Page:The Aeneid of Virgil JOHN CONINGTON 1917 V2.pdf/107

 catches with his ears the voices of the air. All the stars he notes, as they swim through the silent sky, looking round on Arcturus, and the showery Hyades, and the twin Bears, and Orion in his panoply of gold. Soon as he sees them all set in a heaven of calm, he gives a clear     5 signal from the stern. We break up our quarters, essay our flight, and spread the wings of our sails. And now the stars were fled, and Aurora[o] was just reddening in the sky, when in the distance we see the dim hills and low plains of Italy. 'Italy!' Achates was the first to cry. 10 Italy our crews welcome with a shout of rapture. Then my father, Anchises, wreathed a mighty bowl with a garland, and filled it with wine, and called on the gods, standing upon the tall stern: 'Ye powers that rule sea and land and weather, waft us a fair wind and a smooth passage,     15 and breathe auspiciously!' The breeze we wished for freshens; the harbour opens as we near it, and the temple of Minerva is seen crowning the height. The crews furl the sails, and turn their prows coastward. The harbour is curved into an arch by the easterly waves; a     20 barrier of cliffs on each side foams again with the briny spray; between them the haven lies concealed; the towery rocks let down their arms like two walls, and the temple retires from the shore. Here on the grass I saw four horses, the first token of heaven's will, browsing the     25 meadow at large, of snowy whiteness. And Anchises, my father, breaks forth: 'War is on thy front, land of the stranger; for war thy horses are prepared; war is threatened by the cattle we see. Still, these beasts no less are trained one day to stoop to the car, and carry harness and curb     30 in harmony with the yoke; yes,' cries he, 'there is hope of peace, too.' With that we make our prayers to the sacred majesty of Pallas, queen of clanging arms, the first to welcome us in the hour of our joy; and, according to Helenus' order, that order which he gave so earnestly, we     35 duly solemnize to Juno of Argos the prescribed honours. Then, without dallying, soon as our vows were paid in course, we turn landward the horns of our covered sail