Let that vile foul in that vile body rest: The lodging is well worthy of the guest. Now, royal father, to the prefent state 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 rest,
Who dar'd his death with an undaunted breaft:
Who comely fell by no dishonest wound,
To fhun that fight; and dying gnaw'd the ground. But, if we ftill 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 slain, With equal fires they fill'd the fhining plain ; Why thus unforc'd should we so tamely yield; And, ere the trumpet founds, refign the field? Good unexpected, evils unforeseen, Appear by turns, as Fortune fhifts the fcene: Some rais'd aloft, come tumbling down amain; Then fall fo hard, they bound and rise 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 last,
Your own brave fubjects have our cause embrac'd. 665 Above the reft, the Volfcian Amazon
Contains an army in herself 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 consent, he shall 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 share
The danger, nor divide the prize of war.
While they debate; nor thefe nor those will yield; Aneas draws his forces to the field;
And moves his camp. The fcouts with flying speed
Return, and through the frighted city spread Th' unpleafing news, the Trojans are descry'd In battle marching by the river's side;
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; 690 They clash the fword, and clatter on the shield;
The fearful matrons riafe a screaming cry; Old feeble men with fainter groans reply;
A jarring found results, and mingles in the sky, 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 faid, and, turning fhort, with speedy pace, Cafts back a scornful glance, and quits the place. Thou, Volufus, the Volfcian troops command To mount; and lead thyfelf our Ardean band. Meffapus, and Catillus, post 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 swarm from every quarter of the town; And with diforder'd hafte the rampires crown. Good old Latinus, when he faw, too late, The gathering form, just breaking on the state, Difmifs'd the council, till a fitter time,
And own'd his eafy 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 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 ftands; Prayers in their mouths, and prefents in their hands; With cenfers, first they fume the sacred fhrine; Then in this common fupplication join :
O patronefs of arms, unfpotted maid, Propitious hear, and lend thy Latins aid: Break fhort 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 fcaly brass invest: The cuifhes, 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 promife 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 last commands. Then, with a grateful mien, 755 Lights from her lofty steed the warrior queen : Her fquadron imitates, and each defcends; Whofe common fuit Camilla thus commends: If fenfe of honour, if a foul fecuré
Of inborn worth, that can all tests endure, Can promise aught; or on itfelf rely, Greatly to dare, to conquer, or to die :- Then, I alone, fuftain'd by thefe, will meet The Tyrrhene troops, and promise their defeat. Ours be the danger, ours the fole renown; You, general, ftay behind, and guard the town. Turnus a while stood 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 praife oppreft; Yet rob me not of all, but let me join
My tails, my hazard, and my fame, with thine. The Trojan (not in ftratagem unskill'd)
Sends his light horfe before, to fcour the field:
Himself, through fteep afcents and thorny brakes, A larger compass 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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