceed to fill the people's ears
With false reports, their minds with panic fears: Extol the strength of a twice-conquer'd race;
Our foes encourage, and our friends debase. Believe thy fables, and the Trojan town
? _76 DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL Triumphant stands; the Grecians are o'erthrown;
Supphant at Hector's feet Achilles lies, And Diomede from fierce . _neas flies.
Say rapid Aufidus with awfuI dread
Runs backward from the sea, and hides his head, When the great Trojan on his bank appears;
For that's as true as thy dissembled fears
Of my revenge. Dlsmlss that vanity:
Thou, Drances, art below a death from me.
Let that vile soul in that vile body rest;
The lodging is well worthy of the guest.
"Nuw, royal father, to the present state
Of our affairs, and of this high debate:
If in your arms thus early you dlffide,
And think your fortune is already tried;
If one defeat has brought us down so low,
As never more in fields to meet the foe;
Then I conclude for peace: "tis time to treat,
And he like vassals at the victor's feet
But, 0! if any ancmnt blood remains,
One drop of all our fathers', in our veins,
That man would I prefer before the rest,
Who dar'd his death with an undaunted breast;
Who comely fell, . by no dishonest wound,
To shun that sight, and, dying, gnaw'd the ground. But, if we still have fresh recrmts in store,
If our confederates can afford us more;
If the contended field we bravely fought,
And not a bloodless victory was bought;
Their losses equal'd ours; and, for their slain, With equal fires they fill'd the shining plato;
Why thus, unforc'd, should we so tamely yield, And, ere the trumpet sounds, resign the field? Good unexpected, evils unforeseen,
Appear by turns, as fortune shifts the scene:
Some, rais'd aloft, come tumbling down amain; Then fall so hard, they bound and rise again.
If Diomede refuse his aid to lend,
The great Messapus yet remains o_r friend: Tolumnius, who foretells events, is ours;
? THE ELEVENTH BOOK OF THE . JENEIS 377 Th' Itahan chiefs and princes join their pow'cs:
Nor least m number, nor in name the last,
Your own brave subjects have your cause embrac'd
Above the rest, the Volsclan Amazon
Contains an army m herself alone,
And heads a squadron, terrible to sight,
With ghtt'rmg shields, m brazen armor bright. Y. et, if the foe a single fight demand,
And I alone the pubhc peace withstand;
If you consent, he shall not be refus'd,
Nor find a hand to victory unus'd.
This new Achdles, let him take the field, Vqlth fated armor, and Vulcanian shield! For you, my royal father, and ray fame,
I, Turnuso not the least of all my name, Devote my soul. He calls me hand to hand,
And I alone will answer his demand.
Drances shall rest secure, and neither share
The danger, nor divide the prize of war. "
While they debate, nor these nor those will yield,
JEneas draws his forces to the field,
And moves his camp The scouts with flying speed
Return, and thro' the frighted city spread
Th' unpleasing news. the Trojans are descried,
In battle marching by the river side,
_nd bending to the town They take th' alarm: Some tremble, some are bold; all in confusion arm. Th' impetuous youth press forward to the field,
They clash the sword, and clatter on the sh,eld:
The fearful matrons raise a screaming cry;
Old feeble men with fainter groans reply;
A jarring sound results, and mingles m the sky, Like that of swans remurm'ring to the floods,
Or birds of dlff'ring kinds in hollow woods
Turnus th' occasion takes, and cries aloud: "Talk on, ye quaint haranguers of the crowd"
Declaim in praise of peace, when danger calls, _knd the fioree foes in arms approach the walls" I-Ie said, and, turning short, with speedy pace, Casts back a scornful glance, and qmts the place:
? 378 DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
"Thou, Volusus, the Volscian troops command To mount; and lead thyself our Ardean band. Messapus and Cat111us, post your force
Along the fields, to charge the Trojan horse. Some guard the passes, others man the wall; Drawn up in arms, the rest attend my call"
They swarm from ev'ry quarter of the town, And with dlsorder'd haste the ramplres crown.
Good old Latinus, when he saw, too late,
The gath'ring storm just breaking on the state,
Dismiss'd the council till a fitter time,
And own'd his easy temper as his crime, Who, forc'd against his reason, had comphed To break the treaty for the promis'd bride.
Some help to sink new trenches; others aid
To ram the stones, or raise the palisade.
Hoarse trumpets sound th' alarm; around the walls Runs a distracted crew, whom their last labor calls. A sad procession in the streets is seen,
Of matrons, that attend the mother queen:
High in her chair she sits, and, at her side,
With downcast eyes, appears the fatal bride.
They mount the chff, where Pallas' temple stands; Pray'rs in their mouths, and presents in their hands, With censers first they fume the sacred shrine,
Then in this common supplication join:
"0 patroness of arms, unspotted ma,d,
Propltious hear, and lend thy Latms aid l
Break short the pirate's lance; pronounce his fate, And lay the Phrygian low before the gate. "
Now Turnus arms for fight. His back and breast Well-temper'd steel and scaly brass invest:
The etches which his brawny thighs infold
Are mingled metal damask'd o'er with gold.
His faithful fauchion sits upon his side;
Nor casque, nor crest, his manly features hide:
But, bare to view, amid surrounding friends,
With godlike grace, he from the tow'r descends.
Exulting in his strength, he seems to dare His absent rival, and to promise war.
? THE ELEVENTH BOOX OP rl_E dENEIS
Freed from his keepers, thus, with broken reins, The wanton courser prances o'er the plains,
Or in the pride of youth o'erleaps the mounds, And snuffs the females in forbidden grounds. Or seeks his wat'rlng in the well-known flood, To quench his thirst, and cool his fiery blood: He swims luxuriant in the liquid plain,
And o'er his shoulder flows his waving mane: He neighs, he snorts, he bears his head on high; Before his ample chest the frothy waters fly.
Soon as the prince appears without the gate, The Volsclans, with their virgin leader, walt
His last commands. Then, with a graceful mien, Lights from her lofty steed the warrior queen:
Her squadron imitates, and each descends; Whose common suit Camilla thus commends:
"If sense of honor, if a soul secure
Of inborn worth, that can all tests endure,
Can promise aught, or on itsell rely
Greatly to dare, to conquer or to die;
Then, I alone, sustain'd by these, will meet
The Tyrrhene troops, and promise their defeat. Ours be the danger, ours the sole renown:
You, gen'ral, stay behind, and guard the town . "
Turnus a while stood mute, with glad surprise, And on the fierce virago fix'd his eyes;
Then thus return'd: "O grace of Italy,
With what becoming thanks can I reply?
Not only words lie lab'rlng in my breast,
But thought itself is by thy praise oppress'& Yet rob me not of all; but let me join
My toils, my hazard, and my fame, with thlne. The Trojan, not in stratagem unskill'd, Sends his llght horse before to scour the field: Himself, thro' steep ascents and thorny brakes, A larger compass to the city takes.
This news my scouts confirm, and I prepare To foil his cunning, and his force to dare; Wlth chosen foot his passage to forelay,
And place an ambush in the winding way.
