This said, a double wreath Evander twined, And poplars black and white his temples bind. Then brims his ample bowl. With like design The rest invoke the gods, with sprinkled wine. Meantime the sun descended from the skies, And the bright evening-star began to rise. And now the priests, Potitius at their head, In skins of beasts involved, the long procession led; Held high the flaming tapers in their hands, As custom had prescribed their holy bands; Then with a second course the tables load, And with full chargers offer to the god. The Salii sing, and cense his altars round With Saban smoke, their heads with poplar bound-- One choir of old, another of the young, To dance, and bear the burden of the song. The lay records the labours, and the praise, And all the immortal acts of Hercules: First, how the mighty babe, when swathed in bands, The serpents strangled with his infant hands; Then, as in years and matchless force he grew, The Œchalian walls, and Trojan, overthrew. Besides, a thousand hazards they relate, Procured by Juno's and Eurystheus' hate. "Thy hands, unconquered hero, could subdue The cloud-born Centaurs, and the monster crew: Nor thy resistless arm the bull withstood, Nor he, the roaring terror of the wood. The triple porter of the Stygian seat, } With lolling tongue, lay fawning at thy feet, } And, seized with fear, forgot his mangled meat. } The infernal waters trembled at thy sight; Thee, god! no face of danger could affright; Not huge Typhöeus, nor the unnumbered snake, Increased with hissing heads, in Lerna's lake. Hail, Jove's undoubted son! an added grace To heaven and the great author of thy race! Receive the grateful offerings which we pay, And smile propitious on thy solemn day!" In numbers thus they sung: above the rest, The den and death of Cacus crown the feast. The woods to hollow vales convey the sound, The vales to hills, and hills the notes rebound. The rites performed, the cheerful train retire. Betwixt young Pallas and his aged sire, The Trojan passed, the city to survey, And pleasing talk beguiled the tedious way. The stranger cast around his curious eyes, New objects viewing still with new surprise; With greedy joy inquires of various things, And acts and monuments of ancient kings. Then thus the founder of the Roman towers:-- "These woods were first the seat of sylvan powers, Of Nymphs and Fauns, and savage men, who took Their birth from trunks of trees and stubborn oak. Nor laws they knew, nor manners, nor the care } Of labouring oxen, nor the shining share, } Nor arts of gain, nor what they gained to spare. } Their exercise the chase; the running flood Supplied their thirst, the trees supplied their food. Then Saturn came, who fled the power of Jove,