All dreadful, growling in the midnight hours,
The trembling flock he murders and devours ;

465

While wrapt in filence lies the fleecy brood,
The favage rages in a foam of blood.

Nor with lefs rage Euryalus employ'd

The deadly fword; but nameless crowds deftroy'd.
Hebefus, Fadus, as they flept, he goar'd;

470

But wakeful Rhæfus faw the flaught'ring fword;

Behind a goblet he retir'd in vain ;

For as the foe, detected, rofe again,

The furious youth, with all his force impreft,

Plung'd the whole fword, deep-bury'd in his breast: 475 With blended wine and blood, the ground was dy'd;

The purple foul came floating in the tide.

So vents the youth his vengeance on his foes,
And scatters death and flaughter as he goes.
Now when to brave Meffapus' tents they came,
The fires juft glimmer'd with a quiv'ring flame.
The train lie fcatter'd, while the fteeds, unbound,
Expatiate wide, and graze the verdant ground.
Then Nifus warn'd him; for he faw the boy
Too fierce for blood, too eager to destroy;

480

485

Enough of death-our fwords have hew'd the way-
We stand detected by the dawning day.

They part; and leave, in piles confus'dly roll'd,
Bright arms, embroider'd robes, and bowls of gold.
But yet the fond Euryalus would stay,
Refolv'd to feize one rich diftinguish'd prey;
The shining trappings Rhamnes' courfers bore,
And the broad golden belt the monarch wore,

490

Dr. Trapp, Recepit dira hofpitalitate. Some read inulta, for which there is the authority of one MS. in Italy, as we are told by Waddelius, in loc.

Quae mittit dona, hofpitio cum jungeret abfens,
Caedicus ille fuo moriens dat habere nepoti.

Poft mortem bello Rutuli praedaque potiti.

Haec rapit, atque humeris nequidquam fortibus aptat. Tum galeam Messapi habilem cristisque decoram

365

Induit. excedunt caftris, et tuta capeffunt.
Interea pracmiffi equites ex urbe Latina,
Cetera dum legio campis inftructa moratur,
Ibant, et Turno regi responsa ferebant,
Tercentum, fcutati omnes, Volfcente magiftro.
Jamque propinquabant caftris, murofque fubibant,
Cum procul hos laevo flectentis limite cernunt:
Et galea Euryalum fubluftri noctis in umbra
Prodidit inmemorem, radiifque adverfa refulfit.

370

Haud temere eft vifum: conclamat ab agmine Volfcens, 375
State, viri. quae cauffa viae? quive eftis in armis ?
Quove tenetis iter? Nihil illi tendere contra :

Sed celerare fugam in filvas, et fidere nocti.
Objiciunt equites fefe ad divortia nota

Hinc atque hinc, omnemque abitum cuftode coronant. 380
Silva fuit, late dumis atque ilice nigra

Horrida, quam denfi conplerant undique fentes:

494. Of old to Remulus.] It was anciently a cuftom, fays Pope [note ver. 313. Il. 10.], to make thefe military prefents to brave adventurers. So Jonathan in the first book of Sam. ftript himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David; and his garments even to his fword, and his bow, and his girdle, chap. viii. ver. 4.

496. Which with his grandfon.]

Ille fuo moriens dat habere nepoti: in the original; This is a Greek mode of speaking, as, Edwxev EXELV.

510. Euryalus' bright helm.] The difcovery of our adventurers is finely conducted. They are detected merely by fo flight a circumftance, as that of an helmet reflecting the moonbeams. What can be more natural than this! The beauty of this discovery confifts in the flightness of the accident which occafioned it. We are to remember too, that they are betray'd

by

Of old to Remulus was fent the prize

By Cædicus, the pledge of focial ties ;

495

Which with his grandfon at his death remain'd,
And last by war the fierce Rutulians gain'd.
This belt he bore, exulting from the plain,
And in gay triumph wore, but wore in vain!
Next with Meffapus' helm, his brows he spread,
Adorn'd with plumes, that nodded o'er his head,
Then, flush'd with flaughter and the glorious prey,
They quit the camp, and feek a fafer way.
Meantime, the Daunian hero to fupport,
Advanc'd a legion from the Latian court;

Three hundred horfe, while flow the foot fucceed,
Fly fwift before, with Volfcens at their head.
Now to the camp the warriors bend their way,
And, on the left, the hapless youths survey.
Euryalus' bright helm the pair betray'd,
On which the moon in all her glory play'd.
'Tis not for nought, those youths appear; declare
(Cries the ftern gen'ral) who and whence you are;
And whither bound; and wherefore arm'd for war?
Nought they reply, but took their sudden flight
To the thick forefts, and the fhades of night.
But the fierce warriors spurr'd their steeds, and stood
All round, to guard the op'nings of the wood.