? 380 DRYDEI_S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
Thou, with thy Volscians, face the Tuscan horse; The brave Messapus shall thy troops inforce
With those of Tibur, and the Latian band, Subjected all to thy supreme command. "
This said t he warns Messapus to the war, Then ev'ry chief exhorts with equal care.
All thus encoura_d, his own troops he joins, And hastes to prosecute his deep designs.
Inclos'd with hills, a winding valley lies,
By nature form'd for fraud, and fitted for suprlse.
A narrow track, by human steps untrode,
Leads, thro' perplexing thorns, to this obscure abode.
High o'er the vale a steepy mountain stands,
Whence the surveying sight the nether ground command. _ The top is level, an offensive seat
Of war; and from the war a safe retreat:
For, on the right and left, is room to press
The foes at hand, or from afar distress;
To drive 'era headlong downward, and to pour
On their descending backs a stony show'r.
Thither young Turnus took the well-known way,
Possess'd the pass, and in blind ambush lay.
Meantime Latonian Phoebe, from the skies, Beheld th' approaching war with hateful eyes, And caU'd the light-foot Opis to her aid,
Her most belov'd and ever-trusty maid;
Then with a sigh began: "Camilla goes To meet her death amidst her fatal foes:
The nymphs I Iov'd of all my mortal train,
Invested with Diana's arms, in vain.
Nor is my kindness for the virgin new:
'Twas born with her; and with her years it grew. Her father Metabus, when forc'd away
From old Privernum, for tyrannic sway, Snatch'd up, and sav'd from his prevailing foes,
This tender babe, companion of his woes. Casmilla was her mother; but he drown'd
One hissing letter in a softer sound,
And call'd Camilla. Thro' the woods he flies;
_rapp'cl in his robe the royal infant hes.
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His foes in sight, he mends his weary pace; With shouts and clamors they pursue the chase.
The banks of Amasene at length he gains:
The raging flood his farther flight restrains,
Rais'd o'er the borders with unusual rains. Prepar'd to plunge into the stream, he fears, Not for himself, but for the charge he bears. Anxious, he stops a while, and thinks in haste; Then, desp'rate in distress, resolves at last.
A knotty lance of well-boil'd oak he bore; The middle part with cork he cover'd o'er:
He clos'd the child within the hollow space;
With twigs of bending osier bound the case;
Then pois'd the spear, heavy with human weight, And thus invok'd my favor for the freight:
'Accept, great goddess of the woods,' he said,
'Sent by her sire, this dedicated maid l
Thro' air she flies a suppliant to thy shrine;
And the first weapons that she knows, are thine. ' He said; and with full force the spear he threw: Above the sounding waves Camilla flew.
Then, press'd by foes, he stemm'd the stormy tide, And gain'd, by stress of arms, the farther side.
His fasten'd spear he pull'd from out the ground, And, victor of his vows, his infant nymph unbound; Nor, after that, in towns which walls inclose,
Would trust his hunted life amidst his foes;
But, rough, in open air he chose to lie;
Earth was his couch, his coy'ring was the sky.
On hills unshorn, or in a desart den,
He shunn'd the dire society of men.
A shepherd's solitary life he led;
His daughter with the milk of mares he fed.
The dugs of bears, and ev'ry salvage beast,
He drew, and thro' her lips the liquor press'd. The little Amazon could scarcely go:
He loads her with a quiver and a bow;
And, that she might her stagg'ring steps command, He with a slender jav'lin fills her hand
Her flowing hair no golden fillet bound;
? 382 DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
Nor swept her traihng robe the dusty ground. Instead of these, a tiger's hide o'erspread
Her back and shoulders, fasten'd to her head. The flying dart she first attempts to fling,
And round her tender temples toss'd the sling; Then, as her strength with years inereas'd, began To pierce aloft in air the soaring swan,
And from the clouds to fetch the heron and the crane. The Tuscan matrons with each other vied,
To bless their rival sons with such a bride;
But she disdains their love, to share with me
The sylvan shades and vow'd virginity.
And, O l I wish, contented with my cares
Of salvage spoils, she had not sought the wars I Then had she been of my celestial train,
And shunn'd the fate that dooms her to be slain. But since, opposing Heav'n's decree, she goes
To find her death among forbidden foes,
Haste with these arms, and take thy steep), flight. Where, with the gods, averse, the Latins fight. This bow to thee, this quiver I bequeath,
This chosen arrow, to revenge her death:
By whate'er hand Camilla shall be slain,
Or of the Trojan or Italian train,
Let him not pass unpunish'd from the plain. Then, in a hollow cloud, myself will aid
To bear the breathless body of my maid: Unspoil'd shall be her arms, and unprofan'd
Her holy limbs with any human hand,
And in a marble tomb lald in her native land. "
She said. The faithful nymph descends from high With rapid flight, and cuts the sounding sky:
Black clouds and stormy winds around her body fly.
By this, the Trojan and the Tuscan horse, Drawn up in squadrons, with united force, Approach the walls: the sprightly coursers bound, Press forward on their bits, and shift their ground. Shields, arms, and spears flash horribly from far; And the fields glitter with a waving_ war. Oppos'd to these, come on with furious force
? THE ELEVENTH BOOK OF THE _NEI$ 383
Messapus, Coras, and the Latian horse; These in the body plac'd, on either hand
Sustaln'd and clos'd by fair Camilla's band. Advancing in a line, they couch their spears;
And less and less the middle space appears.
Thick smoke obscures the field; and scarce are seen
The neighing coursers, and the shouting men. In distance of their darts they stop their course; Then man to man they rush, and horse to horse. The face of heav'n their flying jav'llns hider And deaths unseen are dealt on either side_ Tyrrhenus, and Aconteus, void of fearf
By mettled coursers borne in full career,
Meet first oppos'd; and, with a mighty shock,
Their horses' heads against each other knock.
Far from his steed is fierce Aconteus cast,
As with an engine's force, or lightning's blast:
I-Ie rolls along in blood, and breathes his lasL
The Latin squadrons take a sudden fright,
And sling their shields behind, to save their backs in flight. Spurring at speed to ti_eir own walls they drew;
Close in the rear the Tuscan troops pursue,
And urge their flight: Asylas leads the chase;
Till, seiz'd, with shame, they wheel about and face,
Receive their foes, and raise a threat'ning cry,
The Tuscans take their turn to fear and fly.
So swelling surges, with a thund'ring roar,
Driv'n on each other's backs, insult the shore.
Bound o'er the rocks, incroach upon the land,
And far upon the beach eject the sand;
Then backward, with a swing, they take their way, Repuls'd from upper ground, and seek their mother sea; With equal hurry quit th' invaded shore,
And swallow back the sand and stones they spew'd before.
Twice were the Tuscans masters of the field, Twice by the Latlns, in their turn, repell'd.
Asham'd at length, to the third charge they ran; Both hosts resolv'd, and mlngled man to man.
Now dying groans are heard; the fields are strow'd With falling bodies, and are drunk with blood
? 884 DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
Arms, horses, men, on heaps together lle: Confus'd the fight, and more confus'd the cry.
Orsilochus, who durst not press too near Strong Remulus, at distance drove his spear_ And stuck the steel beneath his horse's ear.
