Then spake the King Evander, he who built up Rome of old: "These woods the earth-born Fauns and Nymphs in time agone did hold, And men from out the tree-trunk born and very heart of oak; No fashion of the tilth they knew, nor how the bulls to yoke, Nor how to win them store of wealth, or spare what they had got; The tree-boughs only cherished them and rugged chase and hot. Then from Olympus of the heavens first Saturn came adown, Fleeing the war of Jupiter and kingdom overthrown: 320 He laid in peace the rugged folk amid the mountains steep Scattered about, and gave them laws, and willed them well to keep The name of Latium, since he lay safe hidden on that shore. They call the days the Golden Days that 'neath that king outwore, Amid such happiness of peace o'er men-folk did he reign. But worsened time as on it wore, and gathered many a stain; And then the battle-rage was born, and lust of gain outbroke: Then came the host Ausonian; then came Sicanian folk; And oft and o'er again the land of Saturn cast its name. 329 Then kings there were, and Thybris fierce, of monstrous body came, From whom the Tiber flood is named by us of Italy, Its old true name of Albula being perished and gone by. Me, driven from my land, and strayed about the ocean's ends, Almighty Fortune and the Fate no struggling ever bends Set in these steads; my mother's word well worshipped hither drave, The nymph Carmentis; and a god, Apollo, wayfare gave." Now, as he spake, hard thereunto the altar-stead doth show, And gate that by Carmentis' name the Roman people know; An honour of the olden time to nymph Carmentis, she, The faithful seer, who first foretold what mighty men should be 340 Æneas' sons; how great a name from Pallanteum should come. Then the great grove that Romulus hallowed the fleer's home He showeth, and Lupercal set beneath the cliff acold, Called of Lycæan Pan in wise Parrhasia used of old. Thereafter Argiletum's grove he shows and bids it tell, A very witness, where and how the guesting Argus fell. Next, then, to the Tarpeian stead and Capitol they went, All golden now, but wild of yore with thickets' tanglement: E'en then at its dread holiness the folk afield would quake And tremble sore to look upon its cliff-besetting brake. 350 "This grove," saith he, "this hill thou seest with thicket-covered brow, Some godhead haunts, we know not who: indeed Arcadians trow That very Jove they there have seen, when he his blackening shield Hath shaken whiles and stirred the storm amidst the heavenly field. Look therewithal on those two burgs with broken walls foredone! There thou beholdest tokens left by folk of long agone: For one did Father Janus old, and one did Saturn raise, Janiculum, Saturnia, they hight in ancient days."