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They march, obscure; for Venus kindly shrouds
With mists their persons, and involves in clouds, That, thus unseen, their passage none might stay,
Or force to tell the causes of their way.
This part perform'd, the goddess flies sublime
To visit Paphos and her native clime;
_Where garlands, ever green and ever fair,
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DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF _IRGIL
With vows are offer'd, and with solemn pray'r: A hundred altars in her temple smoke;
A thousand bleeding hearts her pow'r invoke.
They climb the next ascent, and, looking down, Now at a nearer distance view the town.
The prince with wonder sees the stately tow'rs,
Which late were huts and shepherds' homely bow'r_ The gates and streets; and hears, from ev'ry part, The noise and busy concourse of the mart.
The toiling Tyrians on each other call
To ply their labor: some extend the wall;
Some build the citadel; the brawny throng
Or dig, or push unwieldly stones along.
Some for their dwellings choose a spot of ground, Which, first design'd, with ditches they surround. Some laws ordain; and some attend the choice
Of holy senates, and elect by voice.
Here some design a mole, while others there
Lay deep foundations for a theater;
From marble quarries mighty columns hew,
For ornaments of scenes, and future view.
Such is their toll, and such their busy pains,
As exercise the bees in flow'ry plains,
When winter past, and summer scarce begun,
Invites them forth to labor in the sun,
Some lead their youth abroad, while some condense Their liqu/d store, and some in cells dispense;
Some at the gate stand ready to receive
The golden burthen, and their friends relieve;
All with united force, combine to drive
The lazy drones from the laborious hive:
With envy stung, they view each other's deeds;
The fragrant work with diligence proceeds.
"Thrice happy you, whose wails already rise l"
_neas said, and view'd, with lifted eyes,
Their lofty tow'rs, then, ent'ring at the gate, Conceal'd in clouds (prodigious to relate)
He mix'd, unmark'd, among the busy throng,
Borne by the tide, and pass'd unseen along.
Full in the center of the town there stood)
? THE FIRST BOOK OF _HE _NEIS 91
Thick _et with trees, a venerable wood.
The Tyrians, landing near this holy ground,
And digging here, a prosp'rous omen found: From under earth a courser's head they drew, Their growth and future fortune to foreshew. This fated sign their foundress Juno gave,
Of a soil fruitful, and a people brave.
Sidonian Dido here with solemn state
'Did Juno's temple build, and consecrate,
Enrich'd with gifts, and with a golden shrine; But more the goddess made the place divine. On brazen steps the marble threshold rose,
And brazen plates the cedar beams inclose:
The rafters are with brazen coy'rings crown'd; The lofty doors on brazen hinges sound.
What first . ,Eneas in this place beheld,
" Reviv'd his courage, and hls fear expell'd.
For while, expecting there the queen, he rais'd
His wond'ring eyes, and round the temple gaz'd_ Admir'd the fortune of the rising town,"
The striving artists, and their arts' renown;
He saw, in order painted on the wall,
Whatever did unhappy Troy befall:
The wars that fame around the world had blown, All to the life, and ev'ry leader known.
There Agamemnon, Priam here, he spies,
And fierce Achilles, who both kings defies.
He stopp'd, and weeping said: "0 friend! ev'n here The monuments of Trojan woes appear l
Our known disasters fill ev'n foreign lands:
See there, where old unhappy Priam stands! Ev'n the mute walls relate the wamor's fame_ And Trojan griefs the Tyrians' pity claim. " He said (his tears a ready passage find), Devouring what he saw so well deslgn'd,
And with aa empty picture fed his mind:
For there he saw the fainting Grecians yield, And here the trembling Trojans quit the field, Pursued by fierce Achilles thro' the plain,
On his high chariot driving o'er the slain.
? 92
DRY'D_N'B TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
The tents of Rhesus next his grief renew, By their white sails betray'd to nightly view;
And wakeful Diomede, whose cruel sword
The sentries slew, nor spar'd their slumb'ring lord, Then took the fiery steeds, ere yet the food
Of Troy they taste, or drink the Xanth_an flood. Elsewhere he saw where Troilus defied
Achtlles, and unequal combat tried;
Then, where the boy disarm'd, with loosen'd reins,
Was by his horses hurried o'er the plains,
Hung by the neck and hair, and dragg'd around:
The hostlle spear, yet sticking in his wound,
With tracks of blood inscrib'd the dusty ground. Meantime the Trojan dames, oppress'd with woe,
To Pallas' fane in long procession go,
In hopes to reconcile their heav'nly foe.
They weep, they beat their breasts, they rend their hair, And rich embroider'd vests for presents bear;
But the stern goddess stands unmov'd with pray'r.
Thrice round the Trojan walls Achilles drew
The corpse of Hector, whom in fight he slew.
Here Priam sues; and there, for sums of gold,
The lifeless body of his son is sold.
So sad an object, and so well express'd,
Drew sighs and groans from the griev'd hero's breast, To see the figure of his lifeless friend,
And his old sire his helpless hand extend.
Himself he saw amidst the Grecian train,
Mix'd in the bloody battle on the plain; And swarthy Memnon in his arms he knew, His pompous ensigns, and his Indian crew. Penthisilea there, with haughty grace, Leads to the wars an Amazonian race
In their right hands a pointed dart they wield; The left, for ward, sustains the lunar shield Athwart her breast a golden belt she throws, Amidst the press alone provokes a thousand foes, And dares her maiden arms to manly force oppose.
Thus while the Trojan prince employs his eyes, Fix'd on the walls with wonder and surprise,
? THE FIRST BOOK OF THE _NEIS 93
The beauteous Dido, with a num'rous train And pomp of guards, ascends the sacred lane.
Such on Eurotas' banks, or Cynthus' height, Diana seems, and so she charms the stght, When in the dance the graceful goddess leads The choir of nymphs, and overtops their heads: Known by her quiver, and her lofty mien,
She walks majestic, and she looks their queen; Latona sees her shine above the rest,
And feeds with secret joy her silent breast. Such Dido was, with such becoming state,
'Amidst the crowd, she walks serenely great.
Their labor to her future sway she speeds,
And passing with a gracious glance proceeds;
Then mounts the throne, high plac'd before the shrine: In crowds around, the swarming people join.
She takes petitions, and dispenses laws,
Hears and determines ev'ry private cause;
Their tasks in equal portions she divides,
And, where unequal, there by lots decides.
Another way by chance ? Eneas bends
His eyes, and unexpected sees h_s friends,
Antheus, Sergestus grave, Cloanthus strong,
_Andat their backs a mighty Trojan throng,
Whom late the tempest on the billows toss'd,
And widely scatter'd on another coast.
