The Aeneid Part 22

Then, on to-morrow's dawn, your care employ, To search the land, and where the cities lie, And what the men; but give this day to joy.

Now pour to Jove; and, after Jove is blest, Call great Anchises to the genial feast: Crown high the goblets with a cheerful draught; Enjoy the present hour; adjourn the future thought."

Thus having said, the hero bound his brows With leafy branches, then perform'd his vows; Adoring first the genius of the place, Then Earth, the mother of the heav'nly race, The nymphs, and native G.o.dheads yet unknown, And Night, and all the stars that gild her sable throne, And ancient Cybel, and Idaean Jove, And last his sire below, and mother queen above.

Then heav'n's high monarch thunder'd thrice aloud, And thrice he shook aloft a golden cloud.

Soon thro' the joyful camp a rumor flew, The time was come their city to renew.

Then ev'ry brow with cheerful green is crown'd, The feasts are doubled, and the bowls go round.

When next the rosy morn disclos'd the day, The scouts to sev'ral parts divide their way, To learn the natives' names, their towns explore, The coasts and trendings of the crooked sh.o.r.e: Here Tiber flows, and here Numicus stands; Here warlike Latins hold the happy lands.

The pious chief, who sought by peaceful ways To found his empire, and his town to raise, A hundred youths from all his train selects, And to the Latian court their course directs, (The s.p.a.cious palace where their prince resides,) And all their heads with wreaths of olive hides.

They go commission'd to require a peace, And carry presents to procure access.

Thus while they speed their pace, the prince designs His new-elected seat, and draws the lines.

The Trojans round the place a rampire cast, And palisades about the trenches plac'd.

Meantime the train, proceeding on their way, From far the town and lofty tow'rs survey; At length approach the walls. Without the gate, They see the boys and Latian youth debate The martial prizes on the dusty plain: Some drive the cars, and some the coursers rein; Some bend the stubborn bow for victory, And some with darts their active sinews try.

A posting messenger, dispatch'd from hence, Of this fair troop advis'd their aged prince, That foreign men of mighty stature came; Uncouth their habit, and unknown their name.

The king ordains their entrance, and ascends His regal seat, surrounded by his friends.

The palace built by Picus, vast and proud, Supported by a hundred pillars stood, And round incompa.s.s'd with a rising wood.

The pile o'erlook'd the town, and drew the sight; Surpris'd at once with reverence and delight.

There kings receiv'd the marks of sov'reign pow'r; In state the monarchs march'd; the lictors bore Their awful axes and the rods before.

Here the tribunal stood, the house of pray'r, And here the sacred senators repair; All at large tables, in long order set, A ram their off'ring, and a ram their meat.

Above the portal, carv'd in cedar wood, Plac'd in their ranks, their G.o.dlike grandsires stood; Old Saturn, with his crooked scythe, on high; And Italus, that led the colony; And ancient Ja.n.u.s, with his double face, And bunch of keys, the porter of the place.

There good Sabinus, planter of the vines, On a short pruning hook his head reclines, And studiously surveys his gen'rous wines; Then warlike kings, who for their country fought, And honorable wounds from battle brought.

Around the posts hung helmets, darts, and spears, And captive chariots, axes, shields, and bars, And broken beaks of ships, the trophies of their wars.

Above the rest, as chief of all the band, Was Picus plac'd, a buckler in his hand; His other wav'd a long divining wand.

Girt in his Gabin gown the hero sate, Yet could not with his art avoid his fate: For Circe long had lov'd the youth in vain, Till love, refus'd, converted to disdain: Then, mixing pow'rful herbs, with magic art, She chang'd his form, who could not change his heart; Constrain'd him in a bird, and made him fly, With party-color'd plumes, a chatt'ring pie.

In this high temple, on a chair of state, The seat of audience, old Latinus sate; Then gave admission to the Trojan train; And thus with pleasing accents he began: "Tell me, ye Trojans, for that name you own, Nor is your course upon our coasts unknown- Say what you seek, and whither were you bound: Were you by stress of weather cast aground?

(Such dangers as on seas are often seen, And oft befall to miserable men,) Or come, your shipping in our ports to lay, Spent and disabled in so long a way?

Say what you want: the Latians you shall find Not forc'd to goodness, but by will inclin'd; For, since the time of Saturn's holy reign, His hospitable customs we retain.

I call to mind (but time the tale has worn) Th' Arunci told, that Darda.n.u.s, tho' born On Latian plains, yet sought the Phrygian sh.o.r.e, And Samothracia, Samos call'd before.

