So pleaded Juno, and all they, the heavenly folk anigh, Murmured their doom in diverse wise; as when the first of wind Caught in the woods is murmuring on, and rolleth moanings blind, Betraying to the mariners the onset of the gale. Then spake the Almighty Sire, in whom is all the world's avail, 100 And as he spake the high-built house of God was quieted, And earth from her foundations shook, and heaven was hushed o'erhead, The winds fell down, the face of sea was laid in quiet fair: "Take ye these matters to your hearts, and set my sayings there; Since nowise the Ausonian folk the plighted troth may blend With Teucrians, and your contest seems a strife without an end; What fortune each may have today, what hope each one shears out, Trojan or Rutulan, will I hold all in balanced doubt, Whether the camp be so beset by fate of Italy, Or hapless wanderings of Troy, and warnings dealt awry. 110 Nor loose I Rutulans the more; let each one's way-faring Bear its own hap and toil, for Jove to all alike is king; The Fates will find a way to wend." He nodded oath withal By his own Stygian brother's stream, the pitchy waters' fall, And blazing banks, and with his nod shook all Olympus' land. Then fell the talk; from golden throne did Jupiter upstand, The heaven-abiders girt him round and brought him to the door. The Rutuli amid all this are pressing on in war, Round all the gates to slay the men, the walls with fire to ring, And all Æneas' host is pent with fenced beleaguering. 120 Nor is there any hope of flight; upon the towers tall They stand, the hapless men in vain, thin garland for the wall; Asius, the son of Imbrasus, Thymoetes, and the two Assaraci, and Thymbris old, with Castor, deeds they do In the forefront; Sarpedon's sons, twin brethren, with them bide, Clarus and Themon, born erewhile in lofty Lycia's side. And now Lyrnessian Acmon huge with strain of limbs strives hard, And raises up a mighty stone, no little mountain shard; As great as father Clytius he, or brother Mnestheus' might: 129 So some with stones, with spear-cast some, they ward the walls in fight, They deal with fire or notch the shaft upon the strainèd string. But lo amidst, most meetly wrought for Venus cherishing, His goodly head the Dardan boy unhooded there doth hold, As shineth out some stone of price, cleaving the yellow gold, Fair for the bosom or the head; or as the ivory shines, That with Orician terebinth the art of man entwines, Or mid the boxwood; down along his milk-white neck they lie The streams of hair, which golden wire doth catch about and tie. The mighty nations, Ismarus, there saw thee deft to speed The bane of men, envenoming the deadly flying reed; 140