The Aeneids of Virgil Part 21

All this Apollo, Actian-housed, beheld, and bent his bow From high aloft, and with his fear all Egypt fell to wrack, And Ind and Araby; and all Sabaeans turned the back.

Then once again the Queen was wrought, who on the winds doth cry, And spreadeth sail; and now, and now, the slackened sheet lets fly.

The Lord of Fire had wrought her there wan with the death to be, Borne on, amid the death of men, by wind and following sea. 710 But Nile was wrought to meet them there, with body great to grieve, And in the folding of his cloak the vanquished to receive, To take them to his bosom grey, his flood of hidden home.

There Caesar threefold triumphing, borne on amidst of Rome, Three hundred shrines was hallowing to G.o.ds of Italy Through all the city; glorious gift that nevermore shall die; The while all ways with joy and game and plenteous praising rang.

In all the temples altars were; in all the mothers sang Before the altars; on the earth the steers' due slaughter lay.

But on the snow-white threshold there of Phoebus bright as day 720 He sat and took the nations' gifts, and on the glorious door He hung them up: in long array the tamed folks went before, As diverse in their tongues as in their arms and garments' guise.

The Nomads had he fashioned there, that Mulciber the wise, And Afric's all ungirded folk; Carians and Leleges, Shafted Geloni: softlier there Euphrates rolled his seas; The Morini, the last of men, the horned Rhine, were there, Danae untamed, Araxes loth the chaining bridge to bear.

So on the shield, his mother's gift by Vulcan fashioned fair, He wondereth, blind of things to come but glad the tale to see, 730 And on his shoulder bears the fame and fate of sons to be.

BOOK IX.

ARGUMENT.

IN THE MEANTIME THAT aeNEAS IS AWAY, TURNUS AND THE LATINS BESET THE TROJAN ENCAMPMENT, AND MISS BUT A LITTLE OF BRINGING ALL THINGS TO RUIN.

Now while a long way off therefrom do these and those such deed, Saturnian Juno Iris sends from heaven aloft to speed To Turnus of the hardy heart, abiding, as doth hap, Within his sire Pilumnus' grove in shady valley's lap; Whom Thaumas' child from rosy mouth in suchwise doth bespeak:

"Turnus, what no one of the G.o.ds might promise, didst thou seek, The day of Fate undriven now hath borne about for thee: aeneas, he hath left his town, and ships, and company, And sought the lordship Palatine and King Evander's house; Nay more, hath reached the utmost steads, the towns of Corythus 10 And host of Lydians, where he arms the gathered carles for war.

Why doubt'st thou? now is time to call for horse and battle-car.

Break tarrying off, and make thy stoop upon their camp's dismay."

She spake, and on her poised wings went up the heavenly way, And in her flight with mighty bow cleft through the cloudy land.

The warrior knew her, and to heaven he cast up either hand, And with such voice of spoken things he followed as she fled: "O Iris, glory of the skies, and who thy ways hath sped Amidst the clouds to earth and me? Whence this so sudden clear Of weather? Lo, the midmost heaven I see departed shear, 20 And through the zenith stray the stars: such signs I follow on, Whoso ye be that call to war."

And therewithal he won Unto the stream, and from its face drew forth the water fair, Praying the G.o.ds, and laid a load of vows upon the air.

And now the host drew out to war amid the open meads, With wealth of painted gear and gold, and wealth of n.o.ble steeds.

Messapus leads the first array, and Tyrrheus' children ward The latter host, and in the midst is Turnus' self the lord.

Such is the host as Ganges deep, arising mid the hush With sevenfold rivers' solemn flow, or Nile-flood's fruitful rush, 30 When he hath ebbed from off the fields and hid him in his bed.

But now the Teucrians see the cloud of black dust grow to head From far away, and dusty-dark across the plain arise: And first from off the mound in face aloud Cacus cries: "Ho! what is this that rolleth on, this misty, mirky ball?

Swords, townsmen, swords! Bring point and edge; haste up to climb the wall.

Ho, for the foeman is at hand!"

Then, with a mighty shout, The Trojans swarm through all the gates and fill the walls about; For so aeneas, war-lord wise, had bidden them abide At his departing; if meantime some new hap should betide, 40 They should not dare nor trust themselves to pitch the fight afield, But hold the camp and save the town beneath the ramparts' shield.

Therefore, though shame and anger bade go forth and join the play, They bolt and bar the gates no less and all his word obey; And armed upon the hollow towers abide the coming foe.

