with his left hand on the handle of his
sceptre, says--

"Ask not for assistance, O Athens, but take it, and consider, beyond
doubt, the resources which this island possesses, as thy own, and let
all the forces of my kingdom go {along with thee}. Strength is not
wanting. I have soldiers enough both for my defence, and for {opposing}
the enemy. Thanks to the Gods; this is a prosperous time, and one that
can excuse no refusal of mine." "Yes, {and} be it so," says
Cephalus:[99] "and I pray that thy power may increase along with thy
citizens. Indeed, as I came along just now, I received {much} pleasure,
when a number of youths, so comely and so equal in their ages, came
forward to meet me. Yet I miss many from among them, whom I once saw
when I was formerly entertained in this city." AEacus heaves a sigh, and
thus he says, with mournful voice: "A better fortune will be following a
lamentable beginning; I {only} wish I could relate this to you. I will
now tell it you without any order, that I may not be detaining you by
any long preamble.[100] They are {now} lying as bones and ashes, for
whom thou art inquiring with tenacious memory. And how great a part were
they of my resources that perished! A dreadful pestilence fell upon my
people, through the anger of the vengeful Juno, who hated a country
named[101] from her rival. While the calamity seemed natural, and the
baneful cause of so great destruction was unknown, it was opposed by the
resources of medicine. {But} the havoc exceeded {all} help, which {now}
lay baffled. At first the heaven encompassed the earth with a thick
darkness, and enclosed within its clouds a drowsy heat. And while the
Moon was four times filling her orb by joining her horns, {and}, four
times decreasing, was diminishing her full orb, the hot South winds were
blowing with their deadly blasts. It is known for a fact that the
infection came even into fountains and lakes, and that many thousands of
serpents were wandering over the uncultivated fields, and were tainting
the rivers with their venom. The violence of this sudden distemper was
first discovered by the destruction of dogs, and birds, and sheep, and
oxen, and among the wild beasts. The unfortunate ploughman wonders that
strong oxen fall down at their work, and lie stretched in the middle of
the furrow. {And} while the wool-bearing flocks utter weakly bleatings,
both their wool falls off spontaneously, and their bodies pine away. The
horse, once