The fiery steed, impatient of the wound,
Curvets, and, springing upward with a bound,
His helpless lord cast backward on the grouncL
Catillus pierc'd Iolas first; then drew
His reeking lance, and at Herminius threw,
The mighty champion of the Tuscan crew.
His neck and throat unarm'd, his head was bare,
But shaded with a length of yellow hair:
Secure, he fought, expos'd on ev'ry part,
A spacious mark for swords, and for the flying dart. Across the shoulders came the feather'd wound; Transfix'd be fell, and doubled to the ground
The sands with streaming blood are sanguine dyed, And death with honor sought on either side.
Resistless thro' the war Camilla rode,
In danger unappaIl'd, and pleas'd with blood.
One side was bare for her exerted breast; One shoulder with her painted quiver press'& Now from afar her fatal jav'lins play;
Now with her ax's edge she hews her way: Diana's arms upon her shoulder sound;
And when, too closely press'd, she quits the ground, From her bent bow she sends a backward wound.
Her maids, in martial pomp, on either side, Larina, Tulla, fierce Tarpeia, ride:
Italians all; in peace, their queen's delight;
In war, the bold companions of the fight.
So march'd the Tracian Amazons of old,
When Thermodon with bloody billows roll'd: Such troops as these in shining arms were seen, When Theseus met in fight their maiden queen: Such to the field Penthisilea led,
From the fierce virgin when the Grecians fled; With such, return'd triumphant from the war, Her maids with cries attend the lofty car;
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I'hey clash with manly force their moony shields; Wit_ female shouts resound the Phryglan fields.
Who foremost, and who last, heroic maid, On the cold earth were by thy courage laid? Thy spear, of mountain ash, Eumenius first,
With fury driv'n, from side to side transpierc'd:
A purple stream came spouting from the wound;
Bath'd in his blood he hes, and bites the ground.
Lirls and Pagasus at once she sIew:
The former, as the slacken'd reins he drew
Of his faint steed; the latter, as he stretch'd
His arm to prop his friend, the jav'hn reach'd.
By the same weapon, sent from the same hand,
Both fall together, and both spurn the sand.
Amastrus next is added to the slain:
The rest in rout she follows o'er the plain:
Tereus, Harpalycus, Demophoon,
And Chromis, at full speed her fury shun.
Of all her deadly darts, not one she lost;
Each was attended with a Trojan ghost.
Young Ornithus bestrode a hunter steed,
_,vift for the chase, and of Apulian breed.
Him from afar she spied, in arms unknown:
O'er his broad back an ox's hide was thrown;
His helm a wolf, whose gaping jaws were spread
A coy'ring for his cheeks, and grinn'd around his heac_ He clench'd within his hand an iron prong,
And tower'd above the rest, conspicuous in the throng. Him soon she singled from the flying tram,
And slew with ease; then thus insults the slam:
"Vain hunter, didst thou think thro' woods to chase
The sax age herd, a vile and trembling race?
Here cease thy vaunts, and own my victory.
A woman warrior was too strong for thee
Yet, if the ghosts demand the conqu'ror's name. Confessing great Camilla, save thy shame. "
Then Butes and Orsllochus she slew,
The bulkiest bodies of the Trojan crew;
But Butes breast to breast" the spear descenck_
Above the gorget, where his hehnet ends, 13) _c
? DRYDEN'S TRANb'LATIOI_OF VIROW. And o'ertheshielwdhichhisleftsidedefends.
Orsilochuasnd she theircoursesply. "
He seemstofollowa,ndshescernstofly] Butinanarrowerringshemakestherace;
And thenhcfliesa,ndshepursuesthechase Gath'rinagt lengthon her deludedfoe,
She swingsherax,and risestotheblow; Fullonthehelmbehind,withsuchasway
The weapon fallst,herivensteeglivesway:
He groans,hcroarsh,csuesinvainforgrace; Brains,mingledwlthhisblood,besmearhisface.
Astonish'Adunus justarrivebsy chance,
To scchisfalln;orfartherdaresadvance; But,fixingon thehorridmaid hiseye,
He staresa,ndshakes,andfindsitvaintofly; Yet,likea trucLigurianb,orntocheat,
(At leastwhllcfortunefavor'dhisdeceit,) Criesoutaloud:"What couragehaveyou shown,
Who trustyourcourser'strengtha,ndnotyouro,,vni Foregothevantageofyourhorse,alight,
And thenon equaltermsbeginthefight:
Itshallbe seen,weak woman, what you can,
When, foottofoot,youcombatwithaman. "
He said. She glowswithangerand disdain, Dismountswithspeedtodarehim on theplain_
And leavesherhorseatlargeamonghertrain;
With herdrawn sworddefiehsim tothefield,
And, marching,liftaslofthermaidenshield.
The youth,who thoughthiscunningdidsucceed, Reinsroundhishorse,and urgesallhisspeed;
Adds the remembranceof the spur,and hides
The goringrowelsinhisbleedingsides.
"Vain fool,and cowardl"criestheloftymaid, "Caught in the trainwhich thou thyselfhastlaid! On otherspracticethyLigurianarts;
Thin stratagemasnd trickosflittlhearts
Arc loston me: nor shalthou saferetire,
With vauntingliest,othyfallaciosuisre:'
At thiss,ofastherflyinfgcctshesped,
That soonshestrain'bdeyondhishorse'hsead"
? THE W. _NTH BOOK OF THE _. N_IS SS7
Then turning short, at once she seiz'd the rein, And laid the boaster grov'ling on the plain.
Not with more ease the falcon, from above,
Trusses in middle air the trembling dove,
Then plumes the prey, in hei- strong pounces bound:
The feathers, foul with blood, come tumbllng to the ground. Now mighty Jove, from his superior height,
With his broad eye surveys th' unequal fight. He fires the breast of Tarchon with disdain, And sends him to redeem th' abandon'd plain. Betwixt the broken ranks the Tuscan rides,
And these encourages, and those he chides;
Recalls each leader, by his name, from flight; Renews their ardor, and restores the fight.
"What panic fear has seiz'd your souls? O shame, 0 brand perpetual of th' Etrurian name!
Cowards incurable, a woman's hand
Drives, breaks, and scatters your ignoble band t Now cast away the sword, and quit the shield! What use of weapons which you dare not wield? Not thus you fly your female foes by night,
Nor shun the feast, when the full bowls invite; When to fat off'rlngs the glad augur calls,
And the shrill hornpipe sounds to bacchanals
These are your studied cares, your lewd delight: Swift to debauch, but slow to manly fight. "
Thus having said, he spurs amid the foes,
Not managing the life he meant to lose.
The first he found he selz'd with headlong haste, In his strong gripe, and dasp'd around the waist; 'T was Venulus, whom from his horse he tore, And, laid athwart his own, in triumph bore. Loud shouts ensue; the Latins tutti their eyes, And view th' unusual sight with vast surprise.
The fiery Tarchon, flying o'er the plains,
Press'd in his arms the pond'rous prey sustains; Then, with his shorteh'd spear, explores around His jointed arms, to fix a deadly wound.
Nor less the captive struggles for his life:
He writhes his body to prolong the strife.
