THU

And leads new armies from the Tufcan coasts
Difpatch'd by heav'n's great emprefs from the skies,
The goddess of the bow to Turnus flies;

Where, cover'd with the fhade, he made abode
In his old grandfire's confecrated wood;
There, as at eafe reclin'd the godlike man,

Her rofy lips fhe open'd, and began:

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and of all these the fable or fubject is compofed; which is no more than the action, and its ornaments, or episodes; and which are fo much the more beautiful, as they fall in more naturally with the fubject. It is the very effence of episodes, that they may be taken away without hurting the fubject; though at the fame time they should have a clofe connexion with the fubject.

Virgil obferves all this exactly; but we are to confider, that the poet makes thofe episodes, where the hero does not much appear, far fhorter than those where he has the principal part. The recital which Æneas makes of the taking of Troy, and his amour with Dido, are much longer than the hiftory of Cacus related by Evander, or the adventures of Nifus and Euryalus which the poet himfelf relates. This example of generous friendship is the chief beauty of this book; but it is not the only paffage where the poet exerts himself: the complaints of the mother of Euryalus, the invectives of Numanus, and the attack of the camp in which the poet makes Turnus perform fo many brave exploits; are all excellent. SEGRAIS.

Turne, quod optanti divêm promittere nemo
Auderet, volvenda dies en adtulit ultro.

Aeneas, urbe, et sociis, et classe relicta,
Sceptra Palatini fedemque petît Euandri.

Nec fatis extremas Corythi penetravit ad urbes :
Lydorumque manum conlectos armat agreftis.

ΙΟ

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Quid dubitas? nunc tempus equos, nunc pofcere currus.
Rumpe moras omnis, et turbata adripe caftra.
Dixit, et in caelum paribus fe sustulit alis;
Ingentemque fuga fecuit fub nubibus arcum.
Adgnovit juvenis, duplicifque ad fidera palmas
Suftulit, ac tali fugientem eft voce fecutus:
Iri, decus caeli, quis te mihi nubibus actam
Detulit in terras? unde haec tam clara repente
Tempeftas ? medium video difcedere caelum,
Palantifque polo ftellas. fequor omina tanta,
Quifquis in arma vocas.
Proceffit, fummoque haufit de gurgite lymphas,
Multa deos orans; oneravitque aethera votis.
Jamque omnis campis exercitus ibat apertis,
Dives equûm, dives pictaï veftis et auri.
Meffapus primas acies, poftrema coërcent
Tyrrhidae juvenes : medio dux agmine Turnus
Vertitur arma tenens, et toto vertice fupra eft.

et fic effatus ad undam

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Turnus, this kind aufpicious hour bestows
What scarce a god could promife to thy vows:
For lo! the Trojan chief has parted hence,
And for new fuccours courts th' Arcadian prince.
Thence to the Tuscan coafts his course he bends,
And leaves expos'd his walls, his fleets, and friends.

Now, while the Lydians in his cause unite,

And the raw peasants gather to the fight;

Call, call the fiery courfers, and the car;
Fly-ftorm his camp-and give a loose to war.
This faid; with level'd wings fhe mounts on high,
And cuts a glorious rainbow in the sky.

He knew the fair; his lifted hands he spread,
And with these words purfu'd her as she fled :
Bright beauteous goddess of the various bow,
What pow'r dispatch'd thee to the world below?
What splendors open to my dazzled eyes!
What floods of glory burst from all the skies!
And lo! the heav'ns divide, the planets roll!
Thick shine the stars, and gild the glowing pole!
Call'd by these omens to the field of blood,
I follow to the war the great inspiring god!

Raptur'd he said, and fought the limpid tide,
Where gurgling streams in filver currents glide;
There cleans'd his hands, then raising high in air,
To ev'ry god addrefs'd his ardent pray'r.

And now, all gay and glorious to behold,
Rich in embroider'd vefts, and arms of gold,
On sprightly prancing fteeds, the martial train
Spread wide their ranks o'er all th' embattled plain.
The van with great Meffapus at their head;
The deep'ning rear the fons of Tyrrheus led.
Brave Turnus flames in arms, fupremely tall,
Tow'rs in the center, and outshines them all.

