Their voyage they begin; the pitchy keel
Slides through the gentle deep, the quiet stream
Admires th' unwonted burthen that it bears,
Well polish'd arms, and vessels painted gay.
Beneath the shade of various trees, between
Th' umbrageous branches of the spreading groves
They cut their liquid way, nor day, nor night
They slack their course, unwinding as they go
The long meanders of the peaceful tide.

The glowing sun was in meridian height,
When from afar they saw the humble walls,
And the few scatter'd cottages, which now
The Roman pow'r has equall'd with the clouds ;
But such was then Evander's scant domain,
They steer to shore, and hasten to the town.

It chanc'd th' Arcadian monarch on that day,
Before the walls, beneath a shady grove,
Was celebrating high, in solemn feast,
Alcides and his tutelary gods.

Pallas, his son, was there, and there the chief
Of all his youth; with these, a worthy tribe,
His poor but venerable senate, burnt
Sweet incense, and their altars smok'd with blood.
Soon as they saw the tow'ring masts approach,
Sliding between the trees, while the crew rest
Upon their silent oars, amazed they rose,
Not without fear, and all forsook the feast.
But Pallas' undismay'd, his jav'lin seiz'd,
Rush'd to the bank, and from a rising ground
Forbad them to disturb the sacred rites.

"Ye stranger youth! What prompts you to explore This untried way? and whither do ye steer? Whence, and who are ye? Bring ye peace or war?"

Eneas from his lofty deck holds forth

The peaceful olive-branch, and thus replies: "Trojans, and enemies to the Latian state,

Whom they with unprovok'd hostilities

Have driv'n away, thou see'st. We seek EvanderVOL. III.

8

Say this—and say, besides, the Trojan chiefs
Are come, and seck his friendship and his aid.”
Pallas with wonder heard that awful name,
And "whosoe'er thou art," he cried, " come forth;
Bear thine own tidings to my Father's ear,
And be a welcome guest beneath our roof."
He said, and press'd the stranger to his breast:
Then led him from the river to the grove,
Where, courteous, thus Æneas greets the king :
"Best of the Grecian race, to whom I bow
(So wills my fortune) suppliant, and stretch forth
In sign of amity this peaceful branch.

I fear'd thee not, although I knew thee well
A Grecian leader, born in Arcady,

And kinsman of th' Atrida. Me my virtue,
That means no wrong to thee-the Oracles,
Our kindred families allied of old,

And thy renown diffus'd through ev'ry land,
Have all conspired to bind in friendship to thee,
And send me not unwilling to thy shores.
Dardanus author of the Trojan state,

(So say the Greeks,) was fair Electra's son ;
Electra boasted Atlas for her sire,

Whose shoulders high sustain th' ethereal orbs.
Your sire is Mercury, whom Maia bore,
Sweet Maia, on Cyllene's hoary top.
Her, if we credit aught tradition old,
Atlas of yore, the self-same Atlas, claim'd
His daughter. Thus united close in blood,
Thy race and ours one common sire confess.
With these credentials fraught, I would not send
Ambassadors with artful phrase to sound,
And win thee by degrees-but came myself-
Me, therefore, me thou sce'st; my life the stake
'Tis I, Encas, who implore thine aid.

Should Daunia, that now aims the blow at thee,

Prevail to conquer us, nought then, they thinl
Will hinder, but Hesperia must be theirs,

1

All theirs, from th' upper to the nether sea.
Take then our friendship, and return us thine.
We too have courage, we have noble minds,
And youth well tried, and exercis'd in arms."