? _8 DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
And, fencing for his naked throat, exerts His utmost vigor, and the point averts.
So stoops the yellow eagle from on high,
And bears a speckled serpent thro' the sky,
Fast'ning his crooked talons on the prey:
The pris'ner hisses thro' the liquid way;
Resists the royal hawk; and, tho' oppress'd,
She fights in volumes, and erects her crest:
Turn'd to her foe, she stiffens ev'ry scale,
And shoots her forky tongue, and whisks her threat'ning tail Against the victor, all defense is weak:
Th' imperial bird still plies her with his beak;
He tears her bowels, and her breast he gores;
Then claps his pinions, and securely soars.
Thus, tbro' the midst of circling enemies,
Strong Tarchon snatch'd and bore away his prize.
The Tyrrhene troops, that shrunk before, now press
The Latins, and presume the like success.
Then Aruns, doom'd to death, his arts assay'd, To murther, unespied, the Volscian maid:
This way and that his winding course he bends, And, whereso'er she turns, her steps attends
When she retires victorious from the chase,
He wheels about with care, and shifts his place; V_:hen, rushing on, she seeks her foes in flight, He keeps aloof, but keeps her still m sight:
I-Ie threats, and trembles, trying ev'ry way, Unseen to kill, and safely to betray.
Chloreus, the priest of Cybele, from far, Glitt'rlng in Phrygian arms amidst the war, Was by the virgin view'd. The steed he press'd Was proud with trappings, and his brawny chest With scales of gilded brass was cover'd o'er;
A robe of Tyrian dye the rider wore.
V_rith deadly wounds he gall'd the distant foe; Gnossiata his shafts, and Lycian was his bow:
A golden helm his front and head surrounds;
A gilded quiver from his shoulder sounds.
Gold, weav'd with linen, on his thighs he wore, _ith flowers of needlework distinguish'd o'er,
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With golden buckles bound, and gather'd up before. Him the fierce maid beheld with ardent eyes,
Fond and ambitious of so rich a prize,
Or that the temple might his trophies hold,
Or else to shine herself in Trojan gold. Blind in her haste, she chases him alone. And seeks his life, regardless of her own.
This lucky moment the sly traitor chose:
Then, starting from his ambush, up he rose,
And threw, but first to Heav'n address'd his vows:
"0 patron of Socrate's high abodes,
Phoebus, the ruling pow'r among the gods,
Whom first we serve, whole woods of unctuous pine
Are fell'd for thee, and to thy glory shine;
By thee protected with our naked soles,
Thro' flames unsing'd we march, and tread the kindled coals; G,ve me, propitious pow'r, to wash away
The stains of this dishonorable day:
Nor spoils, nor triumph, from the fact I claim,
But with my future actions trust my fame.
Let me, by stealth, this female plague o'ercome,
And from the field return inglorious home. "
Apollo heard, and, granting half his pray'r,
Shuffled in winds the rest, and toss'd in empty air.
He gives the death desir'd; his safe return
By southern tempests to the seas is borne.
Now, when the jav'lin whizz'd along the skies, Both armies on Camilla turn'd their eyes,
Directed by the sound. Of either host,
Th' unhappy virgin, tho' concern'd the most,
Was only deaf; so greedy was she bent On golden spoils, and on her prey intent; Till in her pap the winged weapon stood Infix'd, and deeply drunk the purple blood. Her sad attendants hasten to sustain
Their dying lady, drooping on the plain.
Far from their sight the trembling Aruns flies,
With beating heart, and fear confus'd with joys; Nor dares he farther to pursue his blow,
Or ev'n to bear the sight of his expiring foe.
? _90 DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL As, when the wolf has torn a bullock's hide
At unawares, or ranch'd a shepherd's side, Conscious of his audacious deed, he flies,
And claps his quiv'ring tail between his thighs: So, speeding once, the wretch no more attends, But, spurring forward, herds among his friends.
She wreneh'd the jav'lin with her dying hands,
But wedg'd within her breast the weapon stands;
The wood she draws, the steely point remains;
She staggers in her seat with agonizing pains:
(A gath'ring mist o'erclouds her cheerful eyes,
And from her cheeks the rosy color flies:)
Then turns to her, whom of her female train
She trusted most, and thus she speaks with pall1:
"Acca, 't is past! he swims before my sight,
Inexorable Death; and claims his right.
Bear my last words to Turnus; fly with speed,
And bid him timely to my charge succeed,
Repel the Trojafls, and the town relieve:
Farewell l and in this kiss my parting breath receive:' She said, and, sliding, sunk upon the plain:
Dying, her open'd hand forsakes the rein;
Short, and more short, she pants; by slow degrees
Her mind the passage from her body frees.
She drops her sword; she nods her plumy crest,
Her drooping head declining on her breast:
In the last sigh her struggling soul expires,
And, murm'ring with disdain, to Stygian sounds retirek
A shout, that struck the golden stars, ensued; Despair and rage the languish'd fight renew'd. The Trojan troops and Tuscans, in a line, Advance to charge; the mix'd Arcadians join.
But Cynthia's maid, high seated, $rom afar
Surveys the field, and fortune of the war,
Unmov'd a while, till, prostrate on the phiin,
Welt'ring in blood, she sees Camilla slain,
And, round her corpse, of friends and foes a ? ghtlrig train, Then, from the bottom of her breast, she drew
A mournful sigh, and these sad words ensue: _Too dear a fine, ah much lamented maid,
? THE ELEVENTH BOOK OF THE . _NEIS 391
For warring with the Trojans, thou hast paid l Nor aught avail'd, in this unhappy strlfe,
Diana's sacred arms, to save thy life.
Yet unreveng'd thy goddess will not leave
Her vot'ry's death, nor with yam sorrow grieve.
Branded the wretch, and be his name abhorr'd, But after ages shall thy praise record
Th' inglorious coward soon shall press the plato: Thus vows thy queen, and thus the Fates ordain. "
High o'er the field there stood a hilly mound, Sacred the place, and spread with oaks around,
Where, in a marble tomb, Dercennus lay, A king that once in Latmm bore the sway. The beauteous Opis thither bent her flight,
To mark the traitor Aruns from the height. Him in refulgent arms she soon espied,
Swoln with success; and loudly thus she cried:
" Thy backward steps, vain boaster, are too late; Turn like a man, at length, and meet thy fate Charg'd with my message, to Camilla go,
And say I sent thee to the shades below, An honor undeserv'd from C)nthla's bow"
She said, and from her qmver chose with speed The winged shaft, predestm'd for the deed,"
Then to the stubborn yew her strength applie6,
Till the far distant horns approach'd on either s_de The bowstring touch'd her breast, so strong she drew; Whizzing in air the fatal arrow flew.
At once the twanging bow and sounding dart
The traitor heard, and felt the point within his heart. Him, beating with hls heels in pangs of death,
His flying friends to foreign fields bequeath.
The conqu'ring damsel, with expanded wings,
The welcome message to her mistress brings.
Their leader lost, the Volscians quit the field, And, unsustain'd, the chiefs of Turnus yield
The frighted soldiers, when their captains fly, More on their speed than on their strength rely.
