her forward in her flying course. And first she leaves behind her Sergestus struggling against the high rocks and shallows, in vain imploring aid, and practising to row with shattered oars. Then he overtakes Gyas, and bulky Chimæra's self: she yields, because she wants her pilot. And now, in the very end of the course, Cloanthus alone is before him; whom he therefore endeavours to reach, and, straining with the utmost vigour, pursues. Then, indeed, the shouts redouble, and all the spectators, with hearty applauses, stimulate him in the pursuit, and the sky resounds with roaring acclamations. These are fired with indignation, lest they should lose their possession of glory and the honour they have won; and they are willing to barter life for praise. Those success animates; they are enabled to exert themselves, because they are confident of their own power. And, perhaps, they had both been equally entitled to the prize, had not Cloanthus, stretching out his hands to the sea, poured forth prayers and invoked the gods in form of a vow: Ye gods, to whom belongs the empire of the main, over whose seas I sail, I, bound by vow, will cheerfully present before your altars a snow-white bull on this shore, and exhibit the entrails on the briny wave as an offering to you, and pour out pure wine by way of libation. He said; and the whole choir of Nereids, and Phorcas' train, and the virgin Panopea, heard him from the bottom of the waves; and father Portunus himself, with his ample hand, pushed on the galley in her course. She flies to land swifter than the wind or winged arrow, and lodged herself in the harbour's deep recess. Then Anchises' son, having assembled all in form, proclaims Cloanthus conqueror, by the loud voice of the herald, and crowns his temples with verdant laurel; allows him the choice of three bullocks designed for presents to the three victorious galleys, and gives him wine to carry away with him, and a great talent of silver. On the leaders themselves he confers peculiar honours: to the conqueror he presents a mantle embroidered with gold, round which a thick fringe of Melibean purple ran in a double maze, and Intextusque puer frondosâ regius Idâ, 255 260 265 270 Cùm sævo è scopulo multâ vix arte revulsam, Amissis remis, atque ordine debilis uno, Irrisam sine honore ratem Sergestus agebat. Arduus attollens; pars vulnere clauda retentat Nexantem nodos, seque in sua membra plicantem: 280 Vela facit tamen, et plenis subit ostia velis. Sergestum Æneas promisso munere donat, 285 273. Viac in aggere. Agger viae signifies properly the highest part of the road which was raised in the middle for carrying off the rain. where the royal boy Ganymede in-woven pursues, with darts and full career, the fleet stags on woody Ida, eager, seeming to pant for breath; whom Jove's swift armourbearer, with his crooked talons, snatched aloft from Ida. The aged keepers in vain stretch out their hands to the stars, and the baying of the dogs rages to the skies. To him who by his merit won the second place, he gives to wear a coat of mail, thick set with smooth polished rings, and wrought in gold with triple tissue, which his own victorious hands had torn from Demoleus by rapid Simoïs under lofty Ilium; he gives it to be his ornament and defence in war. The servants, Phegeus and Sagaris, with united force, scarcely bore the cumbrous armour on their shoulders: but Demoleus, formerly clad therein, chased before him the straggling Trojans. For the third present he bestows two kettles of brass, and two silver bowls of finished work, and rough with figures. And thus now all rewarded, and flushed with their wealth, walked in procession, having their temples bound with scarlet fillets, when Sergestus brought up his hooted galley without honour, hardly with much art disentangled from the cruel rock, with the loss of her oars, and in one tier quite disabled. As often a serpent surprised in the high-way (which a brazen wheel hath gone athwart, or a traveller lending his weight at every stroke hath left half dead and mangled with stones) attempting in vain to fly, shoots his body in long wreaths; in one part fierce, darting fire from his eyes, and rearing aloft his hissing neck; the other part maimed with the wound, retards him, twisting his body in knots, and winding himself up on his own limbs :-with such kind of steerage the ship slowly moved along: her sails, however, she expands, and enters the port with full sail. Eneas gladly confers on Sergestus the promised reward for preserving the vessel, and bringing the crew safe back. To him is given a female slave, not unskilful in the works of Minerva, Pholoe by name, a Cretan by extraction, with her two children on the breast. This game being over, the pious hero advances to a 290 Gramineum in campum, quem collibus undique curvis Euryalus formâ insignis viridique juventâ ; 295 Hunc Salius, simul et Patron; quorum alter Acarnan, Alter ab Arcadiâ, Tegeææ sanguine gentis. Tum duo Trinacrii juvenes, Elymus Panopesque, 300 Assueti sylvis, comites senioris Acestæ : Multi præterea, quos fama obscura recondit. Eneas quibus in mediis sic deinde locutus: Accipite hæc animis, lætasque advertite mentes: Nemo ex hoc numero mihi non donatus abibit. 305 Omnibus hic erit unus honos. Tres præmia primi Primus equum phaleris insignem victor habeto: 310 Alter Amazoniam pharetram, plenamque sagittis Threiciis, lato quam circum amplectitur auro Balteus, et tereti subnectit fibula gemmâ: 315 320 296. Amore pio. A generous, tender, disinterested affection, such as that of parents to their children. 307. Spicula. A dart, used by foot-soldiers, of about five feet and a half in length. The same with pilum. Next grassy plain, which woods on winding hills inclosed around; and in the mid valley was the circuit of a theatre, whither the hero, in the midst of many thousands, repaired, and took a high seat in the assembly. Here he offers inviting rewards to those who chance to be inclined to enter the lists in the rapid race, and exhibits the prizes. The Trojans and Sicilians, in mingled throngs, convene from every quarter; Nisus and Euryalus the first: Euryalus, distinguished by his lovely form and blooming youth; Nisus, by his tender affection to the boy; whom next Diores followed, a royal youth of Priam's illustrious line. After him Salius, and with him Patron; of whom the one was an Acarnanian, the other from Arcadia, of the blood of the Tegeæan race. appeared two Sicilian youths, Elymus and Panopes, trained to the woods, the companions of aged Acestes; and many more besides, whom fame hath buried in obscurity. In the midst of whom thus Æneas spoke : Mark these my words, and attend with joy: none of this throng shall go unrewarded by me. Two bright Cnossian darts of polished steel, and a carved battle-axe of silver, I will give each man to bear away. This honour shall be conferred equally on all. The first three shall receive prizes, and shall have their heads bound with a wreath of yellow olive. Let the first conqueror have a steed adorned with rich trappings; the second an Amazonian quiver fraught with Thracian arrows, which a broad belt of gold around embraces, and a buckle clasps with a tapering diamond; and let the third content himself with this Grecian helmet. When he had thus said, they take their respective places, and upon hearing the signal, start in a trice, and quit the barrier, darting forward like a tempest: at the same time they mark the goal. Nisus gets the start, and springs away far before the rest, outflying the winds and winged lightning. Next to him, but, though next, yet widely distant, follows Salius: then after him Euryalus, 316. Spatia. The stages or bounds in racing, so that corripiunt spatia signifies, They start, they snatch the first ground, |