- ever chance waits on you in this unhappy combat, waits
on me, too, my Turnus; along with you I shall leave the
hated light, nor see in Æneas my son-in-law and my
conqueror."
As Lavinia heard her mother's voice, her glowing cheeks 5
were bathed in tears; a deep blush kindled a fire, and shot
over her flushing face. As when a man has stained Indian
ivory with blood-red purple, or like a bed of lilies and roses
mixed: such hues were seen on the maiden's countenance.
He, bewildered with passion, fixes his eyes upon her: the 10
sight makes him burn the more for battle, and thus he
addresses Amata in brief: "Let me not have tears nor
aught so ominous, dear mother, as my escort to the iron
battle; Turnus is not free to postpone the call of death.
Go, Idmon, and bear the Phrygian despot a message that 15
will like him not: Soon as the goddess of to-morrow's
dawn shall fire the sky with the glow of her chariot, let
him not spur the Teucrians against the Rutulians; let
Teucrian and Rutulian sheath their swords, while we
twain with our own life-blood decide the war. Let 20
Lavinia's hand be sought and won in yonder field."
So he spoke, and rushed back within doors: he calls for
his steeds, and joys to look on them snorting and neighing—the
steeds which Orithyia gave as a present to Pilumnus,
to surpass the snows in whiteness, the winds in speed. 25
Round them stand the bustling charioteers, patting their
chests with hollow palms and combing their maned necks.
Next he throws round his shoulders his hauberk, stiff
with scales of gold and dazzling orichalc,[o] and adjusts to
his wear the sword, the shield, and the cones of the crimson 30
crest—that sword the Fire-god's own hand had made for
his father Daunus, and tempered it glowing in the Stygian
wave. Lastly, the spear which was standing in the
palace-hall, propped by a mighty column, the spoil of
Auruncan Actor, he seizes forcefully, sturdy as it is, 35
and shakes till it quivers, crying aloud: "Now, my good
spear, that hast never failed my call, now is the time;
once wast thou swayed by giant Actor, now by Turnus:
