Ilioneus, the leader of the embassy, replied: “Illustrious son of Saturn, it was no accident of wind or weather which brought us to thy shores. Thou knowest—as who doth not, dwell he never so remote from the paths of men?—thou knowest the tempest which gathered at Mycenæ and swept over the plains of Asia. Saved from that deluge and the havoc of our homes we have passed the wide waste of waters, following the voice of Apollo, which called us to the Tuscan Tiber and the cradle of our race. We ask but a little gift—a small plot of earth for our country’s gods to dwell in, and the common boon of water and air. And despise us not, nor think that we come as beggars and outcasts; many are the nations who would have given us an honorable portion in their land and received us as friends and allies, but fate suffered it not. Receive us, then, and take these gifts from the hands of Æneas, a hand never stained by treachery or cowardice. This is the golden goblet from which his sire Anchises was wont to pour the drink-offering; here is the royal robe and the scepter and tiara of Priam; and these vestments were wrought by the hands of noble Trojan dames.” For a while Latinus sat silent, pondering on the strange event, which seemed to fulfil the oracle of ancient Faunus. This, thought he, is the foreign bridegroom of which the oracle spoke. Presently he raised his head, and answered, with a look of glad assurance: “Trojan, thou hast thy wish; and may the gods speed our designs! I have a daughter who, by many sure tokens, is destined to wed a stranger from a distant country, and, unless my mind deceives me, your King Æneas is called by fate to be her husband. Bid him seek my presence with all speed, and doubt not of his welcome.” Such was the reply of Latinus; and his actions were as kind as his words.… Finding that Latinus was not to be shaken in his resolve, Amata gave the reins to her frenzy, and going forth into the city, sped from house to house and poured her tale of wrong into the ears of all whom she met.… Thus what had begun as a petty brawl soon grew into a regular battle, in which the whole Trojan force found itself confronted by a strong muster from the field of Latium.… Æneas received an embassy sent by Latinus to ask a truce for the burial of the slain. The envoys were courteously received, and after granting their request Æneas addressed them in terms of grave and dignified remonstrance. “Why,” he asked, “has your king broken faith with me thus, and brought on Trojans and Latins this lamentable war? If Turnus complains that I am robbing him of his promised bride, let him make good his right in single combat, and not sacrifice the lives of thousands in a private quarrel. Tell him that I am ready to meet him when and where he will.” THE FIGHT BETWEEN ÆNEAS AND TURNUS By H. L. Havell