Now forth beneath the wide-swung city-gates the mounted squadron poured; Aeneas rode, companioned of Achates, in the van; then other lords of Troy . There Pallas shone conspicuous in the midmost line, with cloak and blazoned arms, as when the Morning-star (To Venus dearest of all orbs that burn), out of his lucent bath in ocean wave lifts to the skies his countenance divine, and melts the shadows of the night away. Upon the ramparts trembling matrons stand and follow with dimmed eyes the dusty cloud whence gleam the brazen arms. The warriors ride straight on through brake and fell, the nearest way; loud ring the war-cries, and in martial line the pounding hoof-beats shake the crumbling ground. By Caere's cold flood lies an ample grove revered from age to age. The hollowing hills enclasp it in wide circles of dark fir, and the Pelasgians, so the legends tell, primaeval settlers of the Latin plains, called it the haunt of Silvan, kindly god of flocks and fields, and honoring the grove gave it a festal day. Hard by this spot had Tarchon with the Tuscans fortified his bivouac, and from the heights afar his legions could be seen in wide array outstretching through the plain. To meet them there Aeneas and his veteran chivalry made sure advance, and found repose at eve for warrior travel-worn and fainting steed. But now athwart the darkening air of heaven came Venus gleaming bright, to bring her son the gifts divine. In deep, sequestered vale she found him by a cooling rill retired, and hailed him thus: “Behold the promised gift, by craft and power of my Olympian spouse made perfect, that my son need never fear Laurentum's haughty host, nor to provoke fierce Turnus to the fray.” Cythera's Queen so saying, embraced her son, and hung the arms, all glittering, on an oak that stood thereby. The hero, with exultant heart and proud, gazing unwearied at his mother's gift, surveys them close, and poises in his hands the helmet's dreadful crest and glancing flame, the sword death-dealing, and the corselet strong, impenetrable brass, blood-red and large, like some dark-lowering, purple cloud that gleams beneath the smiting sun and flashes far its answering ray; and burnished greaves were there, fine gold and amber; then the spear and shield — the shield—of which the blazonry divine exceeds all power to tell. Thereon were seen Italia 's story and triumphant Rome , wrought by the Lord of Fire, who was not blind to lore inspired and prophesying song, fore-reading things to come. He pictured there Iulus' destined line of glorious sons marshalled for many a war. In cavern green, haunt of the war-god, lay the mother-wolf; the twin boy-sucklings at her udders played, nor feared such nurse; with long neck backward thrown she fondled each, and shaped with busy tongue their bodies fair. Near these were pictured well the walls of Rome and ravished Sabine wives in the thronged theatre violently seized, when the great games were done; then, sudden war of Romulus against the Cures grim and hoary Tatius; next, the end of strife between the rival kings, who stood in arms before Jove's sacred altar, cup in hand, and swore a compact o'er the slaughtered swine. Hard by, behold, the whirling chariots tore Mettus asunder (would thou hadst been true, false Alban, to thy vow!); and Tullus trailed the traitor's mangled corse along the hills, the wild thorn dripping gore. Porsenna, next, sent to revolted Rome his proud command to take her Tarquin back, and with strong siege assailed the city's wall; while unsubdued Aeneas' sons took arms in freedom's name. there too the semblance of the frustrate King, a semblance of his wrath and menace vain, when Cocles broke the bridge, and Cloelia burst her captive bonds and swam the Tiber 's wave. Lo, on the steep Tarpeian citadel stood Manlius at the sacred doors of Jove, holding the capitol, whereon was seen the fresh-thatched house of Romulus the King. There, too, all silver, through arcade of gold fluttered the goose, whose monitory call revealed the foeman at the gate: outside besieging Gauls the thorny pathway climbed, ambushed in shadow and the friendly dark of night without a star; their flowing hair was golden, and their every vesture gold; their cloaks were glittering plaid; each milk-white neck bore circlet of bright gold; in each man's hand two Alpine javelins gleamed, and for defence long shields the wild northern warriors bore. There, graven cunningly, the Salian choir went leaping, and in Lupercalian feast the naked striplings ran; while others, crowned with peaked cap, bore shields that fell from heaven; and, bearing into Rome their emblems old, chaste priestesses on soft-strewn litters passed. But far from these th' artificer divine had wrought a Tartarus, the dreadful doors of Pluto, and the chastisements of sin; swung o'er a threatening precipice, was seen thy trembling form, O Catiline, in fear of fury-faces nigh: and distant far th' assemblies of the righteous, in whose midst was Cato, giving judgment and decree. Encircled