The Almighty heard him as he prayed holding the altar-horns, And to the war-walls of the Queen his eyes therewith he turns, 220 And sees the lovers heeding nought the glory of their lives; Then Mercury he calls to him, and such a bidding gives: "Go forth, O Son, the Zephyrs call, and glide upon the wing Unto the duke of Dardan men in Carthage tarrying, Who hath no eyes to see the walls that fate to him hath given: Speak to him, Son, and bear my words down the swift air of heaven: His fairest mother promised us no such a man at need, Nor claimed him twice from Greekish sword to live for such a deed. But Italy, the fierce in war, the big with empire's brood, Was he to rule; to get for us from glorious Teucer's blood 230 That folk of folks, and all the world beneath his laws to lay. But if such glory of great deeds nought stirreth him today, Nor for his own fame hath he heart the toil to overcome, Yet shall the father grudge the son the towered heights of Rome? What doth he? tarrying for what hope among the enemy? And hath no eyes Ausonian sons, Lavinian land to see? Let him to ship! this is the doom; this word I bid thee bear." He spake: his mighty father's will straight did the God prepare To compass, and his golden shoes first bindeth on his feet, E'en those which o'er the ocean plain aloft on feathers fleet, 240 Or over earth swift bear him on before the following gale: And then his rod he takes, wherewith he calleth spirits pale From Orcus, or those others sends sad Tartarus beneath, And giveth sleep and takes away, and openeth eyes to death; The rod that sways the ocean-winds and rules the cloudy rack. Now winging way he comes in sight of peak and steepy back Of flinty Atlas, on whose head all heaven is set adown-- Of Atlas with the piny head, and never-failing crown Of mirky cloud, beat on with rain and all the winds that blow: 249 A snow-cloak o'er his shoulders falls, and headlong streams overflow His ancient chin; his bristling beard with plenteous ice is done. There hovering on his poisèd wings stayed that Cyllenian one, And all his gathered body thence sent headlong toward the waves; Then like a bird the shores about, about the fishy caves, Skims low adown upon the wing the sea-plain's face anigh, Not otherwise 'twixt heaven and earth Cyllene's God did fly; And now, his mother's father great a long way left behind, Unto the sandy Libya's shore he clave the driving wind. But when the cot-built place of earth he felt beneath his feet, He saw Æneas founding towers and raising houses meet: 260 Starred was the sword about him girt with yellow jasper stone, The cloak that from his shoulders streamed with Tyrian purple shone: Fair things that wealthy Dido's hand had given him for a gift,