O'ergrown and wild the darkfome foreft lay,

500

505

510

515

And trees and brakes perplex'd the winding way. 520

by part of the spoil they had been just taking, Meffapus's helmet; which helmet it was very natural and in character that Euryalus fhould put on. See note on ver. 621. B. 7.

512. 'Tis not for nought.] Haud temere, &c. that is, non otiofe, · fegniter, and confequently not in vain. Some refer haud temere eft vifum to the poet's narration; but I think it comes with much more propriety from the mouth of this watchful leader. 520. And trees and brakes.]

Rara per occultos ducebat femita callis.
D 3

Servius

Rara per occultos ducebat femita callis.
Euryalum tenebrae ramorum onerofaque praeda
Inpediunt, fallique timor regione viarum.
Nifus abit: jamque inprudens evaferat hoftis,
Atque lacus; qui poft Albae de nomine dicti
Albani tum rex ftabula alta Latinus habebat.
Ut ftetit, et fruftra abfentem refpexit amicum :
Euryale, infelix qua te regione reliqui?

Quave fequar? rurfus perplexum iter omne revolvens
Fallacis filvae, fimul et veftigia retro

Obfervata legit, dumifque filentibus errat :

Audit equcs, audit ftrepitus et figna fequentum.

385

390

Nec longum in medio tempus; cum clamor ad auris 395
Pervenit, ac videt Euryalum; quem jam manus omnis
Fraude loci et noctis, fubito turbante tumultu,
Oppreffum rapit, et conantem plurima frustra.
Quid faciat? qua vi juvenem, quibus audeat armis
Eripere? an fefe medios moriturus in enfes
Inferat, et pulchram properet per volnera mortem ?
Ocius adducto torquens haftile lacerto,
Sufpiciens altam Lunam et, fic voce precatur :
Tu, dea, tu praefens noftro fuccurre labori,
Aftrorum decus et nemorum Latonia cuftos;

400

405

Servius takes femita for a path made by men; callis for the tracks worn by cattle. Rara femita may fignify either pauca femita, according to Ruæus; like Rara avis in Juvenal, and rarus emptor in Pliny; or narrow; Trapp has taken both,

-few narrow paths, &c.

Servius fays, raro lucens; for, instead of ducebat, fome read lucebat, which I think a more elegant reading.

528. There flood the mournful youth.] Never was diftrefs more ftrongly painted than this! He looks back for his beloved friend, but in vain: He retraces his steps thro' the mazes of the filent wood, dumifque filentibus, and on a fudden hears the found of approaching horfemen: At laft he perceives his friend

fur

Hither, incumber'd with his gaudy prize,
Diftrefs'd Euryalus for fhelter flies;

But mifs'd the turnings in his wild furprize.
Not fo, fwift Nifus, who the foes declin❜d,

Nor knew th' endanger'd boy was left behind;

525

Beyond the once-fam'd Alban fields he fled,

Where the fleet courfers of Latinus fed.

There ftood the mournful youth; and from the plain,

Caft a long look, to find his friend, in vain !

Where is Euryalus, my only joy?

530

Where fhall I find (he cry'd) the hapless boy?
Then he retrac'd his former fteps, and trod,
Once more, the winding mazes of the wood.
The trampling feeds and warriors pour behind,
And the loud cries come thick in every wind.
Here, while he paus'd, a general shout he heard;

535

And lo! his lov'd Euryalus appear'd,

Surrounded by the foe: the gloomy night,

And pathlefs thickets, intercept his flight.

With joyful clamours crowd the gath'ring train
Around the captive, who resists in vain,
What can his friend attempt, what means employ,
What arms, what fuccours, to redeem the boy?
Or thro' th' embattled fquadrons fhall he fly,
And, prefs'd by hoftile numbers, nobly die?
Then on the moon he caft a mournful look,
And in his hand the pointed jav'lin fhook;
Great guardian goddess of the woods! (he cries)
Pride of the stars, and emprefs of the skies!

540

545

furrounded by the enemy. Quid faciat? in this place, is finely introduced by the poet. His prayer to Diana, before he throws his fpear, is affecting, and fuitable to his circumtances.