many a town thy hand has taken; Latinus, too, has gold and good will. Other unwed maids there are in Latium and Laurentum's fields, and of no ignoble birth. Suffer me to utter this hard saying, stripped of all disguise, and withal drink this into thy soul: for me to ally my child to any of her old-time wooers, was forbidden, and this all gods and men foretold.1 Overborne by love of thee, overborne by kindred blood and tears of my sorrowing queen, I broke all fetters, snatched the betrothed from her promised husband, and drew the unholy sword. From that day, Turnus, thou seest what perils, what wars pursue me, what heavy burdens thou above all dost bear. Twice vanquished in mighty battle, we scarce guard within our walls the hopes of Italy; Tiber's streams are still warm with our blood, the boundless plains still white with our bones. Why drift I back so often? 3 What madness turns my purpose? If, with Turnus dead, I am ready to link them to me as allies, why not rather end the strife while he still lives? What will thy Rutulian kinsmen say, what the rest of Italy, if-Fortune refute the word!—I should betray thee to death, while thou wooest our daughter in marriage? Think on war's changes and chances; pity thine aged father, whom now his native Ardea parts far away from us in sorrow!" 45 In no wise do his words bend the fury of Turnus; still higher it mounts, more inflamed with the healing. Soon as he could speak he thus began: "The care thou hast on my behalf, most gracious lord, on my 1 cf. vII. 95 above. 2 Amata, wife of Latinus, was sister to Venilia, mother of Turnus. 3 i.e. from what must be his inevitable decision. deponas letumque sinas pro laude pacisci. et nos tela, pater, ferrumque haud debile dextra 50 spargimus, et nostro sequitur de volnere sanguis. longe illi dea mater erit, quae nube fugacem feminea tegat et vanis sese occulat umbris.” At regina, nova pugnae conterrita sorte, flebat et ardentem generum moritura tenebat: "Turne, per has ego te lacrimas, per si quis Amatae tangit honos animum (spes tu nunc una, senectae tu requies miserae, decus imperiumque Latini te penes, in te omnis domus inclinata recumbit), unum oro desiste manum committere Teucris. qui te cumque manent isto certamine casus, et me, Turne, manent: simul haec invisa relinquam lumina nec generum Aenean captiva videbo.” accepit vocem lacrimis Lavinia matris 55 60 65 flagrantis perfusa genas, cui plurimus ignem 66 70 o mater; neque enim Turno mora libera mortis. nuntius haec, Idmon, Phrygio mea dicta tyranno 75 haud placitura refer: cum primum crastina caelo puniceis invecta rotis Aurora rubebit, 1 cf. v. 230. 2 In the Iliad (at v. 311 ff.) Aeneas is rescued by Aphrodite who spreads before him a fold of her garment. Else behalf, I pray, resign, and suffer me to barter death for fame.1 I too, sire, can scatter darts and no weakling steel from this right hand, and from my wounds too flows blood. Far from him will be his goddessmother to shelter the runaway, woman-like, with a cloud, and to conceal herself in empty shadows." 2 54 But the queen, dismayed by the new terms of conflict, wept, and clung to her fiery son, ready to die: "Turnus, by these my tears, by aught of reverence for Amata that yet may touch thy heart—thou art now our only hope, thou the comfort of my sad old age; in thine hands are the honour and sovereignty of Latinus, on thee rests all our sinking house-one boon I beg: forbear to fight the Trojans. What perils soever await thee in that combat of thine, await me also, Turnus; with thee I will quit this hateful light, nor in captivity see Aeneas as my son." Lavinia heard her mother's words, her burning cheeks steeped in tears, while a deep blush kindled its fire, and mantled o'er her glowing face. As when one stains Indian ivory with crimson dye, or as when white lilies blush with many a blended rose such hues her maiden features showed. Him love throws into turmoil, and he fastens his looks upon the maid; then, fired yet more for the fray, briefly he addresses Amata: 72 Nay, I beseech thee, not with tears, not with such omen, as I pass to stern war's conflicts, do thou send me forth, O my mother; nor truly has Turnus freedom to delay his death. Idmon, be my herald and bear this my message to the Phrygian king-message he will not welcome : soon as to-morrow's Dawn, riding in crimson car, where, however, Apollo and Poseidon rescue him in a cloud (Iliad, v. 344; xx. 321 ff.; cf. III. 380). non Teucros agat in Rutulos; Teucrum arma quiescant et Rutuli; nostro dirimamus sanguine bellum; illo quaeratur coniunx Lavinia campo." 80 MPR Haec ubi dicta dedit rapidusque in tecta recessit, poscit equos gaudetque tuens ante ora frementis, Pilumno quos ipsa decus dedit Orithyia, qui candore nives anteirent, cursibus auras. circumstant properi aurigae manibusque lacessunt 85 pectora plausa cavis et colla comantia pectunt. ipse dehinc auro squalentem alboque orichalco circumdat loricam umeris, simul aptat habendo ensemque clipeumque et rubrae cornua cristae, ensem, quem Dauno ignipotens deus ipse parenti 90 fecerat et Stygia candentem tinxerat unda. exin, quae mediis ingenti adnixa columnae aedibus adstabat, validam vi corripit hastam, Actoris Aurunci spolium, quassatque trementem vociferans : "nunc, o numquam frustrata vocatus 95 hasta meos, nunc tempus adest; te maximus Actor, te Turni nunc dextra gerit. da sternere corpus loricamque manu valida lacerare revolsam semiviri Phrygis et foedare in pulvere crinis vibratos calido ferro murraque madentis." his agitur furiis, totoque ardentis ab ore scintillae absistunt, oculis micat acribus ignis; mugitus veluti cum prima in proelia taurus terrificos ciet atque irasci in cornua temptat, arboris obnixus trunco, ventosque lacessit ictibus aut sparsa ad pugnam proludit harena. 79 Rutulum b2c2. 92 columna yb1. 102 exsistunt R. 85 propere Ry1 100 cadentis Py1. 104 atque] aut M2PRb1. 103 primam M1: primum R. 100 105 reddens in the sky, let him not lead Teucrians against Rutulians--let Teucrian arms and Rutulians have rest-with our own blood let us settle the war; on that field be Lavinia wooed and won!" 81 These words said, with haste withdrawing home, he calls for his steeds, and joys to see them neighing before his face-the steeds that Orithyia's self gave as a glory to Pilumnus, for that they excelled the snows in whiteness, the gales in speed. The eager charioteers stand round, patting with hollow palms their sounding chests, and combing their flowing manes. Next he binds upon his shoulders a corslet stiff with gold and pale mountain-bronze; withal, he fits for wear sword and shield and the horns of his ruddy crest; the sword the divine Lord of Fire had himself wrought for his father Daunus and dipped, all glowing, in the Stygian wave. Then, his mighty spear, which stood leaning upon a giant column amid the hall, he seizes with strong hand, spoil of Auruncan Actor, and shakes it quivering, while he cries aloud: "Now, O spear, that never failed my call, now the hour is come! Thee mighty Actor once bore; thee now the hand of Turnus wields. Grant me to lay low the body, with strong hand to tear and rend away the corslet of this Phrygian eunuch, and to defile in dust his locks, crisped with heated iron and bedrenched in myrrh!" Such is the frenzy driving him from all his face shoot fiery sparks; his eager eyes flash flame-even as a bull, ere the battle begins, awakes a fearful bellowing, and, essaying to throw wrath into his horns, charges a tree's trunk; he lashes the winds with his blows, and paws the sand in prelude for the fray.2 1 The crest rested upon two projecting sockets made of horn. cf. Georgics, III. 232-234. VOL. II. |