Then Venus, by her offspring's guiltless woesore moved, did cull from Cretan Ida's crestsome dittany, with downy leaf and stemand flowers of purple bloom—a simple knownto mountain goats, when to their haunches clingsan arrow gone astray. This Venus brought,mantling her shape in cloud; and this she steepedin bowls of glass, infusing secretlyambrosia's healing essence and sweet dropsof fragrant panacea. Such a balmaged Iapyx poured upon the wound,though unaware; and sudden from the fleshall pain departed and the blood was staunched,while from the gash the arrow uncompelledfollowed the hand and dropped: his wonted strengthflowed freshly through the hero's frame. “Make haste!Bring forth his arms! Why tarry any more?”Iapyx shouted, being first to firetheir courage 'gainst the foe. “This thing is donenot of man's knowledge, nor by sovereign skill;nor has my hand, Aeneas, set thee free.Some mighty god thy vigor gives againfor mighty deeds.” Aeneas now put on,all fever for the fight, his golden greaves,and, brooking not delay, waved wide his spear.Soon as the corselet and the shield were boundon back and side, he clasped Ascaniusto his mailed breast, and through his helmet grimtenderly kissed his son. “My boy", he cried,“What valor is and patient, genuine toillearn thou of me; let others guide thy feetto prosperous fortune. Let this hand and sworddefend thee through the war and lead thee onto high rewards. Thou also play the man!And when thy riper vigor soon shall bloom,forget not in thy heart to ponder wellthe story of our line. Heed honor's call,like Sire Aeneas and Hector thy close kin.”

After such farewell word, he from the gatesin mighty stature strode, and swung on highhis giant spear. With him in serried lineAntheus and Mnestheus moved, and all the hostfrom the forsaken fortress poured. The plainwas darkened with their dust; the startled earthshook where their footing fell. From distant hillTurnus beheld them coming, and the eyesof all Ausonia saw: a chill of fearshot through each soldier's marrow; in their vanJuturna knew full well the dreadful sound,and fled before it, shuddering. But hehurried his murky cohorts o'er the plain.As when a tempest from the riven skydrives landward o'er mid-ocean, and from farthe hearts of husbandmen, foreboding woe,quake ruefully,—for this will come and rendtheir trees asunder, kill the harvests all,and sow destruction broadcast; in its pathfly roaring winds, swift heralds of the storm:such dire approach the Trojan chieftain showedbefore his gathered foes. In close arraythey wedge their ranks about him. With a swordThymbraeus cuts huge-limbed Osiris down;Mnestheus, Arcetius; from EpuloAchates shears the head; from Ufens, Gyas;Tolumnius the augur falls, the samewho flung the first spear to the foeman's line.Uprose to heaven the cries. In panic nowthe Rutules in retreating clouds of dustscattered across the plain. Aeneas scornedeither the recreant or resisting foeto slaughter, or the men who shoot from far:for through the war-cloud he but seeks the armsof Turnus, and to single combat calls.