After these things Aeneas was aware Of solemn groves in one deep, distant vale, Where trees were whispering, and forever flowed The river Lethe, through its land of calm. Nations unnumbered roved and haunted there: As when, upon a windless summer morn, The bees afield among the rainbow flowers Alight and sip, or round the lilies pure Pour forth in busy swarm, while far diffused Their murmured songs from all the meadows rise. Aeneas in amaze the wonder views, And fearfully inquires of whence and why; What yonder rivers be; what people press, Line after line, on those dim shores along. Said Sire Anchises: “Yonder thronging souls To reincarnate shape predestined move. Here, at the river Lethe's wave, they quaff Care-quelling floods, and long oblivion. Of these I shall discourse, and to thy soul Make visible the number and array Of my posterity; so shall thy heart In Italy , thy new-found home, rejoice.” “0 father,” said Aeneas, “must I deem That from this region souls exalted rise To upper air, and shall once more return To cumbering flesh? 0, wherefore do they feel, Unhappy ones, such fatal lust to live?” “I speak, my son, nor make thee longer doubt,” Anchises said, and thus the truth set forth, In ordered words from point to point unfolding: “Know first that heaven and earth and ocean's plain, The moon's bright orb, and stars of Titan birth Are nourished by one Life; one primal Mind, Immingled with the vast and general frame, Fills every part and stirs the mighty whole. Thence man and beast, thence creatures of the air, And all the swarming monsters that be found Beneath the level of the marbled sea; A fiery virtue, a celestial power, Their native seeds retain; but bodies vile, With limbs of clay and members born to die, Encumber and o'ercloud; whence also spring Terrors and passions, suffering and joy; For from deep darkness and captivity All gaze but blindly on the radiant world. Nor when to life's last beam they bid farewell May sufferers cease from pain, nor quite be freed From all their fleshly plagues; but by fixed law, The strange, inveterate taint works deeply in. For this, the chastisement of evils past Is suffered here, and full requital paid. Some hang on high, outstretched to viewless winds; For some their sin's contagion must be purged In vast ablution of deep-rolling seas, Or burned away in fire. Each man receives His ghostly portion in the world of dark; But thence to realms Elysian we go free, Where for a few these seats of bliss abide, Till time's long lapse a perfect orb fulfils, And takes all taint away, restoring so The pure, ethereal soul's first virgin fire. At last, when the millennial aeon strikes, God calls them forth to yon Lethaean stream, In numerous host, that thence, oblivious all, They may behold once more the vaulted sky, And willingly to shapes of flesh return.” So spoke Anchises; then led forth his son, The Sibyl with him, to the assembled shades (A voiceful throng), and on a lofty mound His station took, whence plainly could be seen The long procession, and each face descried. “Hark now! for of the glories I will tell That wait our Dardan blood; of our sons' sons Begot upon the old Italian breed, Who shall be mighty spirits, and prolong Our names, their heritage. I will unfold The story, and reveal the destined years. Yon princeling, thou beholdest leaning there Upon a royal lance, shall next emerge Into the realms of day. He is the first Of half-Italian strain, the last-born heir To thine old age by fair Lavinia given, Called Silvius, a royal Alban name (Of sylvan birth and sylvan nurture he), A king himself and sire of kings to come, By whom our race in Alba Longa reign. Next Procas stands, our Trojan people's boast; Capys and Numitor, and, named like thee, Aeneas Sylvius, like thee renowned For faithful honor and for deeds of war, When he ascends at last his Alban throne. Behold what warrior youth they be! How strong Their goodly limbs! Above their shaded brows The civic oak they wear! For thee they build Nomentum, and the walls of Gabii , Fidena too, and on the mountains pile Collatia's citadels, Pometii, Bola and Cora , Castrum-Inui— Such be the names the nameless lands shall bear. See, in that line of sires the son of Mars, Great Romulus, of Ilian mother born, From far-descended line of Trojan kings! See from his helm the double crest uprear, While his celestial father in his