The promised day had come, the fates had finished The allotted span, when Turnus’ desecration Warned Cybele to keep the torch and firebrand Far from her holy vessels. A new light blazed In mortal sight, and from the east a cloud Ran across heaven, and choirs from Ida followed, And a dread voice came down the air:--“O Trojans, Be in no hurry to defend my vessels, You have no need of arms; Turnus, most surely, Will burn the seas before he burns these pine-trees. Go forth in freedom, goddesses of ocean, The Mother wills it so.” And each ship parted Cable from bank, and dove to the deep water As dolphins dive, and reappeared as maiden,-- Oh marvel!--and all of them bore out to ocean. Rutulian hearts were stunned, their captains shaken, Their steeds confused and frightened; even Tiber Shrank back from the sea, and the murmuring stream protested. But Turnus kept his nerve, his words rang loud In challenge to their courage:--“These are portents To make the Trojans timid; Jove has taken Their comfort from them; the ships they always fled in Run from Rutulian fire and sword; the oceans Are pathless for the Trojans now, their hope Of flight all gone: half of their world is taken, And the earth is in our hands, Italians, thousands, Thousands of us in arms. I am not frightened, However they boast of oracles from heaven. Venus and fate have had their share: the Trojans Have done enough even to touch our richness, The Ausonian fields. I have my omens, also, To match with theirs, a sword to slay the guilty, Death for the rape of brides! Not Atreus’ sons, Not only Menelaus and Mycenae, Know what this hurt can be, this need for vengeance, This right to take up arms. Once to have perished, They tell us, is enough. Once to have sinned Ought to have been enough and more. Hereafter All women should be hateful to them, cowards Hiding behind the sheltering moat and rampart, The little barriers that give them courage! Have they not seen the walls that Neptune built them Sink in the fires? Which one of you is ready, Brave hearts, to slash their barriers with the sword, To join me in the onrush? I do not need The arms of Vulcan, nor a thousand vessels Against the Trojans. Let them have Etruria! One thing, at least, they need not fear,--the darkness, The sneaking theft of their Palladium image, Guards slain in the dark, hiders in horse’s belly; I fight in open daylight, I have fire To put around their walls, I will teach them something,-- Their business now is not with those Greek heroes Whom Hector kept at bay for ten long years. Now day is almost over; you have done Good work; rest now; be happy, be preparing, Be hopeful for the battles of to-morrow.”