The prince, unseen, surpris'd with wonder stands, And longs, with joyful haste, to join their hands, But, doubtful of the wish'd event, he stays,
And from the hollow cloud his friends surveys, Impatient till they told their present state,
And where they left their sh_ps, and what their fate, And why they came, and what was their request; For these were sent, commission'd by the rest,
To sue for leave to land their sickly men,
And gain admission to the gracious queen
Ent'ring, with cries they fill'd the holy lane;
Then thus, with lowly voice, Ilioneus began:
"0 queen l indulg'd by favor of the gods To found an empire in these new abodes,
? 94
DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF _rIRGLL
To build a town, with statutes to restrain The wdd inhabitants beneath thy reign,
We wretched Trojans, toss'd on ev'ry shore, From sea to sea, thy clemency implore. Forbid the fires our shipping to defaee l Receive th' unhappy fugitives to grace,
And spare the remnant of a pious race!
We come not with design of wasteful prey,
To drive the country, force the swains away:
Nor such our strength, nor such is our desire;
The vanquish'd dare not to such thoughts aspire.
A land there is, Hesperia nam'd of old;
The soll is fruitfult and the men are bold--
Th' (Enotrians held it once--by common fame Now caU'd Italia, from the leader's name.
To that sweet region was our voyage bent,
When winds and ev'ry warring element
Disturb'd our course, and, far from sight of land, Cast out'torn vessels on the moving sand.
The sea came on; the South, with mighty roar, Dispers'd and dash'd the rest upon the rocky shore. Those few you see escap'd the storm, and fear, Unless you mterpose, a shipwreck here.
What men, what monsters, what inhuman race, What laws, what barb'rous customs of the place, Shut up a desart shore to drowning men,
And drive us to the cruel seas again?
If our hard fortune no compassion draws,
Nor hospitable rights, nor human laws,
The gods are just, and will revenge our cause. eEneas was our prince: a juster lord,
Or nobler warrior, never drew a sword;
Observant of the right, religious of his word.
If yet he lives, and draws this vital air, Nor we, his friends, of safety shall despair;
Nor you, great queen, these offices repent, Which he will equal, and perhaps augment. We want not cities, nor Sicilian coasts,
Where King Acestes Trojan lineage boasts. Permit our ships a shelter on your shores,
? THE FIRST BOOK OF THE IENEIS 95
Retlt_ed from your woods with planks and oars, That, if our prince be safe, we may renew
Our destin'd course, and Italy pursue.
But if, O best of men, the Fates ordain
That thou art swallow'd in the Libyan main, And if our young Iulus be no more, D_smiss our navy from your friendly shore, That we to good Acestes may return,
And with our friends our common losses mourn. " Thus spoke Ilioneus: the Trojan crew
With cries and clamors h_s request renew.
The modest queen a while, with downcast eyes,
Fond_r'd the speech; then briefly thus replies: "Trojans, dismiss your fears; my cruel fate, And doubts attending an unsettled state,
Force me to guard my coast from foreign foes. Who has not heard the story of your woes, The name and fortune of your native place, The fame and valor of the Phrygian race_
We Tyrians are not so devoid of sense, Nor so remote from Phoebus' influence.
Whether to Latian shores your course is bent,
Or, driv'n by tempests from your first intent,
You seek the good Acestes' government,
Your men shall be receiv'd, your fleet repatr'd,
And sail, with ships of convoy for your guard:
Or, would you stay, and join your friendly t_ow'rs To raise and to defend the Tyrian tow'rs,
My wealth, my city, and myself are yours.
And would to Hear'n, the storm, you felt, would bring On Carthaginian coasts your wand'ring king
My people shall, by my command, explore
The ports and creeks of ev'ry winding shore,
And towns, and wilds, and shady woods, in quest
Of so renown'd and so deslr'd a guest. "
Rais'd in his mind the Trojan hero stood,
_,nd long'd to break from out his ambient cloud:
_Achates found it, and thus urg'd his way:
"From whence, O goddess-born, this long delay? What more can you desire, your welcome sure,
? [
Your fleet in safety, and your friends secure ? One only wants; and him we saw in vain Oppose the storm, and swallow'd in the main. Orontes in his fate our forfeit paid;
The rest agrees with what your mother said. " Scarce had be spoken, when the cloud gave way,
The mists flew upward and dissolv'd in day The Trojan chief appear'd in open sight,
August in visage, and serenely bright
His mother goddess, with her hands divine,
Had form'd his curling locks, and made his temples shine, And giv'n his rolling eyes a sparkling grace,
And breath'd a youthful vigor on his face;
Like pohsh'd lv'ry, beauteous to behold,
Or Par,an marble, when enchas'd in gold:
Thus radiant from the circling cloud he broke,
And thus with manly modesty he spoke:
"He whom you seek am I; by tempests toss'd, And sav'd from shipwreck on your Libyan coast; Presenting, gracious queen, before your throne,
A prince that owes his life to you alone.
Fair majesty, the refuge and redress
Of those whom fate pursues, and wants oppress, You, who your pious offices employ
To save the relics of abandon'd Troy;
Receive the shlpwreck'd on your friendly shore, With hospitable rites relieve the poor;
Associate m your town a wand'ring train,
And strangers m your palace entertain: What thanks can wretched fugitives return,
Who, scatter'd thro' the world, in exile mourn? The gods, if gods to goodness are inclin'd;
If acts of mercy touch their heav'nly mind,
And, more than all the gods, your gen'rous heart, Conscious of worth, requite its own desert!
In you this age is happy, and this earth,
And parents more than mortal gave you birth. While rolling rivers into seas shall run,
And round the space of heav'n the radiant sun; While trees the mountain tops with shades supply,
96 DRYD_. N'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
? TH_ FIRST BOOK O1_ THE _ 97
Your honor, name, and praise shall never die. . Whate'er abode my fortune has assign'd,
Your image shall be present in my mind. "
Thus having said, he turn'd with pious hast_ _ld joyful his expecting friends embrac'd: With his right hand Ihoneus was grac'd, Serestus with his left; then to his breast Cloanthus and the noble Gyas press'd;
And so by turns descended to the rest.
The Tyrian queen stood fix'd upon his face,
Pleas'd with his motions, ravish'd with his grace; Admir'd his fortunes, more admir'd the man;
Then recollected stood, and thus began:
*'What Late, O goddess-born; what angry pow'rs Have cast you shipwrack'd on our barren shores? Are yott the great _neas, known to fame,
Who from celestial seed your lineage claim? The same 2_neas whom fair Venus bore
To fam'd Anchises on th' Iclman shore? It calls into my mind, tho' then a ehdd,
When Teucer came, from Salamis exil'd, And sought my father's aid, to be restor'd:
]_Iy father Belus then with fire and sword Invaded Cyprus, made the region bare,
And, eonqu'ring, finish'd the successful war. From him the Trojan siege I understood,
The Grecian chiefs, and your illustrious blood. Your foe himself the Dardan valor prais'd, And his own ancestry from Trojans rais'd. Enter, my noble guest, and you shall find,
If not a costly welcome, yet a kind:
For I myself, like you, have been distress'd, Till Heav'n afforded me this place of rest; Like you, an alien in a land unknown,
I learn to pity woes so like my own. "
She said, and to the palace led her guest; Then offer'd incense, and proclaim'd a feast. Nor yet less careful for her absent friends, Twice ten fat oxen to the ships she sends;
Besides a hundred boars, a hundred Iambs, zc xlu--. 4
? U
DRt_rDEN'fl TRANSLATION QF _rIRGIL
With bleating cries, attQnd their milky dams; And jars of gen'rous wine and sp_cious bowls She gives, to cheer the sailord drooping souls . Now purple hangings clothe the palace walls, And sumptuous feasts are m_de in splendid halls: On Tyrian carpets, richly wrought, they dine; With loads of massy plate the sideboards shine, And antique vases, aU of gold emboss'd
(The gold itself inferior to the cost),
Of curious work, where on the sides were seen
The fights and figures of illustrious men, From their first founder to the present queen.