From Tuscan Coritum he claim'd his birth; But after, when exempt from mortal earth, From thence ascended to his kindred skies, A G.o.d, and, as a G.o.d, augments their sacrifice,"

He said. Ilioneus made this reply: "O king, of Faunus' royal family!

Nor wintry winds to Latium forc'd our way, Nor did the stars our wand'ring course betray.

Willing we sought your sh.o.r.es; and, hither bound, The port, so long desir'd, at length we found; From our sweet homes and ancient realms expell'd; Great as the greatest that the sun beheld.

The G.o.d began our line, who rules above; And, as our race, our king descends from Jove: And hither are we come, by his command, To crave admission in your happy land.

How dire a tempest, from Mycenae pour'd, Our plains, our temples, and our town devour'd; What was the waste of war, what fierce alarms Shook Asia's crown with European arms; Ev'n such have heard, if any such there be, Whose earth is bounded by the frozen sea; And such as, born beneath the burning sky And sultry sun, betwixt the tropics lie.

From that dire deluge, thro' the wat'ry waste, Such length of years, such various perils past, At last escap'd, to Latium we repair, To beg what you without your want may spare: The common water, and the common air; Sheds which ourselves will build, and mean abodes, Fit to receive and serve our banish'd G.o.ds.

Nor our admission shall your realm disgrace, Nor length of time our grat.i.tude efface.

Besides, what endless honor you shall gain, To save and shelter Troy's unhappy train!

Now, by my sov'reign, and his fate, I swear, Renown'd for faith in peace, for force in war; Oft our alliance other lands desir'd, And, what we seek of you, of us requir'd.

Despite not then, that in our hands we bear These holy boughs, sue with words of pray'r.

Fate and the G.o.ds, by their supreme command, Have doom'd our ships to seek the Latian land.

To these abodes our fleet Apollo sends; Here Darda.n.u.s was born, and hither tends; Where Tuscan Tiber rolls with rapid force, And where Numicus opes his holy source.

Besides, our prince presents, with his request, Some small remains of what his sire possess'd.

This golden charger, s.n.a.t.c.h'd from burning Troy, Anchises did in sacrifice employ; This royal robe and this tiara wore Old Priam, and this golden scepter bore In full a.s.semblies, and in solemn games; These purple vests were weav'd by Dardan dames."

Thus while he spoke, Latinus roll'd around His eyes, and fix'd a while upon the ground.

Intent he seem'd, and anxious in his breast; Not by the scepter mov'd, or kingly vest, But pond'ring future things of wondrous weight; Succession, empire, and his daughter's fate.

On these he mus'd within his thoughtful mind, And then revolv'd what Faunus had divin'd.

This was the foreign prince, by fate decreed To share his scepter, and Lavinia's bed; This was the race that sure portents foreshew To sway the world, and land and sea subdue.

At length he rais'd his cheerful head, and spoke: "The pow'rs," said he, "the pow'rs we both invoke, To you, and yours, and mine, propitious be, And firm our purpose with their augury!

Have what you ask; your presents I receive; Land, where and when you please, with ample leave; Partake and use my kingdom as your own; All shall be yours, while I command the crown: And, if my wish'd alliance please your king, Tell him he should not send the peace, but bring.

Then let him not a friend's embraces fear; The peace is made when I behold him here.

Besides this answer, tell my royal guest, I add to his commands my own request: One only daughter heirs my crown and state, Whom not our oracles, nor Heav'n, nor fate, Nor frequent prodigies, permit to join With any native of th' Ausonian line.

A foreign son-in-law shall come from far (Such is our doom), a chief renown'd in war, Whose race shall bear aloft the Latian name, And thro' the conquer'd world diffuse our fame.

Himself to be the man the fates require, I firmly judge, and, what I judge, desire."

He said, and then on each bestow'd a steed.

Three hundred horses, in high stables fed, Stood ready, shining all, and smoothly dress'd: Of these he chose the fairest and the best, To mount the Trojan troop. At his command The steeds caparison'd with purple stand, With golden trappings, glorious to behold, And champ betwixt their teeth the foaming gold.

Then to his absent guest the king decreed A pair of coursers born of heav'nly breed, Who from their nostrils breath'd ethereal fire; Whom Circe stole from her celestial sire, By subst.i.tuting mares produc'd on earth, Whose wombs conceiv'd a more than mortal birth.

