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Rh To drown it in the whirling tide,

Or set the fire-brand to its side,

Their sentence is: or else to bore

Its caverns, and their depths explore.

In wild confusion sways the crowd:

Each takes his side and all are loud.

Girt with a throng of Ilion's sons,

Down from the tower Laocoon runs,

And, 'Wretched countrymen,' he cries,

'What monstrous madness blinds your eyes?

Think you your enemies removed?

Come presents without wrong

From Danaans? have you thus approved

Ulysses, known so long?

Perchance—who knows?—these planks of deal

A Grecian ambuscade conceal,

Or 'tis a pile to o'erlook the town,

And pour from high invaders down,

Or fraud lurks somewhere to destroy:

Mistrust, mistrust it, men of Troy!

Whate'er it be, a Greek I fear,

Though presents in his hand he bear.'

He spoke, and with his arm's full force

Straight at the belly of the horse

His mighty spear he cast:

Quivering it stood: the sharp rebound

Shook the huge monster: and a sound

Through all its caverns passed.

And then, had fate our weal designed

Nor given us a perverted mind,

Then had he moved us to deface

The Greeks' accursed lurking-place,

And Troy had been abiding still,

And Priam's tower yet crowned the hill.