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BOOK XII

When Turnus sees that the War-god's enmity has
broken the spirit of Latium, that men are beginning to
claim his promise, and make him the mark of their eyes,
he bursts at once into fury unappeasable, and swells his
pride to the height. As in Punic land, when the hunters 5
have wounded him deep in the breast, the lion at last rouses
himself to fight, tosses with fierce joy his mane from his
neck, snaps fearlessly the brigand's spear in the wound,
and roars from his gory mouth: even so, Turnus once
kindled, his vehemence grows each moment. Then he 10
addresses the king, and dashes hotly into speech: "Turnus
stops not the way: Æneas and his cowards have no plea
for retracting their challenge or disowning their plighted
word; I meet the combat; bring the sacred things, good
father, and solemnize the truce. Either will I with my own 15
right hand send the Dardan down to Tartarus, the runaway
from Asia—let the Latians sit by and see—and
with my single weapon refute the slander of a nation; or
let the vanquished own their master and Lavinia be the
conqueror's bride." 20

With calm dignity of soul the king makes answer:
"Gallant youth, the greater your impetuous valour, the
more watchful must needs be my foresight, the more
anxious my scrutiny of all that may happen. You have
your father Daunus' kingdom, you have many a town 25
won by your own sword: I that speak have gold and a
heart to give it; in Latium and Laurentum's land are other
unwedded maidens, of no unworthy lineage. Suffer me
without disguise to give voice to these unwelcome sayings,
and take home what I speak further: I was forbidden by 30