Confus'd in flight, they bear each other down, And spur their horses headlong to the town.
? 392 DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
Driv'n by their foes, and to their fears reslgn'd,
Not once they turn, but take their wounds behind.
These drop the shield, and those the lance forego, Or on their shoulders bear the slacken'd bow.
The hoofs of horses, wlth a ratthng sound,
Beat short and thick, and shake the rotten ground. Black clouds of dust come rolhng in the sky,
And o'er the darken'd walls and rampires fly
The trembhng matrons, from their lofty stands,
Rend heav'n with female shrieks, and wring their hands All pressing on, pursuers and pursued,
Are crush'd in crowds, a mingled multitude.
Some happy few escape" the throng too late
Rush on for entrance, till they choke the gate.
Ev'n in the sight of home, the wretched sire
Looks on, and sees his helpless son expire
Then, in a fright, the folding gates they close,
But leave their fne_lds excluded with their foes.
The vanquish'd cry: the wctors loudly shout;
'T is terror all x_,thm, and slaughter all w_thout.
Blind in their fear, they bounce against the wall,
Or, to the moats pursued, precipitate their fall.
The Latian virgins, vahant w,th despair, Arm'd on the tow'rs, the common danger share:
So much of zeal their country's cause inspir'd;
So much Camilla's great example fir'd.
Poles, sharpen'd in the flames, from high they throw, W,th im,tated darts, to gall the foe.
Their lives for godlike freedom they bequeath,
And crowd each other to be first in death.
Meantime to Turnus, ambush'd in the shade,
With heavy tidings came th' unhappy maid:
"The Volscians overthrown, Camilla kill'd;
The foes, entirely masters of the field,
Like a resisiless flood, come rolling on"
The cry goes off the plain, and thickens to the town. "
Inflam'd with rage, (for so the Furies fire The Daunian's breast, and so the Fates require,)
He leaves the hilly pass, the woods in vain Possess'd, and downward issues on the plain.
? THE ELEVENTH BOOK OF THE _. NEIS 393
Scarce was he gone, when to the stratts, now freed From secret foes, the Trojan troops succeed
Thro' the black forest and the ferny brake, Unknowingly secure, thetr way they take;
From the rough mountains to the plato descend, And there, in order dragon, their hne extend.
Both armies now m open fields are seen,
Nor far the distance of the space between.
Both to the city bend . ? Eneas sees,
Thro' smoking fields, hzs hast'nmg enemies;
And Turnus views the Trojans in array,
And hears th' approaching horses proudly neigh. Soon had their hosts in bloody battle join'd,
But westward to the sea the sun dechn'd Intrench'd before _he town both armies he, While Night with sable wings revolves the sky.
? THE TWELFTH BOOK OF THE 2ENEIS
TEE ARGUMENT. mTuI_uSchallenges zEneas to a single combat: articles are agreed on, but broken by the Rutili, who wound _Eneas. He ]s miraculously cur'd by Venus, forces Turnus to a duel, and
concludes the poem with his death.
HEN Turnus saw the Latins leave the field, Their armies broken, and their courage quell'd. Himself become the mark of public spite, "
His honor question'd for the promis'd fight; The more he was with vulgar hate oppress'd, The more his fury boil'd within his breast: He rous'd his vigor for the last debate,
And rais'd his haughty soul to meet his fate. As, when the swains the Libyan hon chase,
He makes a sour retreat, nor mends his pace; But, if the pointed jav'lin pierce his side,
The lordly beast returns with double pride:
He wrenches out the steel, he roars for pain; His sides he lashes, and erects his mane:
So Turnus fares; his eyeballs flash with fire, Thro' his wide nostrils clouds of smoke expire.
Trembling with rage, around the court he ran, At length approach'd the king, and thus began: "No more excuses or delays: I stand
In ares prepar'd to combat, hand to hand,
This base deserter of his native land.
The Trojan, by his word, is bound to take
The same conditions which himself did make, Renew the truce; the solemn rites prepare,
And to my single virtue trust the war.
? TH:E TWELFTH BOOK OF THE A_. NEIS 395 Thc Latians unconcern'd shall see the figh:,
Thls arm unaided shall asscrt your right
Then, if my prostrate body press the plum,
To him the crown and beauteous bride remain "
To whom the king sedately thus rcphed
"Brave youth, the more your valor has been tried
The more becomes it us, with due respect,
To weigh the chancc of war, which you neglect
You want not wealth, or a successive throne,
Or cities which your arms have made your oxen:
! _Iy towns and treasures are at your command,
And stor'd with blooming beauues is my land; Laurentum more than one Lavinia sees,
Unmarried, fa;r, of noble famllies
Now let me speak, and you wlth paUence hear, Things which perhaps may grate a lover's ear,
But sound advice, proceeding from a heart
Sincerely yours, and free from fraudful art
The gods, by signs, have manifestly shown,
No prince Italian born should heir my throne:
Oft have our augurs, in prediction sktll'd,
And oft our priests, a foreign con reveal d
Yet, won by worth that cannot be with<t_od,
Brlb'd by my kindness to my kindred blood,
Urg'd by my wife, who would not bc demed,
I promis'd my Lavima for }our bride
Her from her plighted lord by force I took;
All ties of treaties, and of honor, broke"
On your account I wag'd an lmpmus war_
W_th what success, 't is needless to declare;
I apd my subjects feel, and you have had your share Twice vanquish'd wh_le in bloody fields we strive. Scarce in our walls we keep our hopes ahve"
The rolling flood runs warm with human gore,
The bones of Latians blanch the neighb'rmg shore Why put I not an end to this debate,
Still unresolv'd, and still a slave to fate?
If Turnus' death a lasting peace can give, Why should I not procure tt whilst you live Should I to doubtful arms _,our youth betray,
? 396 DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL What would my kinsmen the Rutulians say_
And, should you fall in fight, (which Heav'n defend! ) How curse the cause which hasten'd to his end
The daughter's lover and the father's friend? Weigh m your mind the various chance of war; Pity your parent's age, and ease his care"
Such balmy words he pour'd, but all in vain: The proffer'd med'cme but provok'd the pain. The wrathful youth, disdaining the rehef,
With intermitting sobs thus vents his grief: "The care, O best of fathers, which you take For my concerns, at my desire forsake.
Permit me not to languish out my days,
But make the best exchange of hfe for praise. This arm, th_s lance, can well dispute the prize; And the blood follows, where the weapon flies. His goddess mother is not near, to shroud
The flying coward with an empty cloud"
But now the queen, who fear'd for Turnus' life, And loath'd the hard conditions of the strife, Held him by force; and, dying m his death,
In these sad accents gave her sorrow breath:
"O Turnus, I adjure thee by these tears,
And whate'er price Amata's honor bears
Within thy breast, since thou art all my hope, My sickly mind's repose, my stoking age's prop; Since on the safety of thy hfe alone
Depends Latinus, and the Latlan throne.