mien Shows forth his birth divine! Of him, my son, Great Rome shall rise, and, favored of his star, Have power world-wide, and men of godlike mind. She clasps her seven hills in single wall, Proud mother of the brave! So Cybele, The Berecynthian goddess, castle-crowned, On through the Phrygian kingdoms speeds her car, Exulting in her hundred sons divine, All numbered with the gods, all throned on high. “Let now thy visionary glance look long On this thy race, these Romans that be thine. Here Caesar, of Iulus' glorious seed, Behold ascending to the world of light! Behold, at last, that man, for this is he, So oft unto thy listening ears foretold, Augustus Caesar, kindred unto Jove. He brings a golden age; he shall restore Old Saturn's sceptre to our Latin land, And o'er remotest Garamant and Ind His sway extend; the fair dominion outruns th' horizon planets, yea, beyond The sun's bright path, where Atlas' shoulder bears Yon dome of heaven set thick with burning stars. Against his coming the far Caspian shores Break forth in oracles; the Maeotian land Trembles, and all the seven-fold mouths of Nile . Not o'er domain so wide Alcides passed, Although the brazen-footed doe he slew And stilled the groves of Erymanth, and bade The beast of Lerna at his arrows quail. Nor half so far triumphant Baechus drove, With vine-entwisted reins, his frolic team Of tigers from the tall-topped Indian hill. “Still do we doubt if heroes' deeds can fill A realm so wide? Shall craven fear constrain Thee or thy people from Ausonia's shore? Look, who is he I may discern from far By olive-branch and holy emblems known? His flowing locks and hoary beard, behold! Fit for a Roman king! By hallowed laws He shall found Rome anew—from mean estate In lowly Cures led to mightier sway. But after him arises one whose reign Shall wake the land from slumber: Tullus then Shall stir slack chiefs to battle, rallying His hosts which had forgot what triumphs be. Him boastful Ancus follows hard upon, o'erflushed with his light people's windy praise. Wilt thou see Tarquins now? And haughty hand Of vengeful Brutus seize the signs of power? He first the consul's name shall take; he first Th' inexorable fasces sternly bear. When his own sons in rash rebellion join, The father and the judge shall sentence give In beauteous freedom's cause—unhappy he! Howe'er the age to come the story tell, 't will bless such love of honor and of Rome . See Decius, sire and son, the Drusi, see! Behold Torquatus with his axe! Look where Camillus brings the Gallic standards home! “But who are these in glorious armor clad And equal power? In this dark world of cloud Their souls in concord move;—but woe is me! What duel 'twixt them breaks, when by and by The light of life is theirs, and forth they call Their long-embattled lines to carnage dire! Allied by nuptial truce, the sire descends From Alpine rampart and that castled cliff, Monoecus by the sea; the son arrays His hostile legions in the lands of morn. Forbear, my children! School not your great souls In such vast wars, nor turn your giant strength Against the bowels of your native land! But be thou first, 0 first in mercy! thou Who art of birth Olympian! Fling away Thy glorious sword, mine offspring and mine heir! “Yonder is one whose chariot shall ascend The laurelled Capitolian steep; he rides In glory o'er Achaea 's hosts laid low, And Corinth overthrown. There, too, is he Who shall uproot proud Argos and the towers Of Agamemnon; vanquishing the heir Even of Aeacus, the warrior seed Of Peleus' son; such vengeance shall be wrought For Troy 's slain sires, and violated shrines! “Or who could fail great Cato's name to tell? Or, Cossus, thine? or in oblivion leave The sons of Gracchus? or the Scipios, Twin thunderbolts of war, and Libya 's bane? Or, more than kingly in his mean abode, Fabricius? or Serranus at the plough? Ye Fabii, how far would ye prolong My weary praise? But see! 'T is Maximus, Who by wise waiting saves his native land. “Let others melt and mould the breathing bronze To forms more fair,—aye! out of marble bring Features that live; let them plead causes well; Or trace with pointed wand the cycled heaven, And hail the constellations as they rise; But thou, 0 Roman, learn with sovereign sway To rule the nations. Thy great art shall be To keep the world in lasting peace, to spare humbled foe, and crush to earth the proud.”