Ausonian offspring, the Lavinian land?
But let him sail--no more--bear my command".
300 Jove spoke--His son obey'd:--and to his feet
Bound the light wings of gold--wings ever fleet,
Which over earth and sea, through yielding air,
Swift as the wind the rapid herald bear;
305 And took the rod that calls the trembling ghost
To light, or binds it to the Stygian coast,
Gives balmy slumber, breaks the sweet repose,
Weighs down the lid of dying eyes that close.
Thro' storms and dripping clouds with this he glides;
Now o'er the summit and the hoary sides
310 Of Atlas hangs, pois'd on whose shoulders rest
The Heav'ns: his head eternal storms infest,
Crown'd with dark pines, inwrap'd with gloomy clouds;
Primeval snow his shaggy bosom shrouds,
Furrow'd with streams that down his chin descend,
315 And chains of ice from his broad beard that pend.
Here light the God--Balanc'd his equal wings,
And darting forward to the ocean flings.
Through misty air as nearer earth he drew,
Cutting the winds and whirling sands, he flew
320 Like birds, that hov'ring o'er the fishy main,
Drop from the sky', and skim the watry plain.
So from the height his mighty grandsire props,
Down on the pinion light Cyllenius drops;
And scarce his winged feet had touch'd the ground,
325 AEneas with the busy crew he found,
Planning new structures for the rising town.
Bright with a radiant gem his sword hung down,
A mantle graceful o'er his shoulder thrown
With sparkling gold and Tyrian purple shone.
330 'Twas Dido's present: thro' the blushing thread
The docile gold her taper fingers led.
The god accosts him.--"With uxorious care
The walls of Carthage does AEneas rear,
Himself forgotten and his future state?
335 But he that reigns--the pow'r who next to Fate,
Roles Earth and Heav'n, and moves them with a nod,
Thro' skies unclouded, he--the ruling God,
This to your ear commands me to convey;
Why on the Lybian shore this fond delay?
340 These rising tow'rs--If satisfied with these,
You barter glory for ignoble ease,
Your injur'd heir--your young Ascanius view,
Rome and th' Italian reign to him are due."
While thus the God convey'd what Jove resolv'd,
345 From human eyes in air his form dissolved.

AEneas stood