Refuse me not this one, this only pray'r,
To waive the combat, and pursue the war. Whatever chance attends this fatal stn_e, Think it includes, in thine, Amata's hfe
I cannot live a slave, or see my throne
Usurp'd by strangers or a Trojan son "
At this, a flood of tears Lavinia shed,
A crimson blush her beauteous face o'erspread, Varying her cheeks by turns with white and red. The driving colors, never at a stay,
Run here and there, and flush, and fade ax_ay. Delightful change! Thus Indian iv'ry shows,
? THE TWI_,LFTH BOOK OF THE _NEIS
Which with the bord'ring paint of purple glows; Or lilies damask'd by the neighb'ring rose.
The lover gaz'd, and, burning with desire,
The more he look'd, the more he fed the fire: Revenge, and jealous rage, and secret spite, Roll in his breast, and rouse him to the fight. Then fixing on the queen his ardent eyes,
Firm to his first intent, he thus replies:
"O mother, do not by your tears prepare
Such boding omens, and prejudge the war. Resolv'd on fight, I am no longer free
To shun my death, if Heav'n my death decree. " Then turning to the herald, thus pursues:
"Go, greet the Trojan with ungrateful news; Denounce from me, that, when to-morrow's hght Shall gild the heav'ns, he need not urge the fight; The Trojan and Rutulian troops no more
Shall dye, with mutual blood, the Latian shore: Our single swords the quarrel shall decide,
And to the victor be the beauteous bride"
He said, and striding on, with speedy pace.
He sought his coursers of the Thracian race.
At his approach they toss their heads on high,
And, proudly neighing, promise victory.
The sires of these Orythla sent from far,
To grace Pilumnus, when he went to war.
The drifts of Thracian snows were scarce so white,
Nor northern winds in fleetness match'd their flight. Officious grooms stand ready by his side;
And some with combs their flowing manes divide,
And others stroke their chests and gently soothe their pride. ,
He sheath'd his limbs in arms; a temper'd mass Of golden metal those, and mountain brass.
Then to his head his glitt'rlng helm he tied,
And girt his faithful fauchlon to his side.
In his . _tnaean forge, the God of Fire That fauchion labor'd for the hero's sire,
Immortal keenness on the blade bestow'd.
And plung'd it hissing in the Stygian flood _Propp'd on a pzllar, which the ceiling bore,
? _s DaTD_. _B TRA_SLA_ON 01'
Was plac'd the lance Auruncan Actor wore_
Which with such force he brandish'd in his ha_
The tough ash t_-emb! edlike an osier wapd:
Then cried: "0 pond'rous spoil of Actor sial. a,
And never yet by Tul'n_s toss'd in vain,
Fail not this day tlty wonted force; but go,
Sent by this hand, to pierce the Trojan foe l
Give me to tear his corslet from his brfast,
And from that eunuch head to rend the crest;
Dragg'd in the dust, _is _rizzled h_ir to sqil,
Hot from the vexing i#n, and smear'd with f,ragrant oil I'r
Thus while hg raves, from his wide nostrils flies A fiery steam, and sparkles from his gyes.
So fares the bull in his lov'd female's sight: Proudly he bellows, and preludes the fight; He tries his goring horns against a tree, And meditates his absent enemy;
He pushes at the winds; he digs the strand
With his black hoofs, and spurns the yellow szme
Nor less the Trojan, in his Lemnian arms, To future fight his manly courage warms: He whets his fury, and with joy prepares
To terminate at once t]ae ling'ring wars;
To cheer his chiefs and tender son, relates
What Heav'n had promis'd, and expounds _e fates. Then to the Latian king he sends, to cease
The rage of arms, and ratify the peace.
The morn ensuing, from the mountain's helgl_g Had scarcely spread the skies with rosy light;
Th' ethereal coursers, bounding from the se_, From ogt their flaming nostrils breath' d the day; When now the Trgjan and Rutulian guard,
In friendly labor join'd, the list prepar'd. Beneath the walls they measure og. t the space; Then sacred altars rear, on sqds of grass,
Where, with religious rites, their common god s _ In purest white the priests . their heads attire; And living waters bear, and holy fire;
And, o'er their linen hoods and sh_de_ Ilair, Long twisted wreaths 'gf sacred ve_aln wear,
plaFe_
? THE TWELFTH BOOK OF THE _. NEIS 390
In order issuing from the town appears The Latin legion, arm'd with pointed spears;
And from the fields, advancing on a line,
The Trojan and the Tuscan forces join:
Their various arms afford a pleasing sight;
A peaceful train they seem, in peace prepar'd for fight_ Betwixt the ranks the proud commanders ride, Glitt'ring widz gold, and vests in purple dyed;
Here Mnestheus, author of the Memmlan line, And there Messapus, born of seed divine.
The slgaz is glv'n; and, round the listed space, Each man in order fills his proper place. Reclining on their ample shields, they stand, And fix their pointed lances in the sand.
Now, studious of the sight, a num'rous throng Of either sex promiscuous, old and young,
Swarm from the town: by those who rest behind, The gates and walls and houses' tops are lin'd. Meantime the Queen of Heav'n beheld the sight, With eyes unpleas'd, from Mount Albano's height
(Since eall'd Albano by succeeding fame, But then an empty hill, without a name).
She thence survey'd the field, the Trojan pow'rs, The Latian squadrons, and Laurentine tow'rs. Then thus the goddess of the skies bespake,
With sighs and tears, the goddess of the lake, King Turnus' sister, once a lovely maid,
Ere to the lust of lawless Jove betray'd: Compress'd by torce, but, by the grateful god,
Now made the Nais of the neighb'rlng flood. "0 nymph, the pride of living lakes," said she,
"O most renown'd, and most belov'd by me, Long hast thou known, nor need I to record, The wanton sallies of my wand'ring lord
Of ev'ry Latian fair whom Jove misled
To mount by stealth my violated bed,
To thee alone I grudg'd not his embrace,
But gave a part of heav'n, and an unenvied place_ Now learn from me thy near approaching grtef, Nor think my wi=ims want m th_ relief.
? 400 DRYDEN'S TRAI_SLATIO_? OF VIRGIL
While fortune favor'd, nor Heav'n's Kifig denied To lend my succor to the Latian side,
I sav'd thy brother, and the sinking state:
But now he struggles wlth unequal fate,
And goes, with gods averse, o'ermatch'd in might, To meet inevltable death in fight;
Nor must I break the truce, nor can sustain the sxght, Thou, _f thou dar'st, thy present aid supply;
It well becomes a sister's care to try. "
At this the lovely nymph, with grief oppress'd, Thrice tore her hair, and beat her comely breast,
To whom Saturnia thus. "Thy tears are late" Haste, snatch him, if he can be snatch'd from fate: New tumults kindle, wolate the truce:
Who knows what changeful fortune may produce? 'T is not a crime t' attempt what I decree;
Or, if it were, discharge the crime on me. "
She said, and, sailing on the winged _,,nd,
Left the sad nymph suspended in her mind.
And now in pomp the peaceful kings appear:
Four steeds the chariot of Latinus bear;
Twelve golden beams around his temples play,
To mark his lineage from the God of Day
Two snowy coursers Turnus' chariot yoke,
And in his hand two massy spears he shook:
Then issued from the camp, in arms divine, ? Eneas, author of the Roman line;
And by his side Ascanius took his place,
The second hope of Rome's immortal race. Adorn'd in white, a rev'rend priest appears,
And off'rings to the flaming altars bears;
A porket, and a lamb that never suffer'd shears. Then to the rising sun he turns his eyes,
And strews the beasts, design'd for sacrifice,
With salt and meal: with like officious care
He marks their foreheads, and he clips their hair? Betwixt their horns the purple wine he sheds;
With the same gen'rous juice the flame he feeds.
