Her holy wreaths, and her eternal fire. Meanwhile the walls with doubtful cries resound From far (for shady coverts did surround My father's house); approaching still more near, The clash of arms, and voice of men we hear: Roused from my bed, I speedily ascend 290 The houses' tops, and listening there attend. As flames roll'd by the winds' conspiring force, O'er full-ear'd corn, or torrent's raging course Bears down th'opposing oaks, the fields destroys, And mocks the ploughman's toil, th'unlook'd for noise From neighb'ring hills th'amazed shepherd hears; Such my surprise, and such their rage appears. First fell thy house, Ucalegon! then thine Deïphobus! Sigæan seas did shine Bright with Troy's flames; the trumpets' dreadful sound The louder groans of dying men confound. 301 Give me my arms, I cried, resolved to throw Myself 'mong any that opposed the foe: Rage, anger, and despair at once suggest, That of all deaths, to die in arms was best. The first I met was Pantheus, Phoebus' priest, Who, 'scaping with his gods and relics, fled, And t'wards the shore his little grandchild led; 'Pantheus, what hope remains? what force, what place Made good? But, sighing, he replies, 'Alas! 310 Trojans we were, and mighty Ilium was; But the last period and the fatal hour Of Troy is come: our glory and our power Incensèd Jove transfers to Grecian hands; The foe within the burning town commands; And (like a smother'd fire) an unseen force Breaks from the bowels of the fatal horse: Insulting Sinon flings about the flame, And thousands more than e'er from Argos came Possess the gates, the passes, and the streets, 320 And these the sword o'ertakes, and those it meets. The guard nor fights nor flies; their fate so near At once suspends their courage and their fear.'-- Thus by the gods, and by Atrides' words Inspir'd, I make my way through fire, through swords, Where noises, tumults, outcries, and alarms I heard; first Iphitus, renown'd for arms, We meet, who knew us (for the moon did shine) Then Ripheus, Hypanis, and Dymas join Their force, and young Choroebus, Mygdon's son, 330 Who, by the love of fair Cassandra won, Arrived but lately in her father's aid; Unhappy, whom the threats could not dissuade Of his prophetic spouse; Whom when I saw, yet daring to maintain The fight, I said, 'Brave spirits! (but in vain) Are you resolv'd to follow one who dares Tempt all extremes? The state of our affairs You see: the gods have left us, by whose aid Our empire stood; nor can the flame be stay'd: 340 Then let us fall amidst our foes; this one Relief the vanquish'd have, to hope for none.' Then reinforced, as in a stormy night Wolves urgèd by their raging appetite Forage for prey, which their neglected young With greedy jaws expect, even so among Foes, fire, and swords, t'assured death we pass;