These draw the chariot which Latinus sends, And the rich present to the prince commends.

Sublime on stately steeds the Trojans borne, To their expecting lord with peace return.

But jealous Juno, from Pachynus' height, As she from Argos took her airy flight, Beheld with envious eyes this hateful sight.

She saw the Trojan and his joyful train Descend upon the sh.o.r.e, desert the main, Design a town, and, with unhop'd success, Th' emba.s.sadors return with promis'd peace.

Then, pierc'd with pain, she shook her haughty head, Sigh'd from her inward soul, and thus she said: "O hated offspring of my Phrygian foes!

O fates of Troy, which Juno's fates oppose!

Could they not fall unpitied on the plain, But slain revive, and, taken, scape again?

When execrable Troy in ashes lay, Thro' fires and swords and seas they forc'd their way.

Then vanquish'd Juno must in vain contend, Her rage disarm'd, her empire at an end.

Breathless and tir'd, is all my fury spent?

Or does my glutted spleen at length relent?

As if 't were little from their town to chase, I thro' the seas pursued their exil'd race; Ingag'd the heav'ns, oppos'd the stormy main; But billows roar'd, and tempests rag'd in vain.

What have my Scyllas and my Syrtes done, When these they overpa.s.s, and those they shun?

On Tiber's sh.o.r.es they land, secure of fate, Triumphant o'er the storms and Juno's hate.

Mars could in mutual blood the Centaurs bathe, And Jove himself gave way to Cynthia's wrath, Who sent the tusky boar to Calydon; (What great offense had either people done?) But I, the consort of the Thunderer, Have wag'd a long and unsuccessful war, With various arts and arms in vain have toil'd, And by a mortal man at length am foil'd.

If native pow'r prevail not, shall I doubt To seek for needful succor from without?

If Jove and Heav'n my just desires deny, h.e.l.l shall the pow'r of Heav'n and Jove supply.

Grant that the Fates have firm'd, by their decree, The Trojan race to reign in Italy; At least I can defer the nuptial day, And with protracted wars the peace delay: With blood the dear alliance shall be bought, And both the people near destruction brought; So shall the son-in-law and father join, With ruin, war, and waste of either line.

O fatal maid, thy marriage is endow'd With Phrygian, Latian, and Rutulian blood!

Bellona leads thee to thy lover's hand; Another queen brings forth another brand, To burn with foreign fires another land!

A second Paris, diff'ring but in name, Shall fire his country with a second flame."

Thus having said, she sinks beneath the ground, With furious haste, and shoots the Stygian sound, To rouse Alecto from th' infernal seat Of her dire sisters, and their dark retreat.

This Fury, fit for her intent, she chose; One who delights in wars and human woes.

Ev'n Pluto hates his own misshapen race; Her sister Furies fly her hideous face; So frightful are the forms the monster takes, So fierce the hissings of her speckled snakes.

Her Juno finds, and thus inflames her spite: "O virgin daughter of eternal Night, Give me this once thy labor, to sustain My right, and execute my just disdain.

Let not the Trojans, with a feign'd pretense Of proffer'd peace, delude the Latian prince.

Expel from Italy that odious name, And let not Juno suffer in her fame.

'T is thine to ruin realms, o'erturn a state, Betwixt the dearest friends to raise debate, And kindle kindred blood to mutual hate.

Thy hand o'er towns the fun'ral torch displays, And forms a thousand ills ten thousand ways.

Now shake, out thy fruitful breast, the seeds Of envy, discord, and of cruel deeds: Confound the peace establish'd, and prepare Their souls to hatred, and their hands to war."

Smear'd as she was with black Gorgonian blood, The Fury sprang above the Stygian flood; And on her wicker wings, sublime thro' night, She to the Latian palace took her flight: There sought the queen's apartment, stood before The peaceful threshold, and besieg'd the door.

Restless Amata lay, her swelling breast Fir'd with disdain for Turnus dispossess'd, And the new nuptials of the Trojan guest.

From her black b.l.o.o.d.y locks the Fury shakes Her darling plague, the fav'rite of her snakes; With her full force she threw the poisonous dart, And fix'd it deep within Amata's heart, That, thus envenom'd, she might kindle rage, And sacrifice to strife her house husband's age.

Unseen, unfelt, the fiery serpent skims Betwixt her linen and her naked limbs; His baleful breath inspiring, as he glides, Now like a chain around her neck he rides, Now like a fillet to her head repairs, And with his circling volumes folds her hairs.