But fleeing to the shrines on high do those two serpents glide, And reach the hard Tritonia's house, and therewithin they hide Beneath the Goddess' very feet and orbèd shield of dread; Then through our quaking hearts indeed afresh the terror spread, And all men say Laocoon hath paid but worthily For guilt of his, and hurt of steel upon the holy tree, 230 When that unhappy wicked spear against its flank he threw. They cry to lead the image on to holy house and due, And Pallas' godhead to adore. We break adown our rampart walls and bare the very town: All gird themselves unto the work, set wheels that it may glide Beneath his feet, about his neck the hempen bond is tied To warp it on: up o'er the walls so climbs the fateful thing Fruitful of arms; and boys about and unwed maidens sing The holy songs, and deem it joy hand on the ropes to lay. It enters; through the city's midst it wends its evil way. 240 --O land! O Ilium, house of Gods! O glorious walls of war! O Dardan walls!--four times amidst the threshold of our door It stood: four times with sound of arms the belly of it rung; But heedless, maddened hearts and blind, hard on the ropes we hung, Nor but amidst the holy burg the monster's feet we stay. And then Cassandra oped her mouth to tell the fateful day,-- Her mouth that by the Gods' own doom the Teucrians ne'er might trow. Then on this day that was our last we bear the joyous bough, Poor wretches! through the town to deck each godhead's holy place. Meanwhile the heavens are faring round, night falls on ocean's face, 250 Enwrapping in her mighty shade all earthly things and sky, And all the guile of Myrmidons: silent the Teucrians lie Through all the town, and Sleep her arms o'er wearied bodies slips. And now the Argive host comes forth upon its ordered ships From Tenedos, all hushed amid the kind moon's silent ways, Seeking the well-known strand, when forth there breaks the bale-fire's blaze On the king's deck: and Sinon, kept by Gods' unequal fate, For Danaans hid in horse's womb undoes the piny gate In stealthy wise: them now the horse, laid open to the air, Gives forth again, and glad from out the hollow wood they fare; 260 Thessandrus, Sthenelus, the dukes, and dire Ulysses pass; Slipped down along a hanging rope, Thoas and Acamas, Peleian Neoptolemus, and Machaon the first, And Menelaüs, and the man who forged the guile accursed, Epeos. Through the city sunk in sleep and wine they break, Slain are the guards, at gates all oped their fellows in they take, Till all their bands confederate are met at last in one.