The good . _Eneas, whose paternal care I_lus' absence could no longer bear,
Dispatch'd Achates to the ships in haste,
To give a glad relation of the past,
And, fraught wRh precious gifts, to bring the boyt
Snatch'd_from the ruins of unhappy Troy:
A robe of tissue, stiff with golden wire;
An upper vest, once Helen's rich attire,
From Argos by the fam'd adultress brought,
With golden flow'rs and winding foliage wrought, Her mother Leda's present, when she came
To ruin Troy and set the world on flame; The scepter Priam's eldest daughter bore,
Her orient necklace, and the crown she wore; Of double texture, glorious to behold,
One order set with gems, and one with gold. Instructed thus, the wise Achates goes,
And in his diligence his duty shows.
But Venus, anxious for her son's _ffairs, New counsels tries, and new designs prepargs:
That Cupid should assume the shape and face Of sweet Ascanius, and the sprightly grace;
Should bring the presents, in her nephew's stead, And in Eliza's veins the gentle poison shed:
For much she fear'd the Tyrian_, double-tongued, . _nd knew the town to JunCs care belong'd.
These thoughts by night her golden slumbers brol_ And thus i_iitrmtd, to winged Love she spoke:
? _J_R FH_tST _ OF THE _8
"My son, my strength, whose mighty pow'r alone
Controls the Thund'rer on his awful throne, To thee thy much-afflicted mother flies,
And on thy succor and thy faith relies.
Thou know'st, my son, how Jove's revengeful wife. ,
By force and fraud, attempts thy brother's lifo; And often hast thou mourn'd with me his pains. Him Dido now with blandishment detains;
But I suspect the town where Juno reigns.
For this 't is needful to prevent her art,
And fire with love the proud Phoenician's heart: A love so violent, so strong, so sure,
As neither age can change, nor art can cure. How this may be perform'd, now take my mind: Ascanius by his father is design'd
To come, with presents laden, from the port,
To gratify the queen, and gain the court.
I mean to plunge the boy in pleasing sleep,
And, ravish'd, in Idalian bow'rs to keep,
Or high Cythera, that the sweet deceit
May pass unseen, and none prevent the cheat. Take thou his form and shape. I beg the grac? But only for a night's revolving space:
Thyself a boy, assume a boy's dissembled face; That when, amidst the fervor of the feast,
The Tyrian hugs and fonds thee on her breast, And with sweet kisses in her arms constrains,
Thou may'st infuse thy venom in her veins. " The God of Love obeys, and sets aside
His bow and quiver, and his plumy pride;
He walks Iiilus in his mother's sight,
And in the sweet resemblance takes delight.
The goddess then to young Ascanius flies, And in a pleasing slumber seals his eyes:
Lull'd in her lap, amidst a train of Loves,
She gently bears him to her blissful groves,
Then with a wreath of myrtle crowns his head, And sohly lays him on a flow'ry bed.
Cupid meantime assum'd his form and face, Foll'wing Achates with a shorter pace,
? '100 DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
_tndbroughtthegifts. The queenalreadysate _midst theTrojanlordsi,n shiningstate, High on a goldenbed:herprincelgyuest
Was nextherside;inordersatetherest. Then canisterwsithbreadare heap'don high; Th' attendantwsaterfortheirhandssupply, And, havingwash'd,with silkentowelsdry. Nextfiftyhandmaidsinlongorderbore Thecensersa,ndwithfumesthegodsadore: Then youths,and virgintswiceas many, join
To placethedishesa,nd toservethewine. The Tyriantraina,dmittedtothefeast, Approach,and on thepaintedcouchesrest. All on the Trojan giftswith wonder gaze, But view thebeauteousboy withmore amaze, His rosy-colorc'hdecks,hisradianteyes,
His motions,voice,and shape,and allthe god'sdisguis? _ Nor passu_prais'tdhevestand veildivine,
Which wand'ringfoliagaend richflow'resntwine. But,farabovetherest,theroyaldame,
(Alreadydoom'dtolove'dsisastroufslame,)
With eyesinsatiataen,d tumultuousjoy, Beholdsthepresentsa,nd admirestheboy.
The guilefuglodabouttheherolong,
With children'pslay,and falsembraces,hung; Then soughtthe queen:she took him to her arms With greedypleasurea,nd devour'dhischarms. Unhappy Dido littltehoughtwhat guest,
How direagod,shedrewsonearherbreast; But he, not mindlessof his mother'spray'r,
Works intheplianbtosom ofthefair,
And moldsherheartanew,and blotsherformercare.
The dead isto thelivingloveresign'd; And allx_Eneasentersinhermind.
Now, when therageofhungerwas appeas'd, The meat remov'd,and ev'ryguestwas pleas'd, The goldenbowlswithsparklinwginearecrown'd, And thro'thepalacecheerfulcriesresound. From gildedroofsdependinglampsdisplay Nocturnalbeams, thatemulatethe day.
? THE FIRST BOOK OF THE _ 14
A golden bowl, that shone with gems divine,
The queen commanded to be crown'd with wine: The bowl that Belus us'd, and all the Tyrian line. Then, silence thro' the hall proclaim'd, she spoke: "O hospitable Jove! we thus invoke,
With snlemn rites, thy sacred name and pow'r; Bless to both nations this auspicious houri
So may the Trojan and the Tyrian line
In lasting concord from this day combine.
Thou, Bacchus, god of joys and friendly cheer, And gracious Juno, both be present here!
And you, my lords of Tyre, your vows address
To Heav'n with mine, to ratify tile peace. "
The goblet then she took, with nectar crown'd
(Sprinkling the first libations on the ground,)
And rais'd it to her mouth with sober grace;
Then, sipping, offer'd to the next in place.
'T was Bitias whom she call'd, a thirsty soul;
He took the challenge, and embrac'd the bowl,
With pleasure swill'd the gold, nor ceas'd to draw, Till he the bottom of . the brimmer saw.
The goblet goes around: Iopas brought
His golden lyre, and sung what ancient Atlas taught: The various labors of the wand'ring moon,
And whence proceed th' eclipses of the sun;
Th' original of men and beasts; and whence
The rains arise, and fires their warmth dispense,
And fix'd and erring stars dispose their influence; What shakes the solid earth; what cause delays
The summer nights and shortens winter days.
With peals of shouts the Tyrians praise the song: Those peals are echo'd by the Trojan throng.
