the whole Trojan horde, and drive them back into the sea, whence
they came.

Latinus found it extremely difficult to withstand this torrent. He
remained firm for a time, and made every exertion in his power to
quell the excitement and to pacify the minds of his people. But all
was in vain. Public sentiment turned hopelessly against the Trojans,
and AEneas soon found himself shut up in his city, surrounded with
enemies, and left to his fate. Turnus was the leader of these foes.

He, however, did not despair. Both parties began to prepare vigorously
for war. AEneas himself went away with a few followers to some of the
neighboring kingdoms, to get succor from them. Neighboring states are
almost always jealous of each other, and are easily induced to take
part against each other, when involved in foreign wars. AEneas found
several of the Italian princes who were ready to aid him, and he
returned to his camp with considerable reinforcements, and with
promises of more. The war soon broke out, and was waged for a long
time with great determination on both sides and with varied success.

Latinus, who was now somewhat advanced in life, and had thus passed
beyond the period of ambition and love of glory, and who besides must
have felt that the interests of his family were now indissolubly bound
up in those of AEneas and Lavinia, watched the progress of the contest
with a very uneasy and anxious mind. He found that for a time at
least it would be out of his power to do any thing effectual to
terminate the war, so he allowed it to take its course, and contented
himself with waiting patiently, in hopes that an occasion which would
allow of his interposing with some hope of success, would sooner or
later come.

Such an occasion did come; for after the war had been prosecuted for
some time it was found, that notwithstanding the disadvantages under
which the Trojans labored, they were rather gaining than losing
ground. There were in fact some advantages as well as some
disadvantages in their position. They formed a compact and
concentrated body, while their enemies constituted a scattered
population, spreading in a more or less exposed condition over a
considerable extent of country. They had neither flocks nor herds, nor
any other property for their enemies to plunder, while the Rutulians
and Latins had great possessions, both of treasure in the towns and of
rural produce in the country, so that when the Trojans gained the
victo