Page:Virgil's Pastorals, Georgics and Aeneis - Dryden (1709) - volume 2.djvu/183

In Arms, difus'd, invests his Limbs decay'd 695
Like them, with Age; a late and useless aid.
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$His feeble shoulders scarce the weight sustain:
Loaded, not arm'd, he creeps along, with pain;
Despairing of Success; ambitious to be slain!
Uncover'd but by Heav'n, there stood in view 700
An Altar, near the hearth a Lawrel grew;
Dodder'd with Age, whose Boughs encompass round
The Household Gods, and shade the holy Ground.
Here Hecuba, with all her helpless Train
Of Dames, for shelter sought, but sought in vain. 705
Driv'n like a Flock of Doves along the Skie,
Their Images they hugg, and to their Altars fly.
The Queen, when she beheld her trembling Lord,
And hanging by his side a heavy Sword,
What Rage, she cry'd, has seiz'd my Husband's Mind;
What Arms are these, and to what Use design'd? 711
These times want other aids: were Hector here,
Ev'n Hector now in vain, like Priam wou'd appear.
With us, one common shelter thou shalt find,
Or in one common Fate with us be join'd. 715
She said, and with a last Salute embrac'd
The poor old Man, and by the Lawrel plac'd.
Behold Polites, one of Priam's Sons,
Pursu'd by Pyrrhus, there for safety runs.
Thro' Swords, and Foes, amaz'd and hurt, he flies
Through empty Courts, and open Galleries: 721