My own right Hand and Sword affift my stroke,
(Thofe only Gods Mezentius will invoke.)
His Armour, from the Trojan Pyrate torn,
Shall by my Laufus be in triumph worn.

He faid; and straight with all his force he threw
The maffie Spear, which, hiffing as it flew,
Reach'd the celeftial Shield; that ftop'd the course:
But glancing thence, the yet unbroken force
Took a new bent obliquely, and, betwixt
The Side and Bowels, fam'd Anthores fixt.
Anthores had from Argos travell'd far,
Alcides friend, and brother of the War,
'Till, tir'd with toyls, fair Italy he chofe,
And in Evander's Palace fought repose:
Now falling by anothers wound, his eyes
He cafts to Heaven; on Argos thinks, and dies.
The pious Trojan then this javelin fent;

The Sheild gave way, thro' trebble plates it went
Of folid Brass, of Linnen trebbly rowl'd,

And three Bull Hides, which round the Buckler fold: All these it past with unrefifted course,

Tranfpeirc'd his Thigh, and spent its dying force. The gaping wound gufh'd out a crimfom flood: The Trojan glad with fight of hostile Blood,

His Fauchion drew, to clofer fight addrest,
And with new force his fainting Foe opprest.
His Father's danger Laufus veiw'd with grief,
He figh❜d, he wept, he ran to his relief:

And here, O wond'rous Youth! 'tis here, I must
To thy immortal Memory be juft,

And fing an Act, fo noble and fo new,

Posterity shall scarce believe it true,

Pain'd with his wound, and useless for the fight,
The Father fought to fave himself by flight;
Incumber'd, flow he drag'd the Spear along,
Which peirc'd his Thigh, and in his Buckler hung.
The pious Youth, resolv❜d to undergo

The lifted fword, fprings out to face his Foe,
Protects his Father, and prevents the Blow.
Shouts of applaufe ran ringing thro' the field,
To fee the Son the vanquifh'd Father shield;
All fir'd with Noble Emulation, strive;
And with a ftorm of darts, to distance drive
The Trojan Chief, who held at bay, from far,
On his Vulcanian Orb sustain'd the War.

As when thick Hail comes ratling in the wind,
The Ploughman, Paffenger, and lab'ring Hind

}

For

For fhelter to the Neighb'ring Covert fly;
Or hous'd, or fafe in Hollow Caverns lie:

But that o'reblown, when heav'n above'em smiles,
Return to Travel, and renew their toils:
Eneas thus o'rewhelm'd, on every fide
The Storm of darts undaunted did abide;
(cri'd.
And thus to Laufus loud, with friendly threatning
Why wilt thou rush to certain death, and rage
In rash Attempts beyond thy tender Age;
Betray'd by pious Love? Nor thus forborn
The Youth desists, but with insulting scorn
Provokes the ling'ring Prince, whose patience tir'd,
Gave place; and all his breast with fury fir'd.
For now the Fates prepar'd their cruel Shears;
And lifted high, the conquering Sword appears,
Which full defcending with a fearful fway,

Tro' Sheild and Cuiraffe forc'd th' impetuous way,
And buried deep in his fair Bosome lay. -
The fpringing ftreams thro' the thin Armour strove,
And drenchtthegoldenCoat his carefulMother wove:
And life at length forfook his heaving heart,
Loth from fo fweet a Manfion to depart.

But when, with blood and paleness all befpread,
The pious Prince beheld young Laufus dead,

He griev'd, he wept: The fight an image brought
Of his own filial Love; a fadly pleasing thought.
Then ftretch'd his hand to raise him up, and faid;
Poor hapless Youth, what praises can be paid
To Love fo great; to such transcendent store
Of early worth, and fure prefage of more!
Accept whate're Eneas can afford:
Untouch'd thy Arms; untaken be thy Sword;
And all that pleas'd thee living, still remain
Inviolate, and facred to the flain.

Thy body on thy Parents I beftow,

To please thy Ghost; at least if shadows know
Or have a taste of human things below,
There, to thy fellow Ghosts, with glory tell,
'Twas by the great Eneas hand I fell.

With this he bids his diftant Friends draw near,
Provokes their Duty, and prevents their Fear;
Himself aflifts to raise him from the ground,

His Locks deform'd with Blood, that well'd from out his wound.

Mean time the Father, now no Father, ftood, And wash'd his wounds by Tyber's yellow flood, Oppreft with anguish, panting, and o're-spent, His fainting Limbs against a Tree he leant:

A bough his brazen Helmet did sustain,
His heavier arms lay scatter'd on the plain :
Of Youth a chofen Troop around him stand,
His head hung down, and rested on his hand,
His grizly Beard his penfive bofom fought,
And all on Laufus ran his restless thought.
Careful, concern'd his danger to prevent,
Much he enquir'd, and many a meffage sent,
To warn him from the Field; alas, in vain!
Behold his mourful followers bear him flain
On their broad fhields; ftill gufh'd the gaping wound,
And drew a bloody trail along the ground.
Far off he heard their cries; far off divin'd
The dire event with a foreboding mind.
With duft he sprinkled firft his Hoary Head,
Then both his lifted Arms to Heav'n he fpread;
Laft, the dear Corps embracing, thus he said.
What joys, alas! cou'd this frail Being give,
That I have been fo covetous to live?
To see my Son, and fuch a Son refign

His life a ransome for preferving mine!
And am I then preferv'd, and art thou loft!
How much too dear has that redemption coft!