Smite on it, or the moon's refplendent orb,
The quivering light now flashes on the walls,
Now leaps uncertain to the vaulted roof:
Such were the wavering motions of his mind.
'Twas night—and weary nature funk to rest.
The birds, the bleating flocks, were heard no more.
At length, on the cold ground, beneath the damp
And dewy vault, faft by the river's brink,
The father of his country fought repofe.
When lo! among the fpreading poplar boughs,
Forth from his pleasant stream, propitious rofe
The god of Tiber: clear tranfparent gauze
Infolds his loins, his brows with reeds are crown'd:
And these his gracious words to soothe his care:
"Heaven-born, who bring'ft our kindred home
again,
Rescued, and giveft eternity to Troy,
Long have Laurentum and the Latian plains
Expected thee; behold thy fix'd abode.
Fear not the threats of war, the ftorm is paff'd, The gods appeafed. For proof that what thou hear'ft
Is no vain forgery or delufive dream,
Beneath the grove that borders my green bank,
A milk-white swine, with thirty milk-white young,
Shall greet thy wondering eyes. Mark well the
place;
For 'tis thy place of rest, there end thy toils:
There, twice ten years elapfed, fair Alba's walls
Shall rise, fair Alba, by Ascanius' hand.
Thus fhall it be ;-now liften, while I teach
The means to accomplish these events at hand.
The Arcadians here, a race from Pallas fprung,
Following Evander's ftandard and his fate,
High on these mountains, a well chosen spot,
Have built a city, for their grandfire's fake
Named Pallanteum. These perpetual war
Wage with the Latians: join'd in faithful league
And arms confederate, add them to your camp.
Myself between my winding banks will speed
Your well oar'd barks to ftem the oppofing tide.
Rife, goddess-born, arife; and with the first
Declining stars feek Juno in thy prayer,
And vanquish all her wrath with suppliant vows.
When conqueft crowns thee, then remember me.
I am the Tiber, whofe cærulean ftream
Heaven favours; I with copious flood divide
These graffy banks, and cleave the fruitful meads.
My manfion, this-and lofty cities crown
My fountain head."-He spoke and fought the
deep,
And plunged his form beneath the closing flood.
Æneas at the morning dawn awoke,
And, rifing, with uplifted eye
The orient fun, then dipp'd his palms, and scoop'd The brimming stream, and thus addreff'd the skies: "Ye nymphs, Laurentian nymphs, who feed the
Of many a stream, and thou, with thy bleft flood,
O Tiber, hear, accept me, and afford,
At length afford, a shelter from my woes.
Where'er in fecret cavern under ground
Thy waters fleep, where'er they spring to light,
Since thou haft pity for a wretch like me,
My offerings and my vows fhall wait thee ftill : Great horned Father of Hefperian floods,
Be gracious now, and ratify thy word."
He said, and chose two galleys from his fleet,
Fits them with oars, and clothes the crew in arms.
When lo! aftonishing and pleafing fight,
The milk-white dam, with her unfpotted brood,
Lay ftretch'd upon the bank, beneath the grove.
To thee, the pious Prince, Juno, to thee
Devotes them all, all on thine altar bleed.
That livelong night old Tiber fmooth'd his flood,
And fo reftrain'd it that it seem'd to stand
Motionless as a pool, or filent lake,
That not a billow might refift their oars.
With cheerful found of exhortation foon
Their voyage they begin; the pitchy keel
Slides through the gentle deep, the quiet stream
Admires the unwonted burthen that it bears,
Well polish'd arms, and veffels painted gay.
Beneath the fhade of various trees, between
The umbrageous branches of the spreading groves,
They cut their liquid way, nor day nor night
They flack their courfe, unwinding as they go
The long meanders of the peaceful tide.
The glowing fun was in meridian height,
When from afar they faw the humble walls,
And the few scatter'd cottages, which now
The Roman power has equall'd with the clouds;
But fuch was then Evander's fcant domain.
They steer to shore, and hasten to the town.
It chanced the Arcadian monarch on that day, Before the walls, beneath a fhady grove,
Was celebrating high, in folemn feast,
Alcides and his tutelary gods.
Pallas, his fon, was there, and there the chief
Of all his youth; with thefe, a worthy tribe,
but venerable fenate, burnt
Sweet incenfe, and their altars fmoked with blood.
Soon as they faw the towering masts approach,
Sliding between the trees, while the crew reft
Upon their filent oars, amazed they rose,
Not without fear, and all forfook the feast.
But Pallas undismay'd, his javelin seized,
Rush'd to the bank, and from a rifing ground
Forbade them to disturb the facred rites.
"Ye stranger youth! what prompts you to explore
This untried way? and whither do ye fteer?
Whence, and who are ye? Bring ye peace or war?"
Æneas from his lofty deck holds forth
The peaceful olive branch, and thus replies:
Trojans and enemies to the Latian state,
Whom they with unprovoked hoftilities
Have driven away, thou fee'ft. We feek Evander;
Say this—and say befide, the Trojan chiefs
Are come, and seek his friendship and his aid."
Pallas with wonder heard that awful name,
And, "Whofoe'er thou art," he cried, " come
Bear thine own tidings to my father's ear,
And be a welcome guest beneath our roof.”
He said, and preff'd the stranger to his breast:
Then led him from the river to the grove,
Where, courteous, thus Æneas greets the king:
"Best of the Grecian race, to whom I bow
(So wills my fortune) fuppliant, and stretch forth In fign of amity this peaceful branch,
I fear'd thee not, although I knew thee well
A Grecian leader, born in Arcady,
And kinfman of the Atrida. Me my virtue,
That means no wrong to thee-the Oracles,
Our kindred families allied of old,
And thy renown diffused through every land,
Have all confpired to bind in friendship to thee,
And send me not unwilling to thy shores.
Dardanus, author of the Trojan state,
(So fay the Greeks) was fair Electra's fon;
Electra boafted Atlas for her fire,
Whose shoulders high fuftain the æthereal orbs.
Your fire is Mercury, whom Maia bore,
Sweet Maia, on Cyllene's hoary top.
Her, if we credit aught tradition old,
Atlas of yore, the selfsame Atlas, claim'd
His daughter. Thus united close in blood,
Thy race and ours one common fire confess.
With these credentials fraught, I would not fend
Ambaffadors with artful phrafe to found
And win thee by degrees-but came myself-
Me, therefore, me thou seest; my life the stake :
'Tis I, Æneas, who implore thine aid.
Should Daunia, that now aims the blow at thee,
Prevail to conquer us, nought then, they think,
Will hinder but Hefperia must be theirs,
All theirs, from the upper to the nether sea.
Take then our friendship, and return us thine.
We too have courage, we have noble minds,
And youth well tried, and exercised in arms.”
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