Page:The Aeneid of Virgil JOHN CONINGTON 1917 V2.pdf/274

its master; the fingers, half alive, are quivering yet and
closing again on the steel.

Arcadia's sons, stung by their chief's rebuke and gazing
on his glorious deeds, rush on the foe, strong in the
armour of mingled rage and shame. Then Pallas strikes 5
through Rhœtus as he flies past him on his car. So
much space and respite from his end did Ilus gain; for
'twas at Ilus he had launched from the distance his stalwart
spear: Rhœtus comes between and catches it, flying
from thee, noble Teuthras, and Tyres thy brother; and 10
tumbled from his car he beats with his dying heel the
Rutulian plains. Even as when the winds have risen at
his wish on a summer's day, a shepherd lets loose his
scattered flames among the woods, in a moment catching
all that comes between, the Fire-god's army in one bristling 15
line stretches over the broad plains: he from his seat
beholds the triumphant blaze with a conqueror's pride:
even so the valour of thy friends musters from all sides on
one point to aid thee, Pallas. But Halesus, that fiery
warrior, moves against their opposing ranks, gathering 20
himself up into his arms. Ladon he massacres, and
Pheres, and Demodocus: Strymonius' right hand, raised
against his throat, he lops away with his gleaming sword;
with a stone he strikes the front of Thoas, and has crushed
the bones mixed with gory brain. Halesus had been 25
hidden in the woods by his prophetic sire; when the
old man closed his whitening eyes in death, the Fates
claimed their victim, and devoted him to Evander's darts.
And now Pallas aims at him, after these words of prayer:
"Grant, Father Tiber, to the flying steel poised in my 30
hand a prosperous passage through Halesus' hardy breast;
thine oak shall have his arms and his warrior spoils."
The god gave ear: while Halesus shielded Imaon, he gives
his own breast in evil hour unarmed to the Arcadian
lance. 35

But Lausus, himself a mighty portion of the war, suffers
not his troops to be dismayed by the hero's dreadful
carnage: first he slays Abas, who had met him front to