"The nymph, who scatters flaming fires around, Shall shine with honour, shall herself be crowned, But, caused by her irrevocable fate, War shall the country waste, and change the state." Latinus, frighted with this dire ostent, For counsel to his father Faunus went, And sought the shades renowned for prophecy, Which near Albunea's sulphurous fountain lie. To those the Latian and the Sabine land Fly, when distressed, and thence relief demand. The priest on skins of offerings takes his ease, And nightly visions in his slumber sees; A swarm of thin aërial shapes appears, And, fluttering round his temples, deafs his ears. These he consults, the future fates to know, From powers above, and from the fiends below. Here, for the god's advice, Latinus flies, Offering a hundred sheep for sacrifice: Their woolly fleeces, as the rites required, He laid beneath him, and to rest retired. No sooner were his eyes in slumber bound, When, from above, a more than mortal sound Invades his ears; and thus the vision spoke:-- } "Seek not, my seed, in Latian bands to yoke } Our fair Lavinia, nor the gods provoke. } A foreign son upon the shore descends, Whose martial fame from pole to pole extends. His race, in arms and arts of peace renowned, } Not Latium shall contain, nor Europe bound: } 'Tis theirs whate'er the sun surveys around." } These answers, in the silent night received, The king himself divulged, the land believed: The fame through all the neighbouring nations flew, When now the Trojan navy was in view. Beneath a shady tree, the hero spread } His table on the turf, with cakes of bread; } And, with his chiefs, on forest fruits he fed. } They sate; and (not without the god's command) Their homely fare dispatched, the hungry band Invade their trenchers next, and soon devour, To mend the scanty meal, their cakes of flour. Ascanius this observed, and, smiling, said,-- "See! we devour the plates on which we fed." The speech had omen, that the Trojan race Should find repose, and this the time and place. Æneas took the word, and thus replies: (Confessing fate with wonder in his eyes,) "All hail, O earth! all hail, my household gods! Behold the destined place of your abodes! For thus Anchises prophesied of old, And this our fatal place of rest foretold:-- 'When, on a foreign shore, instead of meat, By famine forced, your trenchers you shall eat, Then ease your weary Trojans will attend, And the long labours of your voyage end. Remember on that happy coast to build, And with a trench inclose the fruitful field.' This was that famine, this the fatal place, Which ends the wandering of our exiled race. Then, on to-morrow's dawn, your care employ, }