第92章

What right hast thou to rule the Latian state, And send us out to meet our certain fate?

'T is a destructive war: from Turnus' hand Our peace and public safety we demand.

Let the fair bride to the brave chief remain;If not, the peace, without the pledge, is vain.

Turnus, I know you think me not your friend, Nor will I much with your belief contend:

I beg your greatness not to give the law In others' realms, but, beaten, to withdraw.

Pity your own, or pity our estate;

Nor twist our fortunes with your sinking fate.

Your interest is, the war should never cease;But we have felt enough to wish the peace:

A land exhausted to the last remains, Depopulated towns, and driven plains.

Yet, if desire of fame, and thirst of pow'r, A beauteous princess, with a crown in dow'r, So fire your mind, in arms assert your right, And meet your foe, who dares you to the fight.

Mankind, it seems, is made for you alone;We, but the slaves who mount you to the throne:

A base ignoble crowd, without a name, Unwept, unworthy, of the fun'ral flame, By duty bound to forfeit each his life, That Turnus may possess a royal wife.

Permit not, mighty man, so mean a crew Should share such triumphs, and detain from you The post of honor, your undoubted due.

Rather alone your matchless force employ, To merit what alone you must enjoy."These words, so full of malice mix'd with art, Inflam'd with rage the youthful hero's heart.

Then, groaning from the bottom of his breast, He heav'd for wind, and thus his wrath express'd:

"You, Drances, never want a stream of words, Then, when the public need requires our swords.

First in the council hall to steer the state, And ever foremost in a tongue-debate, While our strong walls secure us from the foe, Ere yet with blood our ditches overflow:

But let the potent orator declaim, And with the brand of coward blot my name;Free leave is giv'n him, when his fatal hand Has cover'd with more corps the sanguine strand, And high as mine his tow'ring trophies stand.

If any doubt remains, who dares the most, Let us decide it at the Trojan's cost, And issue both abreast, where honor calls-Foes are not far to seek without the walls-Unless his noisy tongue can only fight, And feet were giv'n him but to speed his flight.

I beaten from the field? I forc'd away?

Who, but so known a dastard, dares to say?

Had he but ev'n beheld the fight, his eyes Had witness'd for me what his tongue denies:

What heaps of Trojans by this hand were slain, And how the bloody Tiber swell'd the main.

All saw, but he, th' Arcadian troops retire In scatter'd squadrons, and their prince expire.

The giant brothers, in their camp, have found, I was not forc'd with ease to quit my ground.

Not such the Trojans tried me, when, inclos'd, I singly their united arms oppos'd:

First forc'd an entrance thro' their thick array;Then, glutted with their slaughter, freed my way.

'T is a destructive war? So let it be, But to the Phrygian pirate, and to thee!

Meantime proceed to fill the people's ears With false reports, their minds with panic fears:

Extol the strength of a twice-conquer'd race;Our foes encourage, and our friends debase.

Believe thy fables, and the Trojan town Triumphant stands; the Grecians are o'erthrown;Suppliant at Hector's feet Achilles lies, And Diomede from fierce Aeneas flies.

Say rapid Aufidus with awful dread Runs backward from the sea, and hides his head, When the great Trojan on his bank appears;For that's as true as thy dissembled fears Of my revenge.Dismiss that vanity:

Thou, Drances, art below a death from me.

Let that vile soul in that vile body rest;The lodging is well worthy of the guest.

"Now, royal father, to the present state Of our affairs, and of this high debate:

If in your arms thus early you diffide, And think your fortune is already tried;If one defeat has brought us down so low, As never more in fields to meet the foe;Then I conclude for peace: 't is time to treat, And lie like vassals at the victor's feet.

But, O! if any ancient blood remains, One drop of all our fathers', in our veins, That man would I prefer before the rest, Who dar'd his death with an undaunted breast;Who comely fell, by no dishonest wound, To shun that sight, and, dying, gnaw'd the ground.

But, if we still have fresh recruits in store, If our confederates can afford us more;If the contended field we bravely fought, And not a bloodless victory was bought;Their losses equal'd ours; and, for their slain, With equal fires they fill'd the shining plain;Why thus, unforc'd, should we so tamely yield, And, ere the trumpet sounds, resign the field?

Good unexpected, evils unforeseen, Appear by turns, as fortune shifts the scene:

Some, rais'd aloft, come tumbling down amain;Then fall so hard, they bound and rise again.

If Diomede refuse his aid to lend, The great Messapus yet remains our friend:

Tolumnius, who foretells events, is ours;Th' Italian chiefs and princes join their pow'rs:

Nor least in number, nor in name the last, Your own brave subjects have your cause embrac'd Above the rest, the Volscian Amazon Contains an army in herself alone, And heads a squadron, terrible to sight, With glitt'ring shields, in brazen armor bright.

Yet, if the foe a single fight demand, And I alone the public peace withstand;If you consent, he shall not be refus'd, Nor find a hand to victory unus'd.

This new Achilles, let him take the field, With fated armor, and Vulcanian shield!

For you, my royal father, and my fame, I, Turnus, not the least of all my name, Devote my soul.He calls me hand to hand, And I alone will answer his demand.

Drances shall rest secure, and neither share The danger, nor divide the prize of war."While they debate, nor these nor those will yield, Aeneas draws his forces to the field, And moves his camp.The scouts with flying speed Return, and thro' the frighted city spread Th' unpleasing news, the Trojans are descried, In battle marching by the river side, And bending to the town.They take th' alarm:

Some tremble, some are bold; all in confusion arm.