But now when they were entered in, and gained the grace of speech, 520 From placid heart Ilioneus the elder 'gan beseech: "O Queen, to whom hath Jove here given a city new to raise, And with thy justice to draw rein on men of wilful ways, We wretched Trojans, tossed about by winds o'er every main, Pray thee forbid it from our ships, the dreadful fiery bane. Spare pious folk, and look on us with favouring kindly eyes! We are not come with sword to waste the Libyan families, Nor drive adown unto the strand the plunder of the strong: No such high hearts, such might of mind to vanquished folk belong. There is a place, Hesperia called of Greeks in days that are, 530 An ancient land, a fruitful soil, a mighty land in war. Oenotrian folk first tilled the land, whose sons, as rumours run, Now call it nought but Italy from him who led them on. And thitherward our course was turned, When sudden, stormy, tumbling seas, Orion rose on us, And wholly scattering us abroad with fierce blasts from the south, Drave us, sea-swept, by shallows blind, to straits with wayless mouth: But to thy shores we few have swum, and so betake us here. What men among men are ye then? what country's soil may bear Such savage ways? ye grudge us then the welcome of your sand, 540 And fall to arms, and gainsay us a tide-washed strip of strand. But if men-folk and wars of men ye wholly set at nought, Yet deem the Gods bear memory still of good and evil wrought Æneas was the king of us; no juster was there one, No better lover of the Gods, none more in battle shone: And if the Fates have saved that man, if earthly air he drink, Nor 'neath the cruel deadly shades his fallen body shrink, Nought need we fear, nor ye repent to strive in kindly deed With us: we have in Sicily fair cities to our need. And fields we have; Acestes high of Trojan blood is come. 550 Now suffer us our shattered ships in haven to bring home, To cut us timber in thy woods, and shave us oars anew. Then if the Italian cruise to us, if friends and king are due, To Italy and Latium then full merry wend we on. But if, dear father of our folk, hope of thy health be gone, And thee the Libyan water have, nor hope Iulus give, Then the Sicanian shores at least, and seats wherein to live, Whence hither came we, and the King Acestes let us seek." So spake he, and the others made as they the same would speak, The Dardan-folk with murmuring mouth. 560