第80章

Heav'n heard his song, and hasten'd his relief, And chang'd to snowy plumes his hoary hair, And wing'd his flight, to chant aloft in air.

His son Cupavo brush'd the briny flood:

Upon his stern a brawny Centaur stood, Who heav'd a rock, and, threat'ning still to throw, With lifted hands alarm'd the seas below:

They seem'd to fear the formidable sight, And roll'd their billows on, to speed his flight.

Ocnus was next, who led his native train Of hardy warriors thro' the wat'ry plain:

The son of Manto by the Tuscan stream, From whence the Mantuan town derives the name-An ancient city, but of mix'd descent:

Three sev'ral tribes compose the government;Four towns are under each; but all obey The Mantuan laws, and own the Tuscan sway.

Hate to Mezentius arm'd five hundred more, Whom Mincius from his sire Benacus bore:

Mincius, with wreaths of reeds his forehead cover'd o'er.

These grave Auletes leads: a hundred sweep With stretching oars at once the glassy deep.

Him and his martial train the Triton bears;High on his poop the sea-green god appears:

Frowning he seems his crooked shell to sound, And at the blast the billows dance around.

A hairy man above the waist he shows;

A porpoise tail beneath his belly grows;

And ends a fish: his breast the waves divides, And froth and foam augment the murm'ring tides.

Full thirty ships transport the chosen train For Troy's relief, and scour the briny main.

Now was the world forsaken by the sun, And Phoebe half her nightly race had run.

The careful chief, who never clos'd his eyes, Himself the rudder holds, the sails supplies.

A choir of Nereids meet him on the flood, Once his own galleys, hewn from Ida's wood;But now, as many nymphs, the sea they sweep, As rode, before, tall vessels on the deep.

They know him from afar; and in a ring Inclose the ship that bore the Trojan king.

Cymodoce, whose voice excell'd the rest, Above the waves advanc'd her snowy breast;Her right hand stops the stern; her left divides The curling ocean, and corrects the tides.

She spoke for all the choir, and thus began With pleasing words to warn th' unknowing man:

"Sleeps our lov'd lord? O goddess-born, awake!

Spread ev'ry sail, pursue your wat'ry track, And haste your course.Your navy once were we, From Ida's height descending to the sea;Till Turnus, as at anchor fix'd we stood, Presum'd to violate our holy wood.

Then, loos'd from shore, we fled his fires profane (Unwillingly we broke our master's chain), And since have sought you thro' the Tuscan main.

The mighty Mother chang'd our forms to these, And gave us life immortal in the seas.

But young Ascanius, in his camp distress'd, By your insulting foes is hardly press'd.

Th' Arcadian horsemen, and Etrurian host, Advance in order on the Latian coast:

To cut their way the Daunian chief designs, Before their troops can reach the Trojan lines.

Thou, when the rosy morn restores the light, First arm thy soldiers for th' ensuing fight:

Thyself the fated sword of Vulcan wield, And bear aloft th' impenetrable shield.

To-morrow's sun, unless my skill be vain, Shall see huge heaps of foes in battle slain."Parting, she spoke; and with immortal force Push'd on the vessel in her wat'ry course;For well she knew the way.Impell'd behind, The ship flew forward, and outstripp'd the wind.

The rest make up.Unknowing of the cause, The chief admires their speed, and happy omens draws.

Then thus he pray'd, and fix'd on heav'n his eyes:

"Hear thou, great Mother of the deities.

With turrets crown'd! (on Ida's holy hill Fierce tigers, rein'd and curb'd, obey thy will.)Firm thy own omens; lead us on to fight;

And let thy Phrygians conquer in thy right."He said no more.And now renewing day Had chas'd the shadows of the night away.

He charg'd the soldiers, with preventing care, Their flags to follow, and their arms prepare;Warn'd of th' ensuing fight, and bade 'em hope the war.

Now, his lofty poop, he view'd below His camp incompass'd, and th' inclosing foe.

His blazing shield, imbrac'd, he held on high;The camp receive the sign, and with loud shouts reply.

Hope arms their courage: from their tow'rs they throw Their darts with double force, and drive the foe.

Thus, at the signal giv'n, the cranes arise Before the stormy south, and blacken all the skies.

King Turnus wonder'd at the fight renew'd, Till, looking back, the Trojan fleet he view'd, The seas with swelling canvas cover'd o'er, And the swift ships descending on the shore.

The Latians saw from far, with dazzled eyes, The radiant crest that seem'd in flames to rise, And dart diffusive fires around the field, And the keen glitt'ring the golden shield.

Thus threat'ning comets, when by night they rise, Shoot sanguine streams, and sadden all the skies:

So Sirius, flashing forth sinister lights, Pale humankind with plagues and with dry famine fright:

Yet Turnus with undaunted mind is bent To man the shores, and hinder their descent, And thus awakes the courage of his friends:

"What you so long have wish'd, kind Fortune sends;In ardent arms to meet th' invading foe:

You find, and find him at advantage now.

Yours is the day: you need but only dare;Your swords will make you masters of the war.

Your sires, your sons, your houses, and your lands, And dearest wifes, are all within your hands.

Be mindful of the race from whence you came, And emulate in arms your fathers' fame.

Now take the time, while stagg'ring yet they stand With feet unfirm, and prepossess the strand:

Fortune befriends the bold." Nor more he said, But balanc'd whom to leave, and whom to lead;Then these elects, the landing to prevent;And those he leaves, to keep the city pent.

Meantime the Trojan sends his troops ashore:

Some are by boats expos'd, by bridges more.

With lab'ring oars they bear along the strand, Where the tide languishes, and leap aland.

Tarchon observes the coast with careful eyes, And, where no ford he finds, no water fries, Nor billows with unequal murmurs roar, But smoothly slide along, and swell the shore, That course he steer'd, and thus he gave command: