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 prize and of following your fortunes—the old, old men, and the matrons, weary of ocean, and whatever you have that is weak and timorsome—set these apart, and suffer them to have in this land a city of rest. The town's name, with leave given, they shall call Acesta."     5

The fire thus kindled by the words of his aged friend, now indeed the thoughts of his mind distract him utterly. And now black Night, car-borne, was mounting the sky, when the semblance of his sire Anchises, gliding from heaven, seemed to break on his musings in words like     10 these: "My son, dearer to me of old than life, while life was yet mine—my son, trained in the school of Troy's destiny, I come hither at the command of Jove—of him who chased the fire from your ships, and looked down on your need in pity from on high. Obey the counsel which     15 Nautes the aged now so wisely gives you. The flower of your youth, the stoutest hearts you have, let these and these only follow you to Italy—hard and of iron grain is the race you have to war down in Latium. Still, ere you go there, come to the infernal halls of Dis,[o] and travel      20 through Avernus' deep shades till you meet your father. No, my son, godless Tartarus[o] and its spectres of sorrow have no hold on me—the company of the good is my loved resort and Elysium[o] my dwelling. The virgin Sibyl shall point you the way, and the streaming blood of black      25 cattle unlock the gate. There you shall hear of your whole posterity, and the city that Fate has in store. And now farewell, dark Night has reached the midst of her swift career, and the relentless Daystar has touched me with the breath of his panting steeds." He said, and vanished, like     30 smoke, into unsubstantial air. "Whither away now?" cries Æneas; "whither in such haste? from whom are you flying? what power withholds you from my embrace?" With these words he wakes to life the embers and their slumbering flame, and in suppliance worships the     35 god of Pergamus and hoary Vesta's shrine with duteous meal and a full-charged censer.

At once he calls his friends to his side, and Acestes, first