Th' unhappy queen with talk prolong'd the night,
And drank large draughts of love with vast delight; Of Priam much enquir'd, of Hector more;
Then ask'd what arms the swarthy Memnon wore, What troops he landed on the Trojan shore;
The steeds of Diomede varied the discourse,
And fierce Achilles, with his matchless force;
At length, as fate and her ill stars requir'd,
? I_ THE FIRST BOOK OF THE To hear the series of the war desir'cL
"Relate at large, my godhke guest," she said,
"'The Grecian stratagems, the town betray'd:
The fatal issue of so long a war,
Your flight, your wand'rings, and your woes, declare; For, since on ev'ry sea, on ev'ry coast,
Your men have been distress'd, your navy toss'dr Sev'n times the sun has either tropic view'd, The winter banish'd, and the spring reuew'd. "
? THE SECOND BOOK OF THE 2ENEIS
Tm? ARGUXqENT. mA_nrealastes how the city of Troy was tak_ ' _fter a ten years' siege, by the treachery of Sinon, and the strata- gem of a wooden horse. He declares the fix'd resolutaon he had takennot to survivethe ruinsof his country,and the variousadven- tures he met with in the defense of it. At last, having been before advis'd by Hector'sghost, and now by the appearanceof his mother Venus, he is prevall'd upon to leave the town, and settle his house- hold gods in another country. In order to this, he carries off his father on his shou/ders, and leads his little son by the hand, hls wife following him behind. When he comes to the place appointed for the general rendezvouze,he finds a great confluence of people, but misses his wife whose ghost afterwardsappears to him, and tells him the land which was deslgn'd for him.
LLwwere attentive to the godlike man,
hen from his lofty couch he thus began:
"Great queen, what you command me to relate Renews the sad remembrance of our fate:
An empire from its old foundations rent, And ev'ry woe the Trojans underwent;
A peopled city made a desart place;
All that I saw, and part of which I was: Not ev'a the hardest of our foes could hear, Nor stern Ulysses tell without a tear.
#_ad now the latter watch of wasting night, And setting stars, to kindly rest invite;
But, since you take such Jut'rest in our woe, And Troy's disastrous end desire to know,
I will restrain my tears, and briefly tell What in our last and fatal night befell.
"By destiny compell'd, and in despair,
']['he Greeks grew weary of the tedious war, 103
? DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF _VIRGIL
And by Minerva's aid a fabric rear'd,
Which like a steed of monstrous height appear'd:
The sides were plank'd with pine; they feign'd it made For their return, and this the vow they paid.
Thus they pretend, but in the hollow side
Selected numbers of their soldiers hide:
With inward arms the dire machine they. load,
And iron bowels stuff the dark abode.
In sight of Troy lies Tenedos, an isle
. (While Fortune did on Priam's empire smile) Renown'd for wealth; but, since, a faithless bay,
Where ships expos'd to wind and weather lay.
There was their fleet eonceal'd. We thought, for Greece Their sails were hoisted, and our fears release.
The Trojans, coop'd within their walls so long,
Unbar their gates, and issue in a throng,
Like swarming bees, and with delight survey
The camp deserted, where the Grecians lay:
The quarters of the sev'ral chiefs they show'd;
Here Phoenix, here Achilles, made abode;
Here join'd the battles; there the navy rode.
Part on the pile their wond'ring eyes employ:
The pile by Pallas rais'd to ruin Troy.
Thymcetes first ('t is doubtful whether hir'd,
Or so the Trojan destiny requir'd)
Mov'd that the ramparts might be broken down,
To lodge the monster fabrle in the town.
But Capys, and the rest of sounder mind,
The fatal present to the flames designed,
Or to the wat'ry deep; at least to bore
The hollow sides, and hidden frauds explore.
The giddy vulgar, as their {aneies guide,
With noise say nothing, and in parts divide.
Laocoon, follow'd by a num'rous crowd,
Ran from the fort, and cried, from far, aloud:
'O wretched countrymen l what fury reigns?
What more than madness has possess'd your brains?
Think you the Greeians from your coasts are goner,
And are Uylsses' arts no better known?
This hollow fabric either must inclose,
? THE SECOND BOOK OF THE _ENEIS 1{_
Within its blind recess, our secret foes;
Or 't is an engine rais'd above the town,
T' o'erlook the wails, and then to batter down.
Somewhat is sure design'd, by fraud or force:
Trust not their presents, nor admit the horse. '
Thus having said, against the steed he threw
His forceful spear, which, hissing as it flew,
Pierc'd thro' the yielding planks of jointed wood,
And trembling in the hollow belly stood.
The sides, transpierc'd, return a ratting sound,
And groans of Greeks inclos'd come issuing thro' the wound. And, had not Heav'n the fall of Troy design'd,
Or had not men been fated to be bhnd,
Enough was said and done t' inspire a better mind.
Then had our lances pierc'd the treach'rous wood,
And llian tow'rs and Priam's empire stood.
Meantime, with shouts, the Trojan shepherds bring
A captive Greek, in bands, before the king;
Taken to take; who made himself their prey,
T' impose on their belief, and Troy betray;
Fix'd on his aim, and obstinately bent
To die undaunted, or to circumvent.
About the captive, tides of Trojans flow;
All press to see, and some insult the foe.
Now hear how well the Greeks their wiles disguis'd;
Behold a nation in a man compris'd.
Trembling the miscreant stood, unarm'd and bound; . 'Hestar'd, and roll'd his haggard eyes around,
Then said: 'Alas! what earth remains, what sea
Is open to receive unhappy me ?
What fate a wretched fugitive attends,
Scorn'd by my foes, abandon'd by my friends ? '
He said, and sigh'd, and cast a rueful eye:
Our pity kindles, and our passions die.
We cheer the youth to make his own defense,
And freely tell us what he was, and whence:
What news he could impart, we long to know,
And what to credit from a captive foe.
"His fear at length dismiss'd, he said: WChate'er My fate ordains, my words shall be sincere:
? DItTDISN'$ TI_ANSLATIO_ O_
I neither can nor dare my birth disclaim; Greece is my country, Sinon is my name. Tho' plung'd by Fortune's pow'r in misery, 'T is not in Fortune's pow'r to make me lie. If any chance has hither brought the name Of Palamedes, not unknown to fame,
Who suffer'd from the malice of the times, Accus'd and sentenc'd for pretended crimes, Because these fatal wars he would prevent;
Whose death the wretched Greeks too late lameat. . _ Me, then a boy, my father, poor and bare
Of other means, committed to his care,
His kinsman and companion in the war.
While Fortune favor'd, while his arms support The cause, and rul'd the counsels, of the court, I made some figure there; nor was my name Obscured. nor I without my share of fame.
But when Ulysses, with fallacious arts,
Had made impression in the people's hearts, And forg'd a treason in my patron's name
(I speak of things too far divulg'd by fame), My kinsman fell. Then I, without support,
In private mourn'd his loss, and left the court. Mad as I was, I could not bear his fate
With silent grief, but loudly blam'd the state, And curs'd the direful author of my woes.
'T was told again; and hence my ruin rose.