? Eneas then unsheath'd his shining sword, And thus with pious pray'rs the gods ador'd:
? THE TWELFTH BOOK OF THE . _NETS 401
"All-seeing sun, and thou, Ausonian soil,
For whmh I have sustam'd so long a toll,
Thou, King of Heav'n, and thou, the Queen o[ Air, Propitious now, and reconcfl'd by pray'r;
Thou, God of \\Tar, whose unresisted sway
The labors and events of arms obey:
Ye hvmg fountains, and ye running floods,
All pow'rs of ocean, all ethereal gods,
Hear, and bear record : if I fall in field,
Or, recreant in the fight, to Turnus yield,
My Trojans shall encrease Evander's towz;
Ascanius shall renounce th' Ausonian ero_n:
All claims, all queshons of debate, shall cease;
Nor he, nor they, with force infringe the peace
But, if my juster arms prevail in fight,
(As sure they shall, if I divine aright,)
My Trojans shall not o'er th' Italians relgn:
Both equal, both unconquer'd shall remain,
Join'd in their laws, their lands, and their abodes;
I ask but altars for my weary gods.
The care of those religious rites be mine;
The crown to King Lafinus I resign:
His be the soy'reign sway. Nor will 1 share
His pow'r in peace, or his command in war.
For me, my friends another town shall frame,
And bless the rising tow'rs with fair Lavmia's name. "
Thus he. Then, with erected eyes and hands, The Latlan king before his altar stands.
"By the same heav'n," said he, "and earth, and main, And all the pow'rs that all the three contain;
By hell below, and by that upper god
Whose thunder signs the peace, who seals it with his nol;
So let Latona's double offspring hear,
And double-fronted Janus, what I swear:
I touch the sacred altars, touch the flames,
And all those pow'rs attest, and all their names ; Whatever chance befall on either side,
No term of time this union shall divide:
No force, no fortune, shall my vows unbinJ,
Or shake the steadfast tenor of my mind;
? 40_ DR_EN_S TRAI_SLATION OF VIRGIL
Not tho' the circling seas should break their bound. O'erflow the shores, or sap the solid ground;
Not tho' the lamps of heav'n their spheres forsake, Hurl'd down, and hissing m the nether lake:
E_'n as this royal scepter" (for he bore A scepter in hls hand) "shall never more
Shoot out in branches, or renew the birth:
An orphan now, cut from the mother earth
By the keen ax, dishonor'd of its hair,
And cas'd in brass, for Latian kings to bear. "
\Vhen thus in public view the peace was tied \Vith solemn vows, and sworn on either side, All dues perform'd x_hich holy rites require, The victim beasts are slain before the fire, The trembling entrails from their bodies torn, And to the fatten'd flames in chargers borne.
Already the Rutulians deem thelr man O'ermatch'd in arms, before the fight began.
First rising fears are whlsper'd thro' the crowd; Then, garb'ring sound, they murmur more aloud Now, side to s2de, they measure with their eyes
The champions' hulk, their sinews, and their size: The nearer they approach, tile more is known
Th' apparent disadvantage of their own. Turnus himself appears m public sight
Conscious of fate, desponding of the fight. Slowly he moves, and at his altar stands
With eyes dejected, and with trembling hands; And, while he mutters undlstinguish'd pray'rs, A hvid deadness in his cheeks appears.
\V1th anxious pleasure when Juturna view'd
Th' increasing fright of the mad multitude,
When their short sighs and thick'ning sobs she heard_ And found their ready minds for change prepar'd; Dissembling her immortal form, she took
Camertus' mien, his habit, and his look;
A chief of ancient blood; in arms well known
Was his great sire, and he his greater son.
His shape assum'd, amid the ranks she ran,
_t. nd humoring their first motions, tlms began:
? THE TWELFTH BOOK OF THE _ENEIS 40|
"For shame, Rutullans, can you bear the sight Of one expos'd for a|_, in single fight?
Can we, before the face of hear'n, confess
Our coarage colder, or our numbers less?
View all the Trojan host, th' Arcadian band, And Tuscan army; count 'era as they stand: Undaunted to the battle if we go,
Scarce ev'ry second man will share a foe. Turnus, 't is true, in this unequal strife, Shall lose, with honor, his devoted life,
Or change it rather for immortal fame,
Succeeding to the gods, from whence he came : But you, a servile and inglorious hand,
For foreign lords shall sow your native land, Those fruitful fields your fighting fathers gain'd, Which have so long their lazy sons sustain'd/' With words like these, she carried her design:
A rising murmur runs along the hne.
Then ev'n the city troops, and Latians, tir'd
With tedious war, seem with new souls inspir'd" Their champion's fate with pity they lament,
And of the league, so lately sworn, repent.
Nor fails the goddess to foment the rage
With lying wonders, and a false presage,
But adds a sign, which, present to their eyes, Inspires new courage, and a glad surprise.
For, sudden, in the fiery tracts above,
Appears in pomp th' imperiaI bird of Jove:
A plump of fowl he spies, that swlro tlle lakes, And o'er their heads his souodmg pinions shakes; Then, stooping on the fairest of the train,
In his strong talons truss'd a silver swan.
Th' Italians wonder at th' unusual sight;
But, while he lags, and labors in his flight,
Behold, the dastard fowl return anew,
And with united force the foe pursue:
Clam'rous arouod the royal . hawk they fly,
And, thick'ning in a cloud, o'ershade the sky.
They cuff, they scratch, they cross his airy course; Nor can th' incumber'd bird sustain their force;
? 404 DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
But vex'd, not vanquish'd, drops the pond'rous prey, And, lighten'd of his burthen, wings his way.
Th' Ausonian bands with shouts salute the sight, Eager of action, and demand the fight.
Then King Tolumnius, vers'd in augurs' arts,
Cries out, and thus his boasted skill imparts:
"At length 't is granted, what I long desir'dt
This, this is _hat my frequent vows requir'd
Ye gods, I take your omen, and obcy.
Advance, my friends, and charge ! I lead the way. These are the foreign foes, whose impious band, Like that rapacious bird, infest our land.
But soon, like him, they shall be forc'd to sea By strength umted, and forego the prey.
Your timely succor to your country bring, Haste to the rescue, and redeem your king. "
He said; and, pressing onward thro' the crew, Pois'd in his hfted arm, his lance he threw.
The winged weapon, whistling in the wind,
Came driving on, nor miss'd the mark design'& At once the cornel rattled in the skies,
At once tumultuous shouts and clamors rise. Nine brothers in a goodly band there stood,
Born of Arcadian mix'd with Tuscan blood, Gylippus' sons: the fatal jav'hn flew,
_im'd at the midmost of the friendly crew.
