dum te, care puer, mea sera et sola voluptas, complexu teneo, gravior neu nuntius auris volneret." haec genitor digressu dicta supremo fundebat; famuli conlapsum in tecta ferebant. Iamque adeo exierat portis equitatus apertis, 585 Aeneas inter primos et fidus Achates, inde alii Troiae proceres, ipse agmine Pallas in medio, chlamyde et pictis conspectus in armis, qualis ubi Oceani perfusus Lucifer unda, quem Venus ante alios astrorum diligit ignis, 590 595 extulit os sacrum caelo tenebrasque resolvit. stant pavidae in muris matres oculisque sequuntur pulveream nubem et fulgentis aere catervas. olli per dumos, qua proxima meta viarum, armati tendunt; it clamor, et agmine facto quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum. Est ingens gelidum lucus prope Caeritis amnem, religione patrum late sacer; undique colles inclusere cavi et nigra nemus abiete cingunt. Silvano fama est veteres sacrasse Pelasgos, arvorum pecorisque deo, lucumque diemque, qui primi finis aliquando habuere Latinos. haud procul hinc Tarcho et Tyrrheni tuta tenebant castra locis, celsoque omnis de colle videri iam poterat legio et latis tendebat in arvis. huc pater Aeneas et bello lecta iuventus succedunt, fessique et equos et corpora curant. At Venus aetherios inter dea candida nimbos dona ferens aderat; natumque in valle reducta ut procul egelido secretum flumine vidit, 582 complexus MR. ne P21. 581 sola et sera R. 610 et gelido M2PRɣ. 600 605 610 future, while thou, beloved boy; my late and lone delight, art held in my embrace; and may no heavier tidings wound mine ear!". These words the father poured forth at their last parting; his servants bore him swooning within the palace." 585 And now the horsemen had issued from the open gates, Aeneas at their head with loyai Achates, then other princes of Troy; Pallas himself at the column's centre, conspicuous in scarf and blazoned armour-even as the Morning Star, whom Venus loves above all the stellar fires, when, bathed in Ocean's wave, he uplifts in heaven his sacred head and melts the darkness. On the walls mothers stand trembling, and follow with their eyes the dusty cloud and the squadrons gleaming with brass. They through the brushwood, where the journey's goal is nearest, fare in their armour; a shout mounts up, they form in column, and with galloping tramp the horse-hoof shakes the crumbling plain. 597 Near Caere's cold stream there stands a vast grove, widely revered with ancestral awe; on all sides curving hills enclose it, and girdle the woodland with dark fir-trees. Rumour tells that the old Pelasgians who first, in time gone by, held the Latin borders, dedicated both grove and festal day to Silvanus, god of fields and flock. Not far from thence Tarchon and the Tyrrhenians camped in a sheltered spot, and now from a high hill all the host could be seen, their tents pitched in the wide fields. Hither come father Aeneas and the warriors chosen for battle, and refresh their steeds and wearied frames. 608 But Venus, lovely goddess, drew nigh, bearing her gifts amid the clouds of heaven; and when afar she saw her son apart in a secluded vale by the cool talibus adfata est dictis seque obtulit ultro : 615 625 terribilem cristis galeam flammasque vomentem, 620 fatiferumque ensem, loricam ex aere rigentem, sanguineam, ingentem, qualis cum caerula nubes solis inardescit radiis longeque refulget; tum levis ocreas electro auroque recocto, hastamque et clipei non enarrabile textum. Illic res Italas Romanorumque triumphos haud vatum ignarus venturique inscius aevi fecerat Ignipotens, illic genus omne futurae stirpis ab Ascanio pugnataque in ordine bella. fecerat et viridi fetam Mavortis in antro procubuisse lupam, geminos huic ubera circum ludere pendentis pueros et lambere matrem impavidos, illam tereti cervice reflexa mulcere alternos et corpora fingere lingua. 630 nec procul hinc Romam et raptas sine more Sabinas 635 consessu caveae, magnis Circensibus actis, addiderat, subitoque novum consurgere bellum Romulidis Tatioque seni Curibusque severis. post idem inter se posito certamine reges armati Iovis ante aram paterasque tenentes stabant et caesa iungebant foedera porca. haud procul inde citae Mettum in diversa quadrigae 620 minantem Py1. 628 omnipotens M. 640 aras R. pateram M. 640 stream, she thus addressed him, of free will presenting herself to view; "Lo! the presents perfected by my lord's promised skill! so that thou mayest not shrink, my child, from challenging anon the haughty Laurentines or brave Turnus to battle." Cytherea spake, and sought her son's embrace, and set up the arms all radiant under an oak before him. He, rejoicing in the divine gift and in honour thus signal, cannot be sated, as he rolls his eyes from piece to piece, admiring and turning over in his hands and arms the helmet, terrific with plumes and spouting flames, the death-dealing sword, the stiff brazen corslet, bloodred and huge,-even as when a dark-blue cloud kindles with the sun's rays and gleams afar; then the smooth greaves of electrum and refined gold, the spear, and the shield's ineffable fabric. 626 There the story of Italy and the triumphs of Rome had the Lord of Fire fashioned, not unversed in prophecy, or unknowing of the age to come; there, every generation of the stock to spring from Ascanius, and the wars they fought one by one. He had fashioned, too, the mother-wolf outstretched in the green cave of Mars; around her teats the twin boys hung playing, and mouthed their dam without fear; she, with shapely neck bent back, fondled them by turns, and moulded their limbs with her tongue. Not far from this he had set Rome and the Sabines, lawlessly carried off, what time the great Circus-games were held, from the theatre's seated throng; then the sudden uprising of a fresh war between the sons of Romulus and aged Tatius and his stern Cures. Next, the self-same kings, their strife laid at rest, stood armed before Jove's altar, cup in hand, and each with each made covenant o'er sacrifice of swine. Not far thence, four-horse cars, driven apart, had torn Mettus distulerant (at tu dictis, Albane, maneres!) 645 650 In summo custos Tarpeiae Manlius arcis stabat pro templo et Capitolia celsa tenebat, Romuleoque recens horrebat regia culmo. atque hic auratis volitans argenteus anser porticibus Gallos in limine adesse canebat; Galli per dumos aderant arcemque tenebant, defensi tenebris et dono noctis opacae : aurea caesaries ollis atque aurea vestis, 655 virgatis lucent sagulis, tum lactea colla 660 auro innectuntur, duo quisque Alpina coruscant gaesa manu, scutis protecti corpora longis. hic exsultantis Salios nudosque Lupercos 643 dispulerant M2. 657 Galli] olli R. 661 coruscat Py1. 665 1 In the imperial city there was a "house of Romulus,“ with thatched roof, on both the Capitol and the Palatine. |