I threaten'd, if indulgent Heav'n once more Would land me safely on my native shore,
His death with double vengeance to restore. This mov'd the murderer's hate; and soon ensued Th' effects of malice from a man so proud.
Ambiguous rumors thro' the camp he spread,
And sought, by treason, my devoted head;
New crimes invented; left unturn'd no stone,
To make my guilt appear, and hide his own;
Till Calchas was by force and threat'ning wrought-* But why--why dwell I on that anxious thought?
If on my nation just revenge you seek, And 'tis f appear a fo% t' appear a GrcekI
? _Already you my name and country know;
Assuage your thirst of blood, and strike the blow:
My death will both the kingly brothers please, And set insatiate Ithacus at ease. '
This fair unfinlsh'd tale, these broken starts, Rals'd expectations in our longing hearts: Unknowing as we were in Grecian arts. His former trembling once again renew'd, With acted fear, the villain thus pursued:
"' Long had the Grecians (tlr'd with fruitless care, And wearied with an unsuccessful war)
Resolv'd to raise the siege, and leave the town;
And, had the gods permitted, they had gone;
But oft the wintry seas and southern winds
Withstood their passage home, and chang'd their mind_ Portents and prodigies their souls amaz'd;
But most, when this stupendous pile was rais'd:
Then flaming meteors, hung in air, were seen,
And thunders rattled thro' a sky serene.
Dismay'd, and fearful of some dire event,
Eurypylus t' enquire their fate was sent.
He from the gods this dreadful answer brought:
"O Grecians, when the Trojan shores you sought,
Your passage with a virgin's blood was bought:
So must your safe return be bought again,
And Grecian blood once more atone the main. "
The spreading rumor round the people ran;
All fear'd, and each believ'd himself the man.
Ulysses took th' advantage of their fright;
CaU'd Calchas, and produc'd in open sight:
Then bade him name the wretch, ordain'd by fate
The public victim, to redeem the state.
_lready some presag'd the dire event,
And saw what sacrifice Ulysses meant.
For twice five days the good old seer withstood
Th' intended treason, and was dumb to blood,
Till, tir'd, with endless clamors and pursuit
Of Ithacus, he stood no longer mute;
_ut, as it was agreed, pronounc'd that I
Was destin'd by the wrathful gods to die. ,,
? \
\
]t_
DRYDEN'S TRANSLATIOI? OF 'VTRGI_ All prals'd the senteuce, pleas'd the storm should
On one alone, whose fury threaten'd all.
The dismal day was come; the priests prepare
Their leaven'd cakes, and fillets for my hair. I follow'd nature's laws, and must avow
I broke my bonds and fled the fatal blow.
Hid in a weedy lake all night I lay,
Secure of safety when they sail'd away.
But now what further hopes for me remain, To see my friends, or native soil, again;
My tender infants, or my careful sire,
Whom they returning will to death require; Will perpetrate on them their first design, And take the forfeit of their heads for mine? Which, O! if pity mortal minds can move,
If there be faith below, or gods above,
If innocence and truth can claim desert,
Ye Trojans, from an injur'd wretch avert. '
"False tears true pity move; the king commands To loose his fetters, and unbind his hands:
Then adds these friendly words: 'Dismiss thy fears; Forget the Greeks; be mine as thou weft theirs. But truly tell, was it for force or guile,
Or some religious end, you rais'd the pile? '
Thus said the king. He, full of fraudful arts, This well-invented tale for truth imparts:
'Ye lamps of heav'n 1' he said, and lifted high His hands now free, 'thou venerable skyl Inviolable pow'rs, ador'd with dread[
Ye fatal fillets, that once bound this head!
Ye sacred altars, from whose flames I fled!
Be all of you adjur'd; and grant I may, Without a crime, th' ungrateful Greeks betray, Reveal the secrets of the guilty state,
And justly punish whom I justly hate!
But you, 0 king, preserve the faith you gave,
If I, to save myself, your empire save.
The Grecian hopes, and all th' attempts they mad_ Were only founded on Minerva's aid.
But from the time when impious Diomede,
? THE SECOND BOOK OF THE _I_EI8 ZS
And false Ulysses, that inventive head, Her fatal image from the temple drew,
The sleeping guardians of the castle slew,
Her virgin statue with their bloody hands Polluted, and profan'd her holy bands;
From thence the tide of fortune left their shore, And ebb'd much faster than it flow'd before:
Their courage languish'd, as their hopes decay'd; And Pallas, now averse, refus'd her aid.
Nor did the goddess doubtfully declare Her alter'd mind and alienated care.
When first her fatal image touch'd the ground,
She sternly cast her glaring eyes around,
That sparkled as they rolrd, and seem'd to threat. Her heav'nly limbs distill'd a briny sweat.
Thrice from the ground she leap'd, was seen to wield Her brandish'd lance, and shake her horrid shield.
Then Calchas bade our host for flight prepare, And hope no conquest from the tedious war,
Till first they sail'd for Greece; with pray'rs besought Her injur'd pow'r, and [_etter omens brought.
And now their navy plows the wat'ry main,
Yet soon expect it on your shores again,
With Pallas pleas'd; as Calchas did ordain. But first, to reconcile the blue-ey'd maid
For her stol'n statue and her tow'r betray'd, Warn'd by the seer, to her offended name
We rais'd and dedicate this wondrous frame, So lofty, lest thro' your forbidden gates
It pass, and intercept our better fates:
For, once admitted there, our hopes are lost;
And Troy may then a new Palladium boast; For so religion and the gods ordain,
That, if you violate with hands profane Minerva's gift, your town in flames shall burn, (Which omen, O ye gods, on Gr_ecia turn l) But if it climb, with your assisting hands,
The Trojan walls, and in the city stands;
Then Troy shall Argos and Mycenm bttr_ And the reverse of fate on us return. '
? 110 D_,YDF. ,N'8 YRANSLATION 01_
"With such deceits he gain'el their easy hearts, Too prone to credit his perfidious arts.
What Diomede, nor Thetis' greater son,
A thousand ships, nor ten years' siege, had done--- False tears and fawning words the city won.
"A greater omen, and of worse portent, Did our unwary minds with fear torment,
Concurring to produce the dire event.
Laocoon, Neptune's priest by lot that year,
With solemn pomp then sacrific'd a steer;
When, dreadful to behold, from sea we spied
Two serpents, rank'd abreast, the seas divide,
And smoothly sweep along the swelling tide.
Their flaming crests above the waves they show;
Their bellies seem to burn the seas below;
Their speckled tails advance to steer their course,
And on the sounding shore the flying billows force.
And now the strand, and now the plain they held;
Their ard'_nt eyes with bloody streaks were fill'd;
Their nimble tongues they brandish'd as they came,
And lick'd their hlssing jaws, that sputter'd flame.
We fled amaz'd; their destin'd way they take,
And to Laocoon and his children make;
And first around the tender boys they wind,
Then with their sharpen'd fangs their limbs and bodies grind The wretched father, running to their aid
With pious haste, but vain, they next invade;
Twice round his waist their winding volumes roll'd; And twice about his gasping throat they fold.
