Scarce had he said, when diverse voice of murmuring ran all o'er Those troubled mouths of Italy: as when the rocks refrain The rapid streams, and sounds arise within the eddies' chain, And with the chatter of the waves the neighbouring banks are filled. But when their minds were soothed and all the wildering voices stilled, The King spake first unto the Gods, then thus began to say: 301 "Latins, that ye had counselled you hereon before today Was both my will, and had been good: no time is this to fall To counsel now, when as we speak the foe besets the wall. With folk of God ill war we wage, lords of the Latin town, With all-unconquerable folk; no battles wear them down; Yea, beaten never have they heart to cast the sword away. Lay down the hope ye had to gain Ætolian war-array; Let each man be his proper hope. Lo ye, the straits are sore. How all things lie about us now by ruin all toppled o'er, 310 Witness of this the eyes of you, the hands of you have won. No man I blame, what valour could hath verily been done: With all the manhood of our land the battle hath been fought: But now what better way herein my doubtful mind hath thought Will I set forth, and shortly tell the rede that is in me: Hearken! beside the Tuscan stream I own an ancient lea, Which, toward the sunset stretching far, yea o'er Sicanian bounds, Aruncans and Rutulians sow, working the rough hill grounds With draught of plough, but feeding down the roughest with their sheep. Let all this land, and piny place upon the mountain-steep, 320 Be yielded for the Teucrian peace: the laws let us declare For plighted troth, and bid the men as friends our realm to share. There let them settle and build walls, if thitherward they yearn; But if unto another land their minds are set to turn, And other folk, and all they ask is from our shore to flee, Then let us build them twice ten ships from oak of Italy, Or more if they have men thereto: good store of ship-stuff lies Hard by the waves; and they shall show their number and their guise; But toil of men, and brass and gear we for their needs will find. And now to carry these our words, and fast the troth-plight bind, 330 Send we an hundred speech-masters, the best of Latin land, To seek them thither, stretching forth the peace-bough in the hand, And bearing gifts; a talent's weight of gold and ivory, The throne therewith and welted gown, signs of my lordship high. Take open counsel; stay the State so faint and weary grown."