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Ceu feptem furgens fedatis amnibus altus
Per tacitum Ganges, aut pingui fumine Nilus,
Cum refluit campis, et fe jam condidit alveo.
Hic fubitam nigro glomerari pulvere nubem
Profpiciunt Teucri, ac tenebras infurgere campis.
Primus ab, adverfa conclamat mole Caïcus:
Qui globus, ô cives, caligine volvitur atra?
Ferte citi ferrum, date tela, et fcandite muros.
Hoftis adeft, eia. ingenti clamore per omnis
Condunt fe Teucri portas, et moenia conplent.
Namque ita difcedens praeceperat optimus armis
Aeneas fi qua interea fortuna fuiffet,

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Neu ftruere auderent aciem, neu credere campo:
Caftra modò, ac tutos fervarent aggere muros.
Ergo, etfi conferre manum pudor iraque monftrat,
Objiciunt portas tamen, et praecepta faceffunt,
Armatique cavis exfpectant turribus hoftem.

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Turnus, ut ante volans tardum praeceffer at agmen,
Viginti lectis equitum comitatus, et urbi
Inprovifns adeft: maculis quem Thracius albis
Portat equus, cristaque tegit galea aurea rubra.
Ecquis erit mecum, juvenes, qui primus in hoftem?
En, ait, et jaculum adtorquens emittit in auras,
Principium pugnac, et campo fefe arduus infert.

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62. But mighty Turnus rode, &c.] The character of Turnus is conftantly preferved, qualis ab incepto procefferat. I do not remember, that Virgil flags once in defcribing the refolute impetuofity, which this young hero every where exerts. begins the fiege with a molt fpirited exclamation,

Ecquis erit mecum, juvenes, qui primus in hoftem ?

:

He here

a

He attempts every pafs and avenue, as a hungry wolf in tempeftuous night tries to enter a fold, his rage and hunger being ftill further exafperated by the bleating of the lambs within and, though he finds at laft the fortrefs of the Trojans impregnable, he does not defift; but inftantly makes an attempt to burn the hips. This character is conducted with a truly poetical fire. The above fimile is taken from Apollonius Khod. Argonaut. B. i. 1243.

Silent they march beneath their godlike guide:
So mighty Ganges leads, with awful pride,
In seven large streams his fwelling folemn tide:
So Nile, compos'd within his banks again,
Moves in flow pomp, majestic, to the main.
Troy faw from far the black'ning cloud arife:
Then from the rampart's height Caïcus cries:
See, fee, my friends, yon dufky martial train,
Involv'd in clouds, and fweeping o'er the plain.
To arms-The foes advance-Your fwords prepare;
Fly-Mount the ramparts, and repel the war.

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With fhouts they run; they gather at the call;

They close the gates; they mount; they guard the wall.
For fo th' experienc'd prince had charg'd the host,
When late he parted for the Tuscan coast;

Whate'er befel, their ardour to reftrain,

Truft to their walls, nor tempt the open plain.

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There, tho' with fhame and wrath their bofoms glow, 60 Shut in their tow'rs, they wait the embattled foe.

But mighty Turnus rode with rapid speed,

And furious fpurr'd his dappled Thracian freed;
Eager before the tardy fquadrons flew

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To reach the wall; and foon appear'd in view
(With twice ten noble warriors close behind);
His crimfon creft ftream'd dreadful in the wind.
Who firft, he cry'd, with me the foe will dare?
Then hurl'd a dart, the fignal of the war.

63.-dappled Thracian feed.] Virgil, fays Catrou, feems to be particularly fond of Thracian horfes, marked with fpots of various colours. He has before mentioned this breed,

Quem Thracius albis

Portat equis bicolor maculis.

Speaking of young Priam's horfe, the fon of Polites. See Turneb. L. 23. C. 14.

69. Then burl'd a dart, &c.] the air was a ceremony, practifed declared war against any nation. 6

The throwing a javelin into by the Romans, when they This they derived from the

Greeka.