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heavenly token, and nerve their souls for combat, and
make ready for the fight. And now at last from his
station on the tall stern he has the Teucrians and his
camp in view, when on the instant his blazing shield is
raised high on his left arm. Up goes a shout to heaven 5
from the Dardans on their ramparts; the gleam of hope
quickens wrath to fury; they hurl a shower of javelins:
even as amid dark clouds cranes from Strymon give token,
sweeping sonorously over the sky, and flying from the
southern gale with sequacious clamour. But the Rutulian 10
king and the Ausonian generals wonder at the sight, till,
looking back, they behold the stems bearing to the shore,
and the whole water floating on with vessels. There is a
blaze on that helmet's summit, and from the crest on
high streams the flame, and the shield's golden boss disgorges 15
mighty fires, even as when on a clear night blood-hued
comets glare with gloomy red, or as the Sirian blaze,
that harbinger of drought and sickness to weak mortality,
breaks into birth and saddens heaven with its ill-boding
rays. 20

Yet pause was none in bold Turnus' confidence to forestall
the landing-place, and beat off the comers from the
shore. His words are ready at the moment to encourage
and upbraid: "See here the occasion you longed for, to
break through them at the sword's point. A brave man's 25
hand is the War-god's chosen seat. Now let each remember
wife and home, recall the mighty deeds that made
your fathers great. Let us meet them at once at the
water's edge, while they are in the hurry of landing, and
the foot falters in its first tread on shore. Valour has 30
Fortune for its friend:" So saying, he ponders with himself
whom to lead to the attack, and to whom he may
trust the leaguer of the walls.

Meanwhile Æneas is landing his comrades from the tall
ship-sides by help of bridges. Many of them watch for 35
the ebb of the failing sea and venture a leap among the
shallows; others resort to the oars. Tarchon, spying out
a place on the beach where the waters seethe not nor the