ty 'tis, where glorious folk of war,
The Lydian folk, on Tuscan hills pitched their abode of yore. 480
A many years of blooming once they had, until the king
Mezentius held them 'neath his pride and cruel warfaring.
Why tell those deaths unspeakable, and many a tyrant's deed?
May the Gods store them for the heads of him and all his seed!
Yea, yea, dead corpses would he join to bodies living yet,
And hand to hand, O misery! and mouth to mouth would set;
There, drenched with gore and drenched with dew of death, must they abide,
A foul embrace unspeakable, and long and long they died.
Worn out at last, his folk in arms beset his house about,
And him therein all mad with rage, cut of his following rout, 490
And cast the wildfire therewithal over his roof on high:
But he, amidst the slaughter slipped, to fields of Rutuli
Made shift to flee, and there is held a guest by Turnus' sword.
So by just anger raised today Etruria is abroad,
Crying with Mars to aid, 'Give back the king to pay the cost!'
AEneas, I will make thee now the captain of their host:
For down the whole coast goes the roar from out their ship-host's pack;
They cry to bear the banners forth; but them still holdeth back
The ancient seer, thus singing Fate: _Maeonia's chosen peers,_
_The heart and flower of men of old, whom grief's just measure bears_ 500
_Against the foe; souls that your king hath stirred to righteous wrath,_
_No man of Italy is meet to lead this army forth;_
_Seek outland captains._ Then, indeed, the Tuscan war array,
Feared by such warnings of the Gods, amidst these meadows lay.
Tarchon himself hath hither sent sweet speakers, bearing me
Their lordships' kingly staff and crown, and signs of royalty;
And bidding take the Tuscan land and join their camp of war.
But eld adull with winter frost and spent with days of yore,
My body over-old for deeds begrudged such government.
I would have stirred my son, but he, with Sabine mother blent, 510
Shared blood of this Italian land: but thee the Fates endow
With years and race full meet hereto; the Gods call on thee now.
Go forth, O captain valorous of Italy and Troy.
Yea, I will give thee Pallas here, my hope and darling joy,
And bid him 'neath thy mastery learn in battle to be bold,
And win the heavy work of Mars, and all thy deeds behol