Page:The Aeneid of Virgil JOHN CONINGTON 1917 V2.pdf/242

 none; one half of nature is taken from them; as for earth, it is in our hands, thanks to the thousands here standing in arms, the tribes of Italy. I care not for the fateful utterances of heaven that these Phrygians vaunt, be they what they may: fate and Venus have had license enough,          5 in that the Trojans have set foot on the soil of our rich Ausonia. I, too, have a fate of my own, to mow down with the sword the guilty nation that has stolen my bride; that wrong of theirs comes not home to the Atridæ alone, nor has Mycenæ alone the privilege of going to war. But        10 one destruction is enough for them—aye, had one transgression been enough, so that they had henceforth loathed the sex well-nigh to a woman. Men who trust in their intervening rampart, whom the pause at the trench, those few feet of distance from death, inspires with courage. Why,        15 did they not see their city of Troy sink into the fire, though built by the hand of Neptune? But you, my chosen mates, who is there ready to hew down the rampart and rush with me on their bewildered camp? I need not the arms of Vulcan nor a thousand sail for my Trojan war. 20 Let all Etruria join them in a body. Night alarms, cowardly thefts of their guardian image, slaughterings of the sentry on the height, they need fear none of these; we will not skulk in a horse's murky womb: in broad day, in the sight of all, I stand pledged to put a ring of fire round their 25 walls. I will not let them fancy they are dealing with the Danaans and the Pelasgian chivalry, whom Hector kept ten years waiting for their due. Now, since the better part of the day is spent, for what remains, gallants, refresh yourselves after your good service, and be assured that        30 battle is getting ready."

Meantime the charge is given to Messapus to leaguer the gates with relays of watchmen, and throw a girdle of fire round the ramparts. Twice seven Rutulian chiefs are chosen to keep armed observation of the walls: a hundred        35 warriors attend on each, red with scarlet crests and gleaming with gold. They move from place to place and relieve one another, and stretched on the grass give wine its fling