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and stratagem, thus begins: "What great glory is it
after all, if you, a woman, trust your mettled steed? Put
away the chance of flight, and dare to meet me hand to
hand on equal ground, and gird you for battle on foot:
soon shall you see which of us gains honour from this 5
windy boasting." He said: but she, all on fire, stung with
bitter grief, gives her horse to her comrade, and stands
ready to meet him in arms, fearless though on foot, with
naked sword and maiden shield. But the youth, deeming
that his wiles had sped, darts away without more ado, 10
and turning his bridle, rides off in flight, and wearies his
beast with the strokes of his iron heel. "False Ligurian,
vainly puffed up with overweening fancies, to no end have
you tried your sire's slippery craft, nor shall your lying
bring you safe to Aunus the liar." So cries the maiden, 15
and with lightning-like pace crosses at full speed the horse's
path, and seizing the reins, fronts and encounters him,
and gluts her vengeance with his hated blood: easily as a
hawk, the bird of augury, darting from a lofty rock, comes
up with a dove high in the clouds, holds her in his gripe, 20
and with crooked talons tears out her heart, while gore and
plucked feathers come tumbling from the sky.

But no blind spectator of the scene is sitting throned on
high Olympus, even the father of men and gods. The sire
urges Tarchon the Tuscan to the ruthless fray, and goads 25
him to wrath by no gentle stings. So among heaps of
carnage and yielding bands Tarchon goes riding, and
rouses the cavalry with words of diverse purport, calling
each by his name, and gives the beaten new strength for
battle. "What terror, O ye Tuscan hearts that will not 30
feel, that will still be sluggish, what strange cowardice has
come on you? To what end is this steel, these idle weapons
our right hands bear? But slow ye are not to hear the
call of love, or when the wry-necked fife gives the word for
the Bacchic dance: ay, there is your passion, there your 35
delight, till the favouring seer announce the sacrificial
feast, and the fat victim invite you to the tall trees of the
grove." So saying, he spurs his steed into the midst,