And Neptune answered:-- “None has a better right to trust my kingdom Than the goddess born of the sea-foam. And I have earned This confidence. I have often checked the anger Of sea and sky. And the rivers of Troy are witness I have helped on land as well, and saved Aeneas. When thousands died at Troy, with fierce Achilles In hot pursuit, and the rivers groaned, and Xanthus Could hardly find the sea, I formed a cloud Around Aeneas, when he met Achilles With the gods adverse, and no great strength to help him I rescued him, in spite of my own anger At the perjury of Troy, in spite of my passion To raze the walls I had built. Now too my purpose Remains; have done with fear; he will reach in safety The haven of Avernus; the prayer is granted. Let one be lost in the flood, one life alone Be given for the many.” This comfort given, To bring the goddess joy, he yoked his horses, Gold bridle, foaming bit, and sent them flying With the lightest touch of the reins, skimming the surface In the bright blue car; and the waves went down, the axle Subdued the swell of the wave, and storm-clouds melted To nothing in the sky, and his attendants Followed along, great whales, and ancient Glaucus, Palaemon, Ino’s son, and the rushing Tritons, The army of Phorcus, Melite and Thetis Watching the left, and the maiden Panopea, Cymodoce and Thalia and Spio, So that Aeneas, in his turn, was happy, Less anxious at heart. The masts are raised, and sail Stretched from the halyards; right and left they bend The canvas to fair winds: at the head of the fleet Rides Palinurus, and the others follow, As ordered, close behind him; dewy night Has reached mid-heaven, while the sailors, sleeping, Relax on the hard benches under the oars, All calm, all quiet. And the god of Sleep Parting the shadowy air, comes gently down, Looking for Palinurus, bringing him, A guiltless man, ill-omened dreams. He settles On the high stern, a god disguised as a man, Speaking in Phorbas’ guise, “O Palinurus, The fleet rides smoothly in the even weather, The hour is given for rest. Lay down the head, Rest the tired eyes from toil. I will take over A little while.” But Palinurus, barely Lifting his eyes, made answer: “Trust the waves, However quiet? trust a peaceful ocean? Put faith in such a monster? Never! I Have been too often fooled by the clear stars To trust Aeneas to their faithless keeping.” And so he clung to the tiller, never loosed His hand from the wood, his eyes from the fair heaven. But lo, the god over his temples shook A bough that dripped with dew from Lethe, steeped With Stygian magic, so the swimming eyes, Against his effort close, blink open, close