HKB
the fight. Slowly he moves, and at his altar stands With eyes dejected, and with trembling hands; And, while he mutters undistinguish’d pray’rs, A livid deadness in his cheeks appears.
With anxious pleasure when Juturna view’d Th’ increasing fright of the mad multitude, When their short sighs and thick’ning sobs she heard, And found their ready minds for change prepar’d; Dissembling her immortal form, she took Camertus’ mien, his habit, and his look; A chief of ancient blood; in arms well known Was his great sire, and he his greater son. His shape assum’d, amid the ranks she ran, And humoring their first motions, thus began: “For shame, Rutulians, can you bear the sight Of one expos’d for all, in single fight? Can we, before the face of heav’n, confess Our courage colder, or our numbers less? View all the Trojan host, th’ Arcadian band, And Tuscan army; count ’em as they stand: Undaunted to the battle if we go, Scarce ev’ry second man will share a foe. Turnus, ’tis true, in this unequal strife, Shall lose, with honour, his devoted life, Or change it rather for immortal fame, Succeeding to the gods, from whence he came: But you, a servile and inglorious band, For foreign lords shall sow your native land, Those fruitful fields your fighting fathers gain’d, Which have so long their lazy sons sustain’d.” With words like these, she carried her design: A rising murmur runs along the line. Then ev’n the city troops, and Latians, tir’d With tedious war, seem with new souls inspir’d: Their champion’s fate with pity they lament, And of the league, so lately sworn, repent.
Nor fails the goddess to foment the rage With lying wonders, and a false presage; But adds a sign, which, present to their eyes, Inspires new courage, and a glad surprise. For, sudden, in the fiery tracts above, Appears in pomp th’ imperial bird of Jove: A plump of fowl he spies, that swim the lakes, And o’er their heads his sounding pinions shakes; Then, stooping on the fairest of the train, In his strong talons truss’d a silver swan. Th’ Italians wonder at th’ unusual sight; But, while he lags, and labours in his flight, Behold, the dastard fowl return anew, And with united force the foe pursue: Clam’rous around the royal hawk they fly, And, thick’ning in a cloud, o’ershade the sky. They cuff, they scratch, they cross his airy course; Nor can th’ incumber’d bird sustain their force; But vex’d, not vanquish’d, drops the pond’rous prey, And, lighten’d of his burthen, wings his way.
Th’ Ausonian bands with shouts salute the sight, Eager of action, and demand the fight. Then King Tolumnius, vers’d in augurs’ arts, Cries out, and thus his boasted skill imparts: “At length ’tis granted, what I long desir’d! This, this is what my frequent vows requir’d. Ye gods, I take your omen, and obey. Advance, my friends, and charge! I lead the way. These are the foreign foes, whose impious band, Like that rapacious bird, infest our land: But soon, like him, they shall be forc’d to sea By strength united, and forego the prey. Your timely succour to your country bring, Haste to the rescue, and redeem your king.”