But Turnus, flying forward fast, outwent the main host slow, And with a score of chosen knights is presently at hand Before the town: borne on he was on horse of Thracian land, White-flecked, and helmeted was he with ruddy-crested gold.

"Who will be first with me, O youths, play with the foe to hold? 50 Lo, here!" he cried; and on the air a whirling shaft he sent, The first of fight, and borne aloft about the meadows went.

His fellows take it up with shouts, and dreadful cry on rolls As fast they follow, wondering sore at sluggard Teucrian souls,-- That men should shun the battle pitched, nor dare the weapon-game, But hug their walls. So round the walls, high-horsed, with heart aflame, He rides about, and tries a way where never was a way: E'en as a wolf the sheep-fold full besetteth on a day, And howleth round about the garth, by wind and rain-drift beat, About the middle of the night, while safe the lamb-folk bleat 60 Beneath their mothers: wicked-fierce against them safe and near He rageth; hunger-madness long a-gathering him doth wear, With yearning for that blood beloved to wet his parched jaws.

E'en so in that Rutulian duke to flame the anger draws, As he beholdeth walls and camp: sore burnt his hardy heart For shifts to come at them; to shake those Teucrians shut apart From out their walls and spread their host about the meadows wide.

So on the ships he falls, that lay the campment's fence beside, Hedged all about with garth and mound and by the river's flood, And to the burning crieth on his folk of joyous mood, 70 And eager fills his own right hand with branch of blazing fir: Then verily they fall to work whom Turnus' gaze doth stir, And all the host of them in haste hand to the black torch lays.

They strip the hearths; the smoky brand sends forth pitch-laden blaze, And starward soot-bemingled flame drave Vulcan as he burned.

Say, Muse, what G.o.d from Teucrian folk such sore destruction turned?

Who drave away from Trojan keels so mighty great a flame?

Old is the troth in such a tale, but never dies its fame.

What time aeneas first began on Phrygian Ida's steep To frame his ships, and dight him there to ride upon the deep, 80 The Berecynthian Mother-Queen spake, as the tale doth fare, Unto the G.o.dhead of great Jove: "Son, grant unto my prayer That which thy loved mother asks from heaven all tamed to peace: A wood of pines I have, beloved through many years' increase.

There is a thicket on my height wherein men worship me, Dim with the blackening of the firs and trunks of maple-tree: These to the Dardan youth in need of ship-host grudged I nought, But in my anxious soul as now is born a troubling thought.

Do off my dread, and let, I pray, a mother's prayers avail, That these amid no shattering sea or whirling wind may fail; 90 Let it avail them that my heights first brought them unto birth."

Answered her son, that swayeth still the stars that rule the earth: "O mother, whither call'st thou Fate? what wouldst thou have them be?

Shall keels of mortal fashioning gain immortality?

And shall aeneas well a.s.sured stray every peril through?

Shall this be right? hath any G.o.d the power such things to do?

No less when they have done their work, and safe in Italy Lie in the haven, which soe'er have overpa.s.sed the sea, And borne the Duke of Dardan men to that Laurentine home, From such will I take mortal shape, and bid them to become 100 Queens of the sea-plain, such as are Doto the Nereus child, And Galatea, whose bosoms cleave the foaming waters wild."

He spake and swore it by the flood his Stygian Brother rules, And by its banks that reek with pitch o'er its black whirling pools, And with the bowing of his head did all Olympus shake.

And now the promised day was come, nor will the Parcae break The time fulfilled; when Turnus' threat now bade the Mother heed That she from those her holy ships should turn the fire at need.

Strange light before the eyes of men shone forth; a mighty cloud Ran from the dawning down the sky, and there was clashing loud 110 Of Ida's hosts, and from the heavens there fell a voice of fear, That through Rutulia's host and Troy's fulfilled every ear: "Make no great haste, O Teucrian men, these ships of mine to save!

Nor arm thereto! for Turnus here shall burn the salt sea wave Sooner than these, my holy pines. But ye--depart, go free!

The Mother biddeth it: depart, Queens, G.o.ddesses, of sea!"

Straightway the ships brake each the chain that tied them to the bank, And, as the dolphins dive adown, with plunging beaks they sank Down to the deeps, from whence, O strange! they come aback once more; As many brazen beaks as erst stood fast beside the sh.o.r.e, 120 So many shapes of maidens now seaward they wend their ways.

Appalled were those Rutulian hearts; yea, feared with all amaze, Messapus sat mid frighted steeds: the rough-voiced stream grew black; Yea, Tiberinus from the deep his footsteps drew aback.