by these pictures ran the waves of vast, unrestful seas in flowing gold, where seemed along the azure crests to fly the hoary foam, and in a silver ring the tails of swift, emerging dolphins lashed the waters bright, and clove the tumbling brine. For the shield's central glory could be seen great fleets of brazen galleys, and the fight at Actium ; where, ablaze with war's array, Leucate's peak glowed o'er the golden tide. Caesar Augustus led Italia 's sons to battle: at his side concordant moved Senate and Roman People, with their gods of hearth and home, and all Olympian Powers. Uplifted on his ship he stands; his brows beneath a double glory smile, and bright over his forehead beams the Julian star. in neighboring region great Agrippa leads, by favor of fair winds and friendly Heaven, his squadron forth: upon his brows he wears the peerless emblem of his rostral crown. Opposing, in barbaric splendor shine the arms of Antony: in victor's garb from nations in the land of morn he rides, and from the Red Sea , bringing in his train Egypt and Syria , utmost Bactria 's horde, and last—O shameless!—his Egyptian spouse. All to the fight make haste; the slanted oars and triple beaks of brass uptear the waves to angry foam, as to the deep they speed like hills on hill-tops hurled, or Cyclades 
 drifting and clashing in the sea: so vast that shock of castled ships and mighty men! Swift, arrowy steel and balls of blazing tow rain o'er the waters, till the sea-god's world flows red with slaughter. In the midst, the Queen, sounding her native timbrel, wildly calls her minions to the fight, nor yet can see two fatal asps behind. Her monster-gods, barking Anubis, and his mongrel crew, on Neptune, Venus, and Minerva fling their impious arms; the face of angry Mars, carved out of iron, in the centre frowns, grim Furies fill the air; Discordia strides in rent robe, mad with joy; and at her side, bellona waves her sanguinary scourge. There Actian Apollo watched the war, and o'er it stretched his bow; which when they knew, Egyptian, Arab, and swart Indian slave, and all the sons of Saba fled away in terror of his arm. The vanquished Queen made prayer to all the winds, and more and more flung out the swelling sail: on wind-swept wave she fled through dead and dying; her white brow the Lord of Fire had cunningly portrayed blanched with approaching doom. Beyond her lay the large-limbed picture of the mournful Nile , who from his bosom spread his garments wide, and offered refuge in his sheltering streams and broad, blue breast, to all her fallen power. But Caesar in his triple triumph passed the gates of Rome , and gave Italia 's gods, for grateful offering and immortal praise, three hundred temples; all the city streets with game and revel and applauding song rang loud; in all the temples altars burned and Roman matrons prayed; the slaughtered herds strewed well the sacred ground. The hero, throned at snow-white marble threshold of the fane to radiant Phoebus, views the gift and spoil the nations bring, and on the portals proud hangs a perpetual garland: in long file the vanquished peoples pass, of alien tongues, of arms and vesture strange. Here Vulcan showed ungirdled Afric chiefs and Nomads bold, Gelonian bowmen, men of Caria , and Leleges. Euphrates seemed to flow with humbler wave; the world's remotest men, Morini came, with double-horned Rhine , and Dahae, little wont to bend the knee, and swift Araxes, for a bridge too proud. Such was the blazoned shield his mother gave from Vulcan's forge; which with astonished eyes Aeneas viewed, and scanned with joyful mind such shadows of an unknown age to be; then on his shoulder for a burden bore the destined mighty deeds of all his sons. While thus in distant region moves the war, down to bold Turnus Saturn's daughter sends celestial Iris. In a sacred vale, the seat of worship at his grandsire's tomb, Pilumnus, Faunus' son, the hero mused. And thus the wonder-child of Thaumas called with lips of rose: “O Turnus, what no god dared give for reward of thy fondest vow, has come unbidden on its destined day. Behold, Aeneas, who has left behind the city with his fleet and followers, is gone to kingly Palatine , the home of good Evander. Yea, his march invades the far Etrurian towns, where now he arms the Lydian rustics. Wilt thou longer muse? Call for thy chariot and steeds! Away! Take yonder tents by terror and surprise!” She spoke; and heavenward on poising wings soared, cleaving as she fled from cloud to cloud a vast, resplendent bow. The warrior saw, and, lifting both his hands, pursued with prayer the fading glory: “Beauteous Iris, hail! Proud ornament of heaven! who sent thee here across yon cloud to earth, and unto me? Whence may this sudden brightness fall? I see the middle welkin lift, and many a star, far-wandering in the sky. Such solemn sign I shall obey, and thee, O god unknown!” So saying, he turned him to a sacred stream, took water from its brim, and offered Heaven much prayer, with many an importuning vow.