A passage thro' the jointed arms it found,
Just where the belt was to the body bound,
And struck the gentle youth extended on the ground Then, fir'd with pious rage, the gen'rous train
Run madly forward to revenge the slain.
And some with eager haste their jav'hns throw;
And some with sword in hand assault the foe The wish'd insult the Latine troops embrace,
And meet their ardor in the middle space. The Trojans, Tuscans, and Arcadian line, V? lth equal courage obviate their design. Peace leaves the violated fields, and hate Both armies urges to their mutual fate
With impious haste their altars are o'erturn'eL
? THE TWELFTH BOOK OF THE A_NEIS 405
The sacrifice half-brod'd, and half-unburn'd.
Thick storms of steel from either army fly,
And clouds of clashing darts obscure the sky; Brands from the fire are missive weapons made, With chargers, bowls, and all the prlestly trade. Latmus, frighted, hastens from the fray,
And bears his unregarded gods away.
These on their horses vault, those yoke the carl
The rest, with swords on htgh, run headlong to the war.
Messapus, eager to confound the peace,
Spurr'd his hot courser thro' the fighting prease,
At King Aulestes, by his purple known
A Tuscan prince, and by his regal crown;
And, with a shock encount'rmg, bore him down.
Backward he fell; and, as hls fate design'd, The ruins of an altar _ere behind:
There, pitching on his shoulders and his head, Amid the seatt'ring fires he lay supinely spread. The beamy spear, descending from above,
His cuirass pierc'd, and thro' his body drove. Then, _lth a scornful stmle, the victor cries: "The gods have found a fitter sacrifice"
Greedy of spods, th' Itahans strlp the dead
Of his rich armor, and uncrown his head.
Priest Cor_n,'eus, arm'd his better hand, From his o_n altar, with a blazing brand;
And, as Ebusus wath a thund'rmg pace Advanc'd to battle, dash'd it on Ins face:
His bristly beard shines out with sudden fires; The crackhng crop a noisome scent expires. Following the blow, he selz'd his curling crown With his left hand; Ins other ca_t him dox_n. The prostrate body _lth his knees he press'd, And plung'd hls holy pomard in his breast.
While Podahnus, with his sword, pursued The shepherd AIsus thro' the flying crowd,
Swiftly he turns, and am_s a deadly blow
Full on the front of h_s unwary foe.
The broad ax enters w_ih a crashing sound,
And cleaves the chin with one continued _ound;
? DRYDEI_PS TRANS_ATION OF '_RGI_,
Warm blood, and mingled brains, besmear his arms around. An iron sleep his stupld eyes oppress'd,
. And seal'd their heavy lids in endless rest. But good . _neas rush'd amid the bands;
Bare was his head, and naked were his hands, In sign of truce: then thus he cries aloud. "What sudden rage, what new desire of blood, Inflames your alter'd minds? O Trojans, cease From impious arms, nor violate the peace l By human sanctions, and by laws divine,
The terms are all agreed; the war is mine. Dismiss your fears, and let the fight ensue;
This hand alone shall right the gods and you: Our injur'd altars, and their broken vow,
To this avenging sword the faithless Turnus owe. " Thus while he spoke, unmindful of defense,
. & winged arrow struck the pious prince. But, whether from some human hand it came,
Or hostile god, is left unknown by fame:
No human hand or hostile god was found,
To boast the triumph of so base' a wounct
When Turnus saw the Trojan qult the plain,
His chiefs dismay'd, his troops a fainting train, Th' unhop'd event his heighten'd soul inspires: At once his arms and coursers he requii'es; Then, with a leap, his lofty chariot gains,
And with a ready hand assumes the reins. He drives impetuous, and, where'er he goes,
He leaves behind a lane of slaughter'd foes. These his lance reaches; over those he rolls
His rapid car, and crushes out their souls:
In vain the vanquish'd fly; the vmtor sends
The dead men's weapons at their living friends. Thus, on the banks of Hebrus' freezing flood, The God of Battles, in his angry mood,
Clashing his sword against his brazen shield, Let loose the reins, and scours along the field: Before the wind his fiery coursers fly;
Groans the sad earth, resounds the rattling sky. Wrath, Terror, Treason, Tumult, and Despair
? THR TWELFTH BOOK OF THB _. _ '(Dire faces, and deform'd) surround the car;
Friends of the god, and followers of the war. With fury not unlike, nor less disdain, Exulting Turnus flies along the plain:
His smoking horses, at their utmost speed, lie lashes on, and urges o'er the dead.
Their fetlocks run with blood; and, when they bound, The gore and gath'ring dust are dash'd around. Thamyris and Pholus, masters of the war,
He kill'd at hand, but Sthenelus afar:
From far the sons of Imbracus he slew, Glaucus and Lades, of the Lycian crew; Both taught to fight on foot, m battle joln'd, Or mount the courser that outstrips the wind.
Meantime Eumedes, vaunting in the field,
New fir'd the Trojans, and their foes repell'd.
This son of Dolon bore his grandsire's name,
But emulated more his father's fame;
His guileful father, sent a nightly spy,
The Grecian camp and order to descry:
Hard enterprise! and well he might require
Achilles' car and horses, for his hire:
But, met upon the scout, th' . _Etohan prince
In death bestow'd a juster recompense.
Fierce Turnus view'd the Trojan from afar,
And launch'd his jav'lin from his lofty car;
Then lightly leaping down, pursued the blow,
And, pressing with his foot his prostrate foe,
Wreneh'd from his feeble hold the shining sword,
And plung'd it in the bosom of its lord.
"Possess," said he, "the fruit of all thy pains,
And measure, at thy length, our Latian plains.
Thus are my foes rewarded by my hand;
Thus may they build their town, and thus enjoy the land ln
Then Dares, Butes, Sybaris he slew,
Whom o'er his neck his flound'ring courser threw.
As when loud Boreas, with his blust'ring train, Stoops from above, incumbent on the main;
Where'er he flies, he drives the rack before, And rolls the billows on th' . ,Eg'ean shore:
? _{}8 DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
So, where resistless Turnus takes his course, The scatter'd squadrons bend before his force; His crest of horses' hair is blown behind
By adverse air, and rustles in the wind.
This haughty Phegeus saw with hlgh dlsdain,
And, as the chariot roIl'd along the plato,
Light from the ground he leapt, and seiz'd the rein, Thus hung in air, he st111 retain'd his hold,
The coursers frighted, and their course controII'd. The lance of Turnus reach'd him as he hung,
And pierc'd hls plated arms, but pass'd along,
And only raz'd the skin. He turn'd, and held Against his threat'ning foe his ample shleld;
Then call'd for aid" but, whdc he cried in vai_
The chariot bore hml backward on the plain
He hes revers'd; the victor king descends,
And strikes so justly where his helmet ends,
He lops the head. The Latian fields are drunk With streams that issue from the bleeding trunk.
While he triumphs, and while the Trojans yield, The wounded prince is forc'd to leave the field: Strong Mnestheus, and Achates often tried,
And young Ascamus, weeping by his side, Conduct him to his tent. Scarce can he rear His limbs from earth, supported on his spear. Resolv'd in mind, regardless of the smart,
He tugs with both his hands, and breaks the dart. The steel remains.