Virgil

“ Deep in the city’s heart there was a grove ⁠615
Of beauteous shade, where once the Tyrians,
Cast here by stormful waves, delved out of earth
That portent which Queen Juno bade them find,—
The head of a proud horse,—that ages long
Their boast might be wealth, luxury and war. ”

“ Beneath my royal sway
“Trojan and Tyrian equal grace will find.
“But O, that this same storm had brought your King,
“Æneas, hither! I will bid explore
“Our Libya’s utmost bound, where haply he ⁠810
“In wilderness or hamlet wanders lost.”
By these fair words to joy profoundly stirred,
Father Æneas and Achates brave
To cast aside the cloud that wrapped them round
Yearned greatly; and Achates to his King ⁠815
Spoke thus: “O goddess-born, in thy wise heart
“What purpose rises now? Lo! All is well!
“Thy fleet and followers are safe at land. ”

“ O Muse, the causes tell! What sacrilege,
Or vengeful sorrow, moved the heavenly Queen
To thrust on dangers dark and endless toil
A man whose largest honor in men’s eyes ⁠15
Was serving Heaven? Can gods such anger feel?
In ages gones an ancient city stood—
Carthage, a Tyrian seat, which from afar
Made front on Italy and on the mouths
Of Tiber’s stream ”

“ Smiling reply, the Sire of gods and men
With such a look as clears the skies of storm,
Chastely his daughter kissed, and thus spake on:
“Let Cytherea cast her fears away!
“Irrevocably blest the fortunes be ⁠350
“Of thee and thine. Nor shalt thou fail to see
“That City, and the proud predestined wall
“Encompassing Lavinium. Thyself
“Shall starward to the heights of heaven bear
“Æneas the great-hearted. Nothing serves ⁠355
“My will once uttered. Since such carking cares
“Consume thee, I this hour speak freely forth,
“And leaf by leaf the book of fate unfold. ”

“ Unto the storm-cloud land the goddess came,
A region with wild whirlwinds in its womb,
Æolia named, where royal Æolus
In a high-vaulted cavern keeps control ⁠75
O’er warring winds and loud concoùrse of storms.
There closely pent in chains and bastions strong,
They, scornful, make the vacant mountain roar,
Chafing against their bonds. But from a throne
Of lofty crag, their king with sceptred hand ⁠80
Allays their fury and their rage confines. ”

“ Rises a straight-stemmed grove of dense, dark shade.
Fronting on these a grotto may be seen,
O’erhung by steep cliffs; from its inmost wall ⁠225
Clear springs gush out; and shelving seats it has
Of unhewn stone, a place the wood-nymphs love.
In such a port, a weary ship rides free
Of weight of firm-fluked anchor or strong chain.
Hither Æneas, of his scattered fleet ⁠230
Saving but seven, into harbor sailed;
With passionate longing for the touch of land,
Forth leapt the Trojans to the welcome shore,
And fling their dripping limbs along the ground. ”

“ But over-ruling Jove, of this in fear,
Hid them in dungeon dark: then o’er them piled ⁠85
Huge mountains, and ordained a lawful king
To hold them in firm sway, or know what time,
With Jove’s consent, to loose them o’er the world.
To him proud Juno thus made lowly plea:
“Thou in whose hands the Father of all gods ⁠90
“And Sovereign of mankind confides the power
“To calm the waters or with winds upturn,
“Great Æolus! a race with me at war
“Now sails the Tuscan main towards Italy,
“Bringing their Ilium and its vanquished powers. ”

“ He saw the Teucrian navy scattered far ⁠170
Along the waters; and Æneas’ men
O’erwhelmed in mingling shock of wave and sky.
Saturnian Juno’s vengeful stratagem
Her brother’s royal glance failed not to see;
And loud to eastward and to westward calling, ⁠175
He voiced this word: “What pride of birth or power
“Is yours, ye winds, that, reckless of my will,
“Audacious thus, ye ride through earth and heaven,
“And stir these mountain waves? Such rebels I—
“Nay, first I calm this tumult! ”

“ Strike that proud navy down!
“Hurl far and wide, and strew the waves with dead!
“Twice seven nymphs are mine, of rarest mould,
“Of whom Deïopea, the most fair,
“I give thee in true wedlock for thine own, ⁠100
“To mate thy noble worth; she at thy side
“Shall pass long, happy years, and fruitful bring
“Her beauteous offspring unto thee their sire.”
Then Æolus: “’T is thy sole task, O Queen
“To weigh thy wish and will. My fealty ⁠105
“Thy high behest obeys. This humble throne
“Is of thy gift. Thy smiles for me obtain
“Authority from Jove. ”

