But while the Lemnian Father thus speeds on the Æolean shore The lovely light Evander stirs amid his lowly house, And morning song of eave-dwellers from sleep the king doth rouse. Riseth that ancient man of days and on his kirtle does, And both his feet he binds about with bonds of Tyrrhene shoes; Then Tegeæan sword he girds to shoulder and to side, And on the left he flings aback the cloak of panther-hide. 460 Moreover, from the threshold step goes either watchful ward, Two dogs to wit, that follow close the footsteps of their lord. So to the chamber of his guest the hero goes his way, Well mindful of his spoken word and that well-promised stay. Nor less Æneas was afoot betimes that morning-tide, And Pallas and Achates went each one their lord beside. So met, they join their right hands there and in the house sit down, And win the joy of spoken words, that lawful now hath grown; And thuswise speaks Evander first: "O mightiest duke of Trojan men,--for surely, thou being safe, 470 My heart may never more believe in Troy-town's vanquishing,-- The battle-help that I may give is but a little thing For such a name: by Tuscan stream on this side are we bound; On that side come Rutulian arms to gird our walls with sound. But 'tis my rede to join to you a mighty folk of fight, A wealthy lordship: chance unhoped this hope for us hath dight; So draw thou thither whereunto the Fates are calling on. Not far hence is a place of men, on rock of yore agone Built up; Agylla's city 'tis, where glorious folk of war, The Lydian folk, on Tuscan hills pitched their abode of yore. 480 A many years of blooming once they had, until the king Mezentius held them 'neath his pride and cruel warfaring. Why tell those deaths unspeakable, and many a tyrant's deed? May the Gods store them for the heads of him and all his seed! Yea, yea, dead corpses would he join to bodies living yet, And hand to hand, O misery! and mouth to mouth would set; There, drenched with gore and drenched with dew of death, must they abide, A foul embrace unspeakable, and long and long they died. Worn out at last, his folk in arms beset his house about, And him therein all mad with rage, cut off his following rout, 490 And cast the wildfire therewithal over his roof on high: But he, amidst the slaughter slipped, to fields of Rutuli Made shift to flee, and there is held a guest by Turnus' sword. So by just anger raised today Etruria is abroad, Crying with Mars to aid, 'Give back the king to pay the cost!' Æneas, I will make thee now the captain of their host: For down the whole coast goes the roar from out their ship-host's pack; They cry to bear the banners forth; but them still holdeth back The ancient seer, thus singing Fate: _Mæonia's chosen peers,_