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 with a youth's ardour to accost one so great, and exchange the grasp of the hand. I made my approach, and eagerly conducted him to the walls of Pheneus.[o] On leaving he gave me a beauteous quiver with Lycian arrows, and a scarf embroidered with gold, and two bridles which my     5 Pallas has now, all golden. So now I both plight you here with the hand you ask, and soon as to-morrow's light shall restore to the earth its blessing, I will send you back rejoicing in an armed succour, and reënforced with stores. Meanwhile, since you are arrived here as my friends, join     10 in gladly solemnizing with us this our yearly celebration, which it were sin to postpone, and accustom yourselves thus early to the hospitalities of your new allies."

This said, he bids set on again the viands and the cups, erewhile removed, and himself places the warriors on a     15 seat of turf, welcoming Æneas in especial grace with the heaped cushion of a shaggy lion's hide, and bidding him occupy a throne of maple wood. Then chosen youths and the priest of the altar with emulous zeal bring in the roasted carcases of bulls, pile up in baskets the gifts of     20 the corn-goddess prepared by art, and serve the wine-god round. Æneas and the warriors of Troy with him regale themselves on a bull's long chine[o] and on sacrificial entrails.

When hunger had been quenched and appetite allayed,     25 king Evander begins: "Think not that these solemnities of ours, these ritual feastings, this altar so blest in divine presence, have been riveted on us by idle superstition, unknowing of the gods of old; no, guest of Troy, it is deliverance from cruel dangers that makes us sacrifice     30 and pay again and again worship where worship is due. First of all cast your eyes on this rock-hung crag: observe how the masses of stone are flung here and there, how desolate and exposed stands the mountain's recess, and how the rocks have left the trail of a giant downfall.      35 Here once was a cave, retiring in enormous depth, tenanted by a terrible shape, Cacus, half man, half brute: the sun's rays could never pierce it; the ground was always steam