The priest thus dogbly chok'd, their crests divide,
And tow'ring o'er his head in triumph ride.
With both his hands he labors at the knots;
His holy fillets the blue venom blots;
His roaring fills the flitting air around.
Thus, when an ox receives a glancing wound,
He breaks his bands, the fatal altar flies,
And with loud bellowings breaks the yielding skies.
Their tasks perform'd, the serpents quit their preyp
And to the tow'r of Pallas make their way:
Couch'd at her feet, they lie protected there
? M _ BOOK DF THE _EIS 111
By her large buckler and protended spear. Amazement seizes all; the gen'ral cry Proclaims Laocoon justly doom'd to die, Whose hand the will of Pallas had withstood, And dared to violate the sacred wood.
All vote t' admit the steed, that vows be paid And incense offer'd to th' offended maid.
A spacious breach is made; the town lies bare; Some hoisting-levers, some the wheels prepare
And fasteh tOthe horse's feet; the rest With cables haul along th' unwieldly beast.
Each on his fellow for assistarice calls; At length the fatal fabric mounts the walls,
Big with destruction. Boys with chaplets crown'c_ And choirs of virgins, sing and dance around.
Thus rais'd aloft, and then descending down,
It enters o'er our heads, and threats the town.
0 saci-ed city, built by hands divine l
0 valiant heroes of tlte Trojan line!
Four times he stimtk: as oft the clashing sottnd Of arms was heard, and inward groans rebound. Yet, mad with zeal, and blinded with our fate, We haul along the horse in solemn state;
Then place the dire portent within the to_v'r. Cassandra cried, and curs'd th' unhappy hour; Foretold our fate; but, by the god's decree,
All heard, and none believ'd the prophecy.
With branches we the fanes adoru_ and waste,
In jollity, the day ordain'd to be the last. Meantinie the rapid heav'ns roll'd down the light, And on the shaded ocean rush'd the night;
Our men, secure, rior guards nor sentries held, But easy sleep their weary limbs compell'd.
The Grecians had embatk'd their naval pow'rs From Tenedos, and sought our Well4vilown shore_ Safe under covert o{ the silent flight,
And fftfided by t_' imperial galley's hght;
When Sinon, favor'd by the partial gods,
Unlock'd the horse, ahd op'd his dark abodes,_ Restor'd to vital air otlr hidden ioe_
? 1_
DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF _rIR(___
Who joyful from their long confinement rosa Tysandcr bold, and Sthenelus their guide,
And dire Ulysses down the cable slide:
Then Thoas, Athamas, and Pyrrhus haste;
Nor was the Podalirian hero last,
Nor injur'dMcnelafisn,orthefam'd
Epeiisw,ho thefatalenginefram'd.
A namelesscrowdsucceed;thcirforccsjoln
T' invadethetown,oppress'wdithsleepandwine. . Those few theyfindawake firsmteet theirfate; Then totheirfellowtsheyunbarthegate.
"'Twasinthedeadofnightw,hensleeprcpalrs Our bodiesworn withtoilso,urmindswithcarcs,
When Hector'sghostbeforemy sightappears:
A bloodyshroudhcseem'd,andbath'dintears; Such ashe was,when,by Pelideslain, Thessaliacnoursersdragg'dhim o'ertheplain. Swolnwerehisfeet,aswhen thethongswerethrust Thro'the bor'dholcs;hisbody blackwith dust; UnlikethatHectorwho return'dfromtoils
Of war,triumphanti,n_acJan spoils,
Or him who made thefaintinGgreeksretire, And launch'dagainstheirnavyPhrygianfire. His hairand beardstoodstiffcnw'idthhisgore; And allthewounds hc forhiscountrybore
. Now stream'dafresha,nd withnew purpleran. I wepttoseethevisionarmyan,
And, whilemy trancecontinuedt,husbegan: 'O lightofTrojans,andsupportofTroy,
Thy father'cshampion,andthycountry'jsoy! O, longexpectedby thy friends! from whence Art thou so latereturn'fdor our defcns? c
Do we beholdthee,weariedaswe are
With lengthof laborsa,nd withtoilosf war? Aftersomany fun'ralosfthyown
Art thourestor'tdothydeclinintgown?
But say,what wounds arethese? What new cIisgrace Deforms themanlyfeatureosf thyface? '
"To thisthespectenro replydidframe, But answer'd to the cause for which he came,
? SECOND BOOK OF THE _NEIS 1_
And, groaning from the bottom of his breast,
This warning in these mournful words express'd:
'O goddess-born I escape, by timely flight,
The flames and horrors of this fatal mght.
The foes already have possess'd the wall ;
Troy nods from high, and totters to her falL
Enough is paid to Priam's royal name,
More than enough to duty and to fame.
If by a mortal hand my father's throne
Could be defended, 't was by mine alone.
Now Troy to thee commends her future state,
And gives her gods companions of thy fate:
From their assistance happier walls expect,
Which, wand'ring long, at last thou shalt erect. '
He said, and brought me, from their blest abodes,
The venerable statues of the gods,
With ancient Vesta from the sacred choir, The wreaths and relics of th' immortal fire.
"Now peals of shouts come thund'ring from afar, Cries, threats, and loud laments, and mingled war:
The noise approaches_ tho' our palace stood Aloof from streets, encompass'd with a wood.
Louder, and yet more loud, I hear th' alarms
Of human cries d_stmct, and clashing arms. Fear broke my slumbers; I no longer stay,
But mount the terrace, thence the town survey, And hearken what the frightful sounds convey. Thus, when a flood of fire by wind is borne, Crackling it rolls, and mows the standing corn; Or deluges, descending on the plains,
Sweep o'er the yellow year, destroy the pains Of lab'ring oxen and the peasant's gains;
Unroot the forest oaks, and bear away
Flocks, folds, and trees, an undistinguish'd prey: The shepherd climbs the cliff, and sees from far
The wasteful ravage of the wat'ry war.
Then Hector's faith was manifestly clear'd, And Grecian frauds in open light appear'& The palace of Deiphobus ascends
In smoky flames, and catches on his friends.
? Ucalegonbums next:theseasarebright
With splendornottheirown,and shinewithTrojanlight
New clamorsand new clangorsnow arise, The sound of trumpets mix'd with figliting cries.
With frenzy seiz'd, I run to meet th' alarms, Resolv'd on death, resolv'd to die in arms,
But first to gather friends, With them t' oppose (If fortune favor'd) and rep_ the foes;
Spurr'd by my courage, Dy tzty country fir'd, With sense of honor and i'evenge inspir'd.
"Pantheus, Apollo's priest, a sacred name,
Had scap'd the Grecian swords, and pass'd the fl_me: With relics loaden, to my doors he fled,
And by the hand his tender grandson led.
'What hope, 0 Pantheus? whither can we run?
Where make a stand? and what may yet be done? ' Scarce had Isaid, when Pantheus, with a groan:
'Troy is nQ. moi'e, and Ilium was a towfl!
