Page:The Aeneid of Virgil JOHN CONINGTON 1917 V2.pdf/251

Capitol's moveless rock, and a Roman father shall be the
world's lord.

The Rutulian conquerors, enriched with spoil and booty,
were bearing Volscens' body to the camp with tears in their
eyes. Nor less loud is the wailing in the camp, when they 5
find Rhamnes drained of life, and those many chiefs slain
by a single carnage—Serranus, Numa, and the rest.
They flock in crowds to the bodies, the warriors yet breathing,
the place fresh and reeking with slaughter, and the
streams of gore full and foaming. They pass the spoils 10
from hand to hand, and recognize Messapus' gleaming
helm, and the trappings which it cost such sweat to recover.

Now at last the goddess of the dawn was sprinkling the
world with new-born light, as she rose from Tithonus' 15
saffron couch: the sun had streamed in and all was revealed
by daybreak, when Turnus summons his men to
arms, himself sheathed in armour; each general musters
in battle array his brass-mailed bands, and, scattering
divers speeches, stings them to fury. Nay, more, on 20
uplifted spears, most piteous sight, they set up the heads,
and follow them with deafening shouts—the heads of
Euryalus and Nisus. Æneas' sturdy family, on the rampart's
left side, set the fight in array—for the right is
flanked by the river—guard the broad trenches and stand 25
on the lofty towers, deep in sorrow—touched to see those
lifted human countenances, which to their grief they knew
so well, dripping with black corrupted gore.

Meantime, Fame spreads her wings and flies with the
news through the wildered settlement, and reaches the 30
ears of Euryalus' mother. At once the vital heat left her
wretched frame: the shuttle was dashed from her hands,
and the thread ran back. Forth flies the unhappy dame,
and with a woman's piercing shriek, her tresses rent, makes
madly for the walls and the van of battle, heeding not the 35
eyes of men, heeding not the peril and the shower of javelins,
while she fills the heaven with her plaints: "Is it thus,
Euryalus, that I see you again? have you, the late solace