But Turnus of the hardy heart, his courage nothing died; Unmoved he stirs their souls with speech, unmoved he falls to chide:

"These portents seek the Teucrians home; the very Jupiter s.n.a.t.c.hes their wonted aid from them, that might not bide to bear Rutulian fire and sword: henceforth the sea-plain lacketh road For Teucrian men: their flight is dead, and half the world's abode 130 Is reft from them: and earth, forsooth, upon our hands it waits, With thousands of Italian swords. For me, I fear no Fates: For if the Phrygians boast them still of answering words of G.o.d, Enough for Venus and the Fates that Teucrian men have trod The fair Ausonia's fruitful field: and answering fates have I: A wicked folk with edge of sword to root up utterly, For stolen wife: this grief hath grieved others than Atreus' sons, And other folk may run to arms than those Mycenian ones.

--Enough one downfall is, say ye?--Enough had been one sin.

Yea, I had deemed all womankind your hatred well might win. 140 --Lo, these are they to whom a wall betwixt the sword and sword, The little tarrying of a ditch,--such toys the death to ward!-- Give hearts of men! What, saw they not the war-walls of Troy-town, The fashioning of Neptune's hand, amid the flame sink down?

But ye, my chosen, who is dight with me to break the wall, That we upon their quaking camp with point and edge may fall?

No need I have of Vulcan's arms or thousand ships at sea Against these Teucrians; yea, though they should win them presently, The Tuscan friendship: deeds of dusk and deedless stolen gain Of that Palladium, and the guards of topmost castle slain, 150 Let them not fear: we shall not lurk in horse's dusky womb: In open day to gird your walls with wildfire is the doom.

Let them not deem they have to put the Danaans to the proof, Pelasgian lads that Hector's hand for ten years held aloof.

--But come, since all the best of day is well-nigh worn to end, Joy in our good beginning, friends, and well your bodies tend, And bide in hope and readiness the coming of the fight."

Therewith Messapus hath the charge with outguards of the night To keep the gates, and all the town with watch-fires round to ring: Twice seven are chosen out to hold the town inleaguering 160 Of Rutuli: an hundred youths, they follow each of these; A purple-crested folk that gleam with golden braveries: They pace the round, they shift the turn, or scattered o'er the gra.s.s Please heart and soul with wine, and turn the empty bowl of bra.s.s: The watch-fires shine around in ring; through sport and sleeplessness Their warding weareth night away.

The Trojans from their walls of war look down on all these things; They hold the heights in arms, and search the great gate's fastenings With hurrying fear; or, spear in hand, gangway to battlement 169 They yoke. There Mnestheus urged the work; there hot Serestus went; They whom aeneas, if perchance the time should call thereto, Had made first captains of the host, lords of all things to do.

So all the host along the walls the peril shareth out, Falling to watch, and plays its part in turn and turn about.

Nisus was warder of the gate, the eager under shield, The son of Hyrtacus, whom erst did huntress Ida yield Unto aeneas' fellowship, keen with the shaft and spear.

Euryalus, his friend, stood by, than whom none goodlier Went with aeneas or did on the battle-gear of Troy: Youth's bloom unshorn was on his cheek, scarce was he but a boy. 180 Like love the twain had each for each; in battle side by side They went; and now as gatewards twain together did abide.

Now Nisus saith: "Doth very G.o.d so set the heart on fire, Euryalus, or doth each man make G.o.d of his desire?

My soul is driving me to dare the battle presently, Or some great deed; nor pleased with peace at quiet will it be.

Thou seest how those Rutulian men trust in their warding keep; How wide apart the watch-fires shine; how slack with wine and sleep Men lie along; how far and wide the hush o'er all things lies.

Note now what stirreth in my mind, what thoughts in me arise: 190 They bid call back aeneas now, fathers, and folk, and all, And send out men to bear to him sure word of what doth fall.

Now if the thing I ask for thee they promise,--for to me The deed's fame is enough,--meseems beneath yon mound I see A way whereby to Palianteum in little s.p.a.ce to come."

Euryalus, by mighty love of glory smitten home, Stood all amazed, then answered thus his fiery-hearted friend: "O Nisus, wilt thou yoke me not to such a n.o.ble end?

And shall I send thee unto deeds so perilous alone?

My sire Opheltes, wise in war, nourished no such an one, 200 Reared mid the terror of the Greeks and Troy-town's miseries; Nor yet with thee have I been wont to deedless deeds like these, Following aeneas' mighty heart through Fortune's furthest way.

Here is a soul that scorns the light, and deems it good to pay With very life for such a fame as thou art brought anear."