gods, and the quaking mouths of seven-fold Nile hurry on their troubled waves. Even Hercules himself did not run over so many countries, though he transfixed the brazen-footed hind, quelled the forest of Erymanthus, and made Lerna tremble with his bow: nor did Bacchus proceed so far, who in triumph manages his car with reins wrapped about with vine-leaves, driving the yoked tigers from Nysa's lofty top. And doubt we yet to extend the fame of our virtue by heroic deeds? or is fear a bar to our settling in the Ausonian land? But who is he at a distance, distinguished by the olive boughs, bearing the sacred utensils? I know the venerable locks and hoary beard of the Roman king, who first shall establish the city by laws, sent from his little city Cures and poor estate to vast empire: whom Tullus shall next succeed, who shall break the peace of his country, and rouse to arms his inactive subjects, and troops now unused to triumphs: whom follows next vain-glorious Ancus, even now too much tickled with the breath of popular applause. Will you also see the Tarquin kings, and the stern unsubmitting soul of Brutus the avenger of his country's wrongs, and the sovereignty recovered to the people? He first shall receive the consular power, and the sword of justice inflexibly severe; and the ill-fated sire shall, for the sake of glorious liberty, summon to death his own sons, raising civil war, till then new and unknown to Rome; however posterity shall interpret that action, love to his country, and the unbounded desire of praise, shall prevail over paternal affection. See besides at some distance the Decii, Drusi, Torquatus inflexibly severe in executing justice, and Camillus recovering the Roman standards from the enemy. But those two ghosts whom you observe to shine in equal arms, in perfect friendship now, and while they remain shut up in the realms of night, ah, what war, what battles and havock will they between them raise, if once they have attained to the light of life! the father-in-law descending from the Alpine hills, and the tower of Monocus; the son-in-law furnished with the troops of the east to oppose Ne, pueri, ne tanta animis assuescite bella; Ille triumphatâ Capitolia ad alta Corintho 835 Ipsumque aciden, genus armipotentis Achillei; 840 Quis te, magne Cato, tacitum, aut te, Cosse, relinquat? Quis Gracchi genus? aut geminos, duo fulmina belli, Quò fessum rapitis, Fabii? Tu maximus ille es, 845 Credo equidem; vivos ducent de marmore vultus; 850 Tu regere imperio populos, Romane, memento; Sic pater Anchises, atque hæc mirantibus addit: 855 860 835. Ille triumphata. This refers to Mummias, who subdued Achaia, and razed Corinth. See Liv. Epit. lib. ii. 839. Aeaciden. The best interpreters understand Perseus, king of Macedonia, descended from Achilles, the grandson of Aeacus, who was routed and led in triumph by Paulus Aemilius, whereby the power of Greece was quite broken. 844. Serrane. Quinctins Cincinnatus, so called from sero, to sow. 855. Spoliis opimis. The spolia opima were those spoils of which a Roman commander stripped the enemy's general whom he had slain with his own hand in the field of battle. Marcellus was the third who consecrated these spoils. 861. Egregium forma, etc. Here Virgil comes to the encomium him. Make not, my sons, make not such unnatural wars familiar to your minds; nor turn the powerful supports of your country against its bowels. And thou, Caesar, first forbear, thou who derivest thy origin from heaven; fling those arms out of thy hand, O my offspring, my own blood! That one, having triumphed over Corinth, shall drive his chariot victorious to the lofty Capitol, illustrious in the blood of slaughtered Greeks. The other shall overthrow Argos, and Mycenae, Agamemnon's seat, and Eacides himself, the descendant of valorous Achilles; avenging his Trojan ancestors, and the violated temple of Minerva. Who can in silence pass over thee, great Cato, or thee, Cossus? Who the family of Gracchus, or both the Scipios, those two thunderbolts of war, the bane of Africa, and Fabricius in low fortune exalted? or thee, Serranus, sowing in the furrow which thy own hands had made? Whither, ye Fabii, do you hurry me already tired? Thou art that Fabius justly styled the greatest, who alone shalt repair our sinking state by wise delay. Others, I grant indeed, shall with more delicacy mould the breathing animated brass; from marble draw the features to the life; plead causes better; describe with the astronomer's rod the courses of the heavens, and explain the rising stars: but to rule the nations with imperial sway be thy care, O Roman; these shall be thy arts; to impose terms of peace, to spare the humbled, and crush the proud stubborn foes. Thus father Anchises speaks, and, as they are wondering, subjoins: Behold, how adorned with triumphal spoils Marcellus stalks along, and shines above the heroes all! He, mounted on his fierce steed, shall prop the Roman state in the rage of a formidable insurrection; the Carthaginians he shall humble, and the rebellious Gaul, and dedicate to father Quirinus the third triumphal spoils. And upon this Æneas says; for he beheld marching with him a youth distinguished. by his beauty and shining on young Marcellus, the son of Octavia, Augustus' sister, and of Caius Marcellus, whom Augustus designed for his successor in the empire; but he died in the bloom of youth. Sed frons læta parum, et dejecto lumina vultu) Quis, pater, ille, virum qui sic comitatur euntem ? 866 870 875 880 Quis strepitus circa comitum ! quantum instar in ipso est! 885 890 895 : arms, but his countenance not joyous, and his eyes sunk and dejected; What youth is he, O father, who thus accompanies the hero as he walks? is he a son, or one of the illustrious line of his descendants? What bustling noise of attendants round him! How great resemblance in him to the other! but sable Night with her dreary shade hovers around his head. Then father Anchises, while tears gushed from his eyes, thus began: Seek not, my son, to know the deep disaster of thy kindred him the Fates shall just shew on earth, nor suffer long to subsist. Ye gods, Rome's sons had seemed too powerful in your eyes, had these your gifts been permanent. What groans of heroes shall that field near the imperial city of Mars send forth! what solemn funeral pomp shall you, O Tiberinus, see, when you glide by his recent tomb! Neither shall any youth of the Trojan line in hope exalt the Latin fathers so high; nor shall the land of Romulus ever glory so much in any of her sons. Ah that piety! ah that faith and integrity of ancient times! and that right hand invincible in war! none with impunity had encountered him in arms, either when on foot he rushed upon the foe, or when he pierced with the spur his foaming courser's flanks Ah, youthful object of sincere commiseration! if by any means thou canst burst the bonds of rigorous fate, thou shalt be a Marcellus. Give me lilies in handfuls; let me strew the purple blooming flowers; these offerings at least let me heap upon my descendant's shade, and discharge this unavailing duty. Thus up and down they roam through all the Elysian regions in spacious airy fields, and survey every object: through each of whom when Anchises had conducted his son, and fired his soul with the love of future fame, he next recounts to the hero what wars he must hereafter wage, informs him of the Laurentine people, and of the city of Latinus, and by what means he may surmount or shun every toil. Two gates there are of Sleep, whereof the one is said to be of horn; by which an easy egress is given to true visions; the other shining, as being wrought of white |