The fatal day, th' appointed hour, is come,
When wrathful Jove's irrevocable doom
Transfers the Trojan state to Grecian harids.
The fire consumes the town, the foe commands;
And armed hosts, an unexpected force,
Break from the bowels of the fatal horse.
Within the gates, proud Sinon throws about
The flames; and foes for entrance press without,
With thOUsand others, whom I fear to flame,
More than ft-om Argos or Mycenae came.
To sev'ral posts their parties tltey divide;
Some block the narrow streets_ some scour the wide: The bold they kill, th' tanwary they surprise;
Who fights finds death, arid death finds him who flieg The warders of the gate bat scarce maintain
Th' unequal coinbat, and resist in vain. '
"I heard; and Hear'n, that well-born souls inspiresj Prompts me thro' lifted swords and rising fires
To run where clashing arms and dam0r calls, And rush tmdatttited to defend the walls.
Ripheus and Iph'itus by my side engage, For valor oni_ reflbvrn'd, and one for age.
? THE SECOND BOOK OF THE ;RNEI8 III
Dymas and Hypanls by moonlight knew
My motions and my mien, and to my party drew; With young Corcebus, who by love was led
To win renown and fair Cassandra's bed,
And lately brought his troops to Priam's aid, Forewarn'd in vain by the prophetic maid.
Whom when I saw resolv'd in arms to fall,
And that one spirit animated all:
'Brave souls F said I,---'but brave, alas l in vain_ Come, finish what our cruel fates ordain.
You see the desp'rate state of our affairs,
And heav'n's protecting pow'rs are deaf to pray'rs. The passive gods behold the Greeks defile
Their temples, and abandon to the spoil
Their own abodes: we, feeble few, conspire
To save a sinking town, involv'd in fire.
Then let us fall, but fall amidst our foes:
Despair of llfe the means of living shows. '
So bold a speech incourag'd their desire
Of death, and added fuel to their fire.
"As hungry wolves, with raging appetite,
Scour thro' the fields, nor _ear the stormy night--- Their whelps at home expect the promis'd food, And long to temper their dry chaps in blood--
So rush'd we forth at once ; resolv'd to die, Resolv'd, in death, the last extremes to try.
We leave the narrow lanes behind, and dare
Th' unequal combat in the public square:
Night was our frlend; our leader was despair. What tongue can tell the slaughter of that night_ What eyes can weep the sorrows and affright?
An ancient and imperial city falls :
The sweets are fill'd with frequent funerals; Houses and holy temples float in blood,
And hostile nations make a common flood.
Not only Trojans fall; but, in their turn,
The vanquish'd triumph, and the victors mourn. Ours take new courage from despair and night: Confus'd the fortune is, confus'd the fight.
All parts resound with tumults, plaints, and fears;
? 118
DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
And grisly Death in sundry shapes appears. Androgeos fell among us, with his band,
Who thought us Grectans newly come to land
'From whence,' said he, "my friends, this long delayF You loiter, while the spoils are borne away:
Our ships are laden with the Trojan store;
And you_ like truants, come too late ashore. '
He said, but soon corrected his mistake,
Found, by the doubtful answers which we make: Amaz'd, he would have shunn'd th' unequal fight;
But we, more num'rous, intercept his flight.
As when some peasant, in a bushy brake,
Has with unwary footing press'd a snake;
He starts aside, astonish'd, when he spies
His rising crest, blue neck, and rolling eyes;
So from our arms surpris'd Androgeos flies.
In vain; for him and his we compass'd round, Possess'd. with fear, unknowing of the ground,
And of their lives an easy conquest found.
Thus Fortune on our first endeavor smil'd.
Coroebus then, with youthful hopes beguil'd,
Swoln with success, and of a daring mind,
This new invention fatally design'd.
'My friends,' said he, 'since Fortune shows the w&y_ 'T is fit we should th' auspicious guide obey.
For what has she these Grecian arms bestow'd, But their destruction, and the Trojans' good? Then change we shields, and their devices bear: Let fraud supply the want of force in war.
They find us arms. ' This said, himself he dress'd In dead Androgeos' spoils, his upper vest,
His painted buckler, and his plumy crest.
Thus Ripheus, Dymas, all the Trojan train, Lay dowr_ their own attire, and strip the slain. Mix'd with the Greeks, we go with ill presage, Flatter'd with hopes to glut our greedy rage; Unknown, assaulting whom we blindly meet, And strew with Grecian carcasses the street. Thus while their straggling parties we defeag Some to the shore and safer ships retreat;
? THE SECOND BOOK OF THE _NEI8 |_
And some, oppress'd with more ignoble fear, Remount the hollow horse, and pant in secret there.
"But, ah! what use of valor can be made,
When heav'n's propitious pow'rs refuse their aid! Behold the royal prophetess, the fair
Cassandra, dragg'd by her dishevel'd hair,
Whom not Minerva's shrine, nor sacred bands,
In safety could protect from sacrilegious hands:
On heav'n she cast her eyes, she sigh'd, she cried-
'T was all she could--her tender arms were tied.
So sad a sight Cort_bus could not bear;
But, fir'd with rage, distracted with despair,
Amid the barb'rous ravishers he flew:
Our leader's rash example we pursue.
But storms of stones, from the proud temple's height, Pour down, and on our batter'd helms alight:
We from our friends receiv'd this fatal blow,
Who thought us Grecians, as we seem'd in show. They aim at the mistaken crests, from hlgh;
And ours beveath the pond'rous ruin lie.
Then, mov'd with anger and disdain, to see
Their troops dispers'd, the royal virgin free,
The Grecians rally, and their pow'rs unite,
With fury charge us, and renew the fight.
The brother kings with Ajax join their force,
And the whole squadron of Thessalian horse.
"Thus, when the rival winds their quarrel try, Contending for the Ringdom of the sky,
South, east, and west, on airy coursers borne ; The whirlwind gathers, and the woods are torn: Then Nereus strikes the deep; the billows rise,
And, mix'd with ooze and sand, pollute the skies. The troops we squander'd first again appear
From several quarters, and enclose the rear.
They first observe, and to the rest betray,
Our diff'rent speech; our borrow'd arms survey'. Oppress'd with odds, we fall; Coro_bus first,
At Pallas' altar, by Peneleus piere'd.
Then Ripheus follow'd, in th' unequal fight;
lust of his word, observant of the right:
? DR_EN_8 TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
Heav'n thought not so. Dymas their fate attends, With Hypanis, mistaken by their friends.
Nor, Pantheus, thee, thy miter, nor the bands Of awful Phoebus, sav'd from impious hands. Ye Trojan flames, your testimony bear,
What I perform'd, and what I suffer'd there; No sword avoiding in the fatal strife,
Expos'd to death, and prodigal of life; Witness, ye heavens[ I live not by my fault: I strove to have deserv'd the death I sought.
But, when I could not fight, and would have died, Borne off to distance by the growing tide,
Old Iphitus and I were hurried thence,
With Pelias wounded, and without defense.
New clamors from th' invested palace ring:
We run to die, or disengage the king.
