ne,
And, turning, stood with outstretched arms, and cried:
"Bless, Jove omnipotent, this bold design:
Aid me, and yearly offerings shall be thine.
A milk-white steer--I bind me to the vow--
Myself will lead, the choicest, to thy shrine,
Tall as his mother, and with gilded brow,
And butting horns, and hoofs, that spurn the sand e'en now."

LXXXII. Jove heard, and leftward, where the sky was blue,
Thundered aloud. At once the fateful bow
Twanged; with a whirr the fateful arrow flew,
And pierced the head of Remulus. "Now go,
And teach thy proud tongue to insult a foe,
And scoff at Trojan valour. _This_ reply
Twice-captured Phrygians to thy taunts bestow."
Ascanius spoke; the Teucrians with a cry,
Press on, their joyous hearts uplifting to the sky.

LXXXIII. Meanwhile, Apollo from his cloudy car
The Ausonian host, and leaguered town descries,
And calls the youthful conqueror from afar:
"Hail to thy maiden prowess; yonder lies
Thy path, brave boy, to glory and the skies.
O sons of Gods, and sire of Gods to be,
All wars shall cease beneath the race to rise
From great Assaracus. Nor thine, nor thee
Shall narrow Troy contain; so stands the Fate's decree."

LXXXIV. He spake, and through the breathing air shot down,
And sought Ascanius, now a god no more,
But shaped like aged Butes, whilom known
The servant of the Dardan king, who bore
Anchises' shield, and waited at his door,
Then left to guard Ascanius. Such in view
Apollo seemed; such clanging arms he wore;
Such were his hoary tresses, voice, and hue,
And these his words, as near the fiery youth he drew:

LXXXV "Enough, to live, and see Numanus bleed,
Child of AEneas! This, thy valour's due,
Great Phoebus grants, nor stints a rival's meed.
Now cease."--He spake, and vanished from their view.
His arms divine the Dardan chieftains knew,
And heard the quiver rattle in his flight.
So, warned by Phoebus' presence, back they drew
The fiery youth, then plunged into the fight.
Death seems a welcome risk, and danger a delight.

LXXXVI. Shouts fill the walls and outworks; casque and shield
Clash; bows are bent, and javelins hurled amain:
Fierce grows the fight, and weapons strew the field.
So fierce what time the Kid-star brings the rain,
The storm, from westward rising, beats the plain:
So thick with hail, the clouds,