“ Instruct us of what skies,
“Or what world’s end, our storm-swept lives have found!
“Strange are these lands and people where we rove,
“Compelled by wind and wave. Lo, this right hand ⁠460
“Shall many a victim on thine altars slay!”
Then Venus: “Nay, I boast not to receive
“Honors divine. We Tyrian virgins oft
“Bear bow and quiver, and our ankles white
“Lace up in purple buskin. Yonder lies ⁠465
“The Punic power, where Tyrian masters hold
“Agenor’s town; but on its borders dwell
“The Libyans, by battles unsubdued. ”

“ Of what I will, nor turn the Teucrian King
“From Italy away? Can Fate oppose?
“Had Pallas power to lay waste in flame
“The Argive fleet and sink its mariners, ⁠60
“Revenging but the sacrilege obscene
“By Ajax wrought, Oïleus’ desperate son?
“She, from the clouds, herself Jove’s lightning threw,
“Scattered the ships, and ploughed the sea with storms.
“Her foe, from his pierced breast out-breathing fire, ⁠65
“In whirlwind on a deadly rock she flung.
“But I, who move among the gods a queen,
“Jove’s sister and his spouse, with one weak tribe
“Make war so long! Who now on Juno calls? ”

“ And for their reverend senate shout acclaim.
Some clear the harbor mouth; some deeply lay ⁠595
The base of a great theatre, and carve out
Proud columns from the mountain, to adorn
Their rising stage with lofty ornament.
So busy bees above a field of flowers
In early summer amid sunbeams toil, ⁠600
Leading abroad their nation’s youthful brood;
Or with the flowering honey storing close
The pliant cells, until they quite run o’er
With nectared sweet; while from the entering swarm
They take their little loads; or lined for war, ⁠605
Rout the dull drones, and chase them from the hive ”

“ And on keen prongs the quivering strips impale, ⁠285
Place cauldrons on the shore, and fan the fires.
Then, stretched at ease on couch of simple green,
They rally their lost powers, and feast them well
On seasoned wine and succulent haunch of game. ”

“ The shafts of Jove whereby the Titans fell, ⁠935
“To thee I fly, and humbly here implore
“Thy help divine. Behold, from land to land
“Æneas, thine own brother, voyages on
“Storm-driven, by Juno’s causeless enmity.
“Thou knowest it well, and oft hast sighed to see ⁠940
“My sighs and tears. Dido the Tyrian now
“Detains him with soft speeches; and I fear
“Such courtesy from Juno means us ill;
“She is not one who, when the hour is ripe,
“Bids action pause. ”

“ And whelms with voiceful wave the fields below.
“He built Patavium there, and fixed abodes
“For Troy’s far-exiled sons; he gave a name
“To a new land and race; the Trojan arms ⁠335
“Were hung on temple walls; and, to this day,
“Lying in perfect peace, the hero sleeps.
“But we of thine own seed, to whom thou dost
“A station in the arch of heaven assign,
“Behold our navy vilely wrecked, because ⁠340
“A single god is angry; we endure
“This treachery and violence, whereby
“Wide seas divide us from th’ Hesperian shore. ”

“ Thy son in Italy shall wage vast war
“And quell its nations wild; his city-wall ⁠360
“And sacred laws shall be a mighty bond
“About his gathered people. Summers three
“Shall Lavinium call him king; and three times pass
“The winter o’er Rutulia’s vanquished hills.
“His heir, Ascanius, now Iulus called ⁠365
“ (Ilus it was while Ilium’s kingdom stood) ,
“Full thirty months shall reign, then move the throne
“From the Lavinian citadel, and build
“For Alba Longa its well-bastioned wall. ”

“ We few swam hither, waifs upon your shore!
“What race of mortals this? What barbarous land,
“That with inhospitable laws ye thrust
“A stranger from your coasts, and fly to arms, ⁠755
“Nor grant mere foothold on your kingdom’s bound?
“If man thou scornest and all mortal power,
“Forget not that the gods watch good and ill! ”

“ From sea to sea, the hazard of the storm
“Cast us up hither on this Libyan coast.
“I am Æneas, faithful evermore
“To Heaven’s command; and in my ships I bear ⁠525
“My gods ancestral, which I snatched away
“From peril of the foe. My fame is known
“Above the stars. I travel on in quest
“Of Italy, my true home-land, and I
“From Jove himself may trace my birth divine. ⁠530
“With twice ten ships upon the Phrygian main
“I launched away. My mother from the skies
“Gave guidance, and I wrought what Fate ordained.
“Yet now scarce seven shattered ships survive
“The shock of wind and wave ”

“ Desired a second throne. For Belus then,
“Our worshipped sire, despoiled the teeming land
“Of Cyprus, as its conqueror and king. ⁠875
“And since that hour I oft have heard the tale
“Of fallen Troy, of thine own noble name,
“And of Achæan kings. Teucer was wont,
“Although their foe, to praise the Teucrian race,
“And boasted him of that proud lineage sprung. ⁠880
“Therefore, behold, our portals are swung wide
“For all your company. I also bore
“Hard fate like thine. ”