So hot th' assault, so high the tumult rose,
While ours defend, and while the Greeks oppose
As all the Dardan and Argolic race
Had been contracted in that narrow space;
Or as all Ilium else were void of fear,
And tumult, war, and slaughter, only there.
Their targets in a tortoise cast, the foesp
Secure advancing, to the turrets rose:
Some mount the scaling ladders; some, more bold, Swerve upwards, and by posts and pillars hold; Their left hand gripes their bucklers in th' ascent,
While with their right they seize the battlement. From their demolish'd tow'rs the Trojans throw Huge heaps of stones, that, falling, crush the foe; And heavy beams and rafters from the sides (Such arms their last necessity provides)
And gilded roofs, come tumbling from on high, The marks of state and ancient royalty.
The guards below, fix'd in the pass, attend The charge undaunted, and the gate defend.
Renew'd in courage with recover'd breath, A second time we ran to tempt our death,
To clear the palace from the foe, succeed The weary living, and revenge the dead.
? THE 8EP-OND BOOK OF THE B_'I_I! llg
"A postern door, yet unobserv'd and free, Join'd by the length of a blind gallery,
To the king's closet led: a way well known
To Hector's wife, while Priam held the throne,
Thro' which she brought Astyanax, unseen,
To cheer his grandsire and his grandsire's queen. Thro' this we pass, and mount the tow'r, from whence With unavailing arms the Trojans make defense. From this the tremlding king had oft descried
The Grecian camp, and saw their navy ride.
Beams from its lofty height with swords we hew, Then, wrenching with our hands, th' assault renew; And, where the rafters on the columns meet,
We push them headlong with our arms and feet.
The lightning flies not swifter than the fall,
Nor thunder louder than the ruin'd wall:
Down goes the top at once; the Greeks beneath
Are piecemeal torn, or pounded into death.
Yet more succeed, and more to death are sent;
We cease not from above, nor they below relent. Before the gate stood Pyrrhus, threat'ning loud,
With glitt'ring arms conspicuous in the crowd.
So shines, renew'd in youth, the crested snake, Who slept the winter in a thorny brake,
And, casting off his slough when spring returns, Now looks aloft, and with new glory burns; Restor'd with pois'nous herbs, his ardent sides Reflect the sun; and rais'd on spires he rides; High o'er the grass, hissing he rolls along,
And brandishes by fits his iorky tongue.
Proud Periphas, and fierce Automedon,
His father's charioteer, together run
To force the gate; the Scyrian infantry
Rush on in crowds, and the barr'd passage free. Ent'rlng the court, with shouts the skies they rend_ And flaming firebrands to the roofs ascend.
Himself, among the foremost, deals his blows, And with his ax repeated strokes bestows
On the strong doors; then all their shoulders ply, Till from the posts the braze. a hinges fly.
? 120
DRYDEN'S TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL
He hews apace; the double bars at length
Yield to his ax and unresisted strength.
A mighty breach is made: the rooms eonceal'd
Appear, and all the palace is reveal'd;
The halls of audience, and of public state,
And where the lonely queen in secret sate.
Arm'd soldiers now by trembling maids are seen_
With not a door, and scarce a space, between.
The house is fill'd with loud laments and cries,
And shrleks of women rend the vaulted skies;
The fearful matrons run from place to place,
And kzss the thresholds, and the posts embrace.
The fatal work inhuman Pyrrhus phes,
And all his father sparkles in his eyes;
Nor bars, nor fighting guards, his force sustain:
The bars are broken, and the guards are slain.
In rush the Greeks, and all the apartments fill;
Those "few defendants whom they find, they kill.
Not with so fierce a rage the foaming flood
Roars, when he finds his rapid course withstood;
Bears down the dams with unresisted sway,
And sweeps the cattle and the cots away.
These eyes beheld him when he march'd between
The brother kings: I saw th' unhappy queen,
The hundred wives, and where old Priam stood, To stain his hallow'd altar with his brood.
The fifty nuptial beds (such hopes had her
So large a promise, of a progeny),
The posts_ of plated gold, and hung with spoils, Fell the reward of the proud victor's toils. Where'er the raging fire had left a space,
The Grecians enter and possess the place.
"Perhaps you may of Priam's fate enquire. He, when he saw his regal town on fire,
His ruin'd palace, and his ent'ring foes,
On ev'ry side inevitable woes,
In arms, disus'd, invests his limbs, decay'd,
Like them, with age; a late and useless aid. His feeble shoulders scarce the weight sustaln_ Loaded, not arm'd, he creeps along with pa_n_
? THE SECOND BOOE OF THE _lqEIS 121
Despairing of success, ambitious to be slain l Uncover'd but by heav'n, there stood in view
An altar; near the hearth a laurel grew,
Dodder'd with age, whose boughs encompass round The household gods, and shade the holy ground. Here Hecuba, with all her helpless train
Of dames, for shelter sought, but sought in vain. Driv'n like a flock of doves along the sky,
Their images they hug, and to their altars fly. The Queen, when she beheld her trembling lord, And hanging by his side a heavy sword,
'What rage,' she cried, 'has seiz'd my husband's mind? What arms are these, and to what use design'd ? These times want other aids[ Were Hector here, Ev'n Hector now in vain, like Priam, would appear. With us, one common shelter thou shMt find,
Or in one common fate with us be join'&' She said, and with a last salute embrac'd
The poor old man, and by the laurel plac'd. Behold! Polites, one of Priam's sons,
Pursued by Pyrrhus, there for safety runs. Thro' swords and foes, amaz'd and hurt, he flies Thro' empty courts and open galleries.
Him Pyrrhus, urging with his lance, pursues, And often reaches, and his thrusts renews.
The youth, transGx'd, with lamentable cries, Expires before his wretched parent's eyes: Whom gasping at his feet when Priam saw,
The fear of death gave place to nature's law; And, shaking more with anger than with age, 'The gods,' said he, 'requite thy brutal rage!
As sure they will, barbarian, sure they must,
If there be gods in hear'n, and gods be justq Who tak'st in wrongs an insolent delight;
With a son's death t' infect a father's sight.
Not he, whom thou and lying fame conspire
To call thee his--not he, thy vaunted sire,
Thus us'd my wretched age: the gods he fear'd, The laws of nature and of nations heard.
He cheer'd my sorrows, and, for sums of gold,
? _2_
DRY/)E_'8 _. _TSLA_ION OF VIRGIL
'/'he bloodless carcass of my Hector sold; Pitied the woes a parent underwent,
And sent me hack in safety from his tent. '
"This said, his feeble hand a javelin threw, Which, flutt'ring, seem'd to loiter as it flew: Just, and but barely, to the mark it held,
And faintly tinkled on the brazen shield.
"Then Pyrrhus thus: 'Go thou from me to fate, And to my father my foul deeds relate.
Now die 7' With that he dragg'd the trembling sire, Slidd'ring thro' clotter'd blood and holy mire,
(The mingled paste his murder'd son had made,) Haul'd from beneath the violated shade,
And on the sacred pile the royal victim laid.