Let that vile foul in that vile body rest:
The lodging is well worthy of the guest.
Now, royal father, to the prefent ftate
Of our affairs, and of this high debate;
If in your arms thus early you decide,
And think your fortune is already try'd;
If one defeat has brought us down so low ;
As never more in fields to meet the foe;
Then I conclude for peace: 'tis time to treat,
And lie like vaffals at the victor's feet.
But oh, if any ancient blood remains,
One drop of all our fathers in our veins
That man would I prefer before the reft,
Who dar'd his death with an undaunted breast:
Who comely fell by no difhoneft wound,
To fhun that fight; 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 loffes equal'd ours; and for their flain,
With equal fires they fill'd the fhining plain ;
Why thus unforc'd should we fo tamely yield;
And, ere the trumpet founds, resign the field?
Good unexpected, evils unforeseen,
Appear by turns, as Fortune shifts the fcene:
Some rais'd aloft, come tumbling down amain
Then fall fo hard, they bound and rife again.
If Diomede refufe his aid to lend,
The great Meffapus yet remains our friend :
;
Tolumnius, who foretels events, is ours:
Th' Italian chiefs, and princes, join their powers:
Nor leaft in number, nor in name the laft,
Your own brave fubjects have our cause embrac'd. 665. Above the reft, the Volfcian Amazon
Contains an army in herfelf alone :
And heads a fquadron, terrible to fight,
With glittering fhields, in brazen armour bright.
Yet if the foe a fingle fight demand,
And I alone the public peace withstand;
If you confent, he fhall not be refus'd,
Nor find a hand to victory unus'd.
This new Achilles let him take the field,
With fated armour, and Vulcanian shield;
For you, my royal father, and my fame,
I, Turnus, not the leaft of all my name,
Devote my foul. He calls me hand to hand,
And I alone will anfwer his demand.
Drances fhall reft fecure, and neither fhare
The danger, nor divide the prize of war.
While they debate; nor thefe nor those will yield; Aneas draws his forces to the field;
685
And moves his camp. The fcouts with flying speed
Return, and through the frighted city spread
Th' unpleafing news, the Trojans are defcry'd
In battle marching by the river's fide;
And bending to the town. They take th' alarm,
Some tremble, fome are bold, all in confufion arm.
Th' impetuous youth prefs forward to the field;
They clafh the fword, and clatter on the fhield;
690
The fearful matrons riafe a fcreaming cry;
Old feeble men with fainter groans reply;
A jarring found refults, and mingles in the fky,
Like that of fwans remurmuring to the floods,
Or birds of differing kinds in hollow woods.
Turnus th' occafion takes, and cries aloud,
Talk on, ye quaint haranguers of the crown :
Declaim in praise of peace, when danger calls;
And the fierce foes in arms approach the walls.
He said, and, turning fhort, with speedy pace,
Cafts back a fcornful glance, and quits the place.
Thou, Volufus, the Volfcian troops command
To mount; and lead thyself our Ardean band.
Meffapus, and Catillus, poft your force
Along the fields, to charge the Trojan horse.
Some guard the paffes, others man the wall;
Drawn up in arms, the reft attend my call.
They fwarm from every quarter of the town;
And with diforder'd hafte the rampires crown.
Good old Latinus, when he faw, too late,
The gathering ftorm, juft breaking on the ftate,.
Difmifs'd the council, till a fitter time,
And own'd his cafy temper as his crime:
Who, forc'd against his reason, had comply'd
To break the treaty for the promis'd bride.
Some help to fink new trenches, others aid
To ram the ftones, or raise the palifade.
Hoarfe trumpets found th' alarm: around the walls
Runs a distracted crew, whom their laft labour calls.
A fad
A fad proceffion in the streets is seen,
Of matrons that attend the mother-queen :
High in her chair fhe fits, and at her fide,
With down-caft eyes, appears the fatal bride.
They mount the cliff, where Pallas' temple stands;
Prayers in their mouths, and prefents in their hands;
With cenfers, firft they fume the facred fhrine;
Then in this common fupplication join :
O patronefs of arms, unfpotted maid,
Propitious hear, and lend thy Latins aid:
Break short the pirate's lance; pronounce his fate,
And lay the Phrygian low before the gate.
Now Turnus arms for fight: his back and breast, Well-temper'd fteel and scaly brass invest:
The cuishes, which his brawny thighs infold,
Are mingled metal damask'd o'er with gold.
His faithful fauchion fits upon his fide;
Nor cafque, nor creft, his manly features hide :
But bare to view amid furrounding friends,
With godlike grace, he from the tower defcends. 740
Exulting in his ftrength, he feems to dare
His abfent rival, and to promise war.
Freed from his keepers, thus, with broken reins, The wanton courfer prances o'er the plains: Or in the pride of youth o'erleaps the mounds: And fnuffs the females in forbidden grounds. Or feeks his watering in the well-known flood, To quench his thirft, and cool his fiery blood: He swims luxuriant in the liquid plain, And o'er his fhoulder flows his waving mane:
He neighs, he fnorts, he bears his head on high;
Before his ample cheft the frothy waters fly.
Soon as the prince appears without the gate,
The Volfcians, and their virgin-leader, wait
His laft commands. Then, with a grateful mien, 755
Lights from her lofty fteed the warrior queen :
Her fquadron imitates, and each defcends;
Whofe common. fuit Camilla thus.commends:
If fenfe of honour, if a foul secure
Of inborn worth, that can all tests endure,
Can promife aught; or on itself rely,
Greatly to dare, to conquer, or to die :
Then, I alone, sustain'd by these, will meet
The Tyrrhene troops, and promise their defeat.
Ours be the danger, ours the fole renown;
You, general, stay behind, and guard the town.
Turnus a while ftood mute, with glad furprize,
And on the fierce virago fix'd his
eyes:
Then thus return'd: O grace of Italy,
With what becoming thanks can I reply!
Not only words lie labouring in my breast ;
But thought itself is by thy praise oppreft;
Yet rob me not of all, but let me join
My toils, my hazard, and my fame, with thine.
The Trojan (not in ftratagem unfkill'd)
Sends his light horfe before, to scour the field:
Him elf, through steep afcents and thorny brakes,
A larger compafs to the city takes.
This news my scouts confirm: and I prepare
To foil his cunning, and his force to dare:
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