They rush together; all the sea is beaten into foam, Torn by the great three-tynèd beaks and oar-blades driven home: 690 They seek the deep: ye might have thought that uptorn Cyclades Swam o'er the main, that mountains met high mountains on the seas, With such a world of towered ships fall on those folks of war. The hempen flame they fling from hand; they cast the dart afar Of wingèd steel, and Neptune's lea reddens with death anew. The Queen amidst calls on her host with timbrel fashioned due In Egypt's guise, nor looks aback the adders twain to see; Barking Anubis, shapes of God wild-wrought and diversely 'Gainst Neptune and 'gainst Venus fair, and 'gainst Minerva's weal Put forth the spear; and Mavors' wrath was fashioned forth in steel 700 Amidst the fight: the Dreadful Ones stooped evil-wrought from heaven, And Discord stalked all glad at heart beneath her mantle riven; And after her, red scourge in hand, did dire Bellona go. All this Apollo, Actian-housed, beheld, and bent his bow From high aloft, and with his fear all Egypt fell to wrack, And Ind and Araby; and all Sabæans turned the back. Then once again the Queen was wrought, who on the winds doth cry, And spreadeth sail; and now, and now, the slackened sheet lets fly. The Lord of Fire had wrought her there wan with the death to be, Borne on, amid the death of men, by wind and following sea. 710 But Nile was wrought to meet them there, with body great to grieve, And in the folding of his cloak the vanquished to receive, To take them to his bosom grey, his flood of hidden home. There Cæsar threefold triumphing, borne on amidst of Rome, Three hundred shrines was hallowing to Gods of Italy Through all the city; glorious gift that nevermore shall die; The while all ways with joy and game and plenteous praising rang. In all the temples altars were; in all the mothers sang Before the altars; on the earth the steers' due slaughter lay. But on the snow-white threshold there of Phoebus bright as day 720 He sat and took the nations' gifts, and on the glorious door He hung them up: in long array the tamed folks went before, As diverse in their tongues as in their arms and garments' guise. The Nomads had he fashioned there, that Mulciber the wise, And Afric's all ungirded folk; Carians and Leleges, Shafted Geloni: softlier there Euphrates rolled his seas; The Morini, the last of men, the hornèd Rhine, were there, Danæ untamed, Araxes loth the chaining bridge to bear. So on the shield, his mother's gift by Vulcan fashioned fair, He wondereth, blind of things to come but glad the tale to see, 730 And on his shoulder bears the fame and fate of sons to be. BOOK IX. ARGUMENT.