Thus spoke Æneas-He with fix'd regard
Survey'd him speaking, features, form, and mien.
Then briefly thus-" Thou noblest of thy name,
How gladly do I take thee to my heart,
How gladly thus confess thee for a friend;

In thee I trace Anchises; his thy speech,

Thy voice, thy count'nance. For I well remember
Many a day since, when Priam journey'd forth
To Salamis, to see the land where dwelt

Hesione, his sister, he push'd on

"Twas then

E'en to Arcadia's frozen bounds.
The bloom of youth was glowing on my cheek;
Much I admired the Trojan chiefs, and much
Their king, the son of great Laomedon,
But most Anchises, tow'ring o'er them all.
A youthful longing seiz'd me to accost
The hero, and embrace him; I drew near,
And gladly led him to the walls of Pheneus.
Departing, he distinguish'd me with gifts,
A costly quiver stored with Lycian darts,
A robe inwove with gold, with gold emboss'd,
Two bridles, those which Pallas uses now.
The friendly league thou hast solicited
I give thee therefore, and to-morrow all
My chosen youth shall wait on your return.
Meanwhile, since thus in friendship ye are come,
Rejoice with us, and join to celel rate

These annual rites, which may not be delay'd,

And be at once familiar at our board."

He said, and bade replace the feast removed;
Himself upon a grassy bank disposed

The crew, but for Æneas order'd forth

A couch, spread with a lion's tawny shag,

And bade him share the honours of his throne.

Th' appointed youth with glad alacrity

Assist the lab'ring priest to load the board
With roasted entrails of the slaughter'd beeves,
Well kneaded bread and inantling bowls. Well pleas'd
Eneas and the Trojan youth regale

On the huge length of a well-pastur'd chine.
Hunger appeas'd, and tables all despatch'd,
Thus spake Evander: "Superstition here,
In this our solemn feasting, has no part.
No, Trojan friend, from utmost danger sav'd,
In gratitude this worship we renew.

Behold that rock which nods above the vale,
Those bulks of broken stone dispers'd around,
How desolate the shatter'd cave appears,
And what a ruin spreads th' encumber'd plain.
Within this pile, but far within, was once
The den of Cacus; dire his hateful form,

That shunn'd the day, half monster and half man.
Blood newly shed stream'd ever on the ground
Smoking, and many a visage pale and wan
Nail'd at his gate, hung hideous to the sight.
Vulcan begot the brute: vast was his size,
And from his throat he belch'd his father's fires.
But the day came that brought us what we wished,
Th' assistance and the presence of a God.
Flush'd with his vict'ry and the spoils he won
From triple-form'd Geryon, lately slain,
The great avenger, Hercules appear'd.
Hither he drove his stately bulls, and pour'd
His herds along the vale. But the sly thief
Cacus, that nothing might escape his hand
Of villany or fraud, drove from the stalls
Four of the lordliest of his bulls, and four
The fairest of his heifers; by the tail

He dragg'd them to his den, and there conceil'd,
No footstep might betray the dark abode.
And now his herd with provender sufficed
Alcides would be gone; they as they went

Still bellowing loud, made the deep echoing woods.
And distant hills resound: when hark! one ox.
Imprison'd close within the vast recess,
Lows in return, and frustrates all his hope.
Then fury seiz'd Alcides, and his breast
With indignation heav'd; grasping his club
Of knotted oak, swift to the mountain top
He ran, he flew. Then first was Cacus seen
To tremble, and his eyes bespoke his fears.
Swift as an eastern blast he sought his den,
And dread increasing, wing'd him as he went.
Drawn up in iron slings above the gate
A rock was hung enormous. Such his haste,
He burst the chains, and dropp'd it at the door,
Then grappled it with iron work within
Of bolts and bars by Vulcan's art contriv'd.
Scarce was he fast, when panting for revenge
Came Hercules; he gnash'd his teeth with rage,
And quick as lightning glanc'd his eyes around
In quest of entrance. Fiery red, and stung
With indignation, thrice he wheel'd his course
About the mountain; thrice, but thrice in vain,
He strove to force the quarry at the gate,
And thrice sat down o'erwearied in the vale.
There stood a pointed rock, abrupt and rude
That high o'erlook'd the rest, close at the back
Of the feli monster's den, where birds obscene
Of ominous note resorted, choughs and daws.
This, as it lean'd obliquely to the left,
Threat'ning the stream below, he from the right
Push'd with his utmost strength, and to and fro
IIe shook the mass, loos'ning its lowest base ;
Then shov'd it from its seat; down fell the pile;
Sky thunder'd at the fall; the banks give way,
Th' affrighted stream flows upward to his source
Behold the kennel of the brute expos'd,

The gloomy vault laid open. So, if chance