surprised,
Or never had he lived to flee
And boast that he has fought with me.
Command, O King, and this right hand
Shall sweep the Vanars from the land,
And hill and dale, to Ocean's shore,
Shall know the death-doomed race no more.
But let my care the means devise
To guard thy city from surprise."

Then Durmukh cried, of Rakshas race:
"Too long we brook the dire disgrace.
He gave our city to the flames,
He trod the chambers of thy dames.
Ne'er shall so weak and vile a thing
Unpunished brave the giants' king.
Now shall this single arm attack
And drive the daring Vanars back,
Till to the winds of heaven they flee,
Or seek the depths of earth and sea."

Then, brandishing the mace he bore,
Whose horrid spikes were stained with gore,
While fury made his eyeballs red,
Impetuous Vajradanshtra said:

"Why waste a thought on one so vile
As Hanuman the Vanar, while
Sugriva, Lakshman, yet remain,
And Rama mightier still, unslain?
This mace to-day shall crush the three,
And all the host will turn and flee.
Listen, and I will speak: incline,
O King, to hear these words of mine,
For the deep plan that I propose
Will swiftly rid thee of thy foes.
Let thousands of thy host assume
The forms of men in youthful bloom,
In war's magnificent array
Draw near to Raghu's son, and say:
"Thy younger brother Bharat sends
This army, and thy cause befriends."
Then let our legions hasten near
With bow and mace and sword and spear,
And on the Vanar army rain
Our steel and stone till all be slain.
If Raghu's sons will fain believe,
Entangled in the net we weave,
The penalty they both must pay,
And lose their forfeit lives to-day."
Then with his warrior soul on fire,
Nikumbha spoke in burning ire:

"I, only I, will take the field,
And Raghu's son his life shall yield.
Within these walls, O Chiefs, abide,
Nor part ye from our monarch's side."

Canto IX. Vibhishan's Counsel.

A score of warriors(914) forward sprang,
And loud the clashing iron rang
Of mace and axe and spear and sword,
As thus they spake unto their lord:
"Their king Sugriva will we slay,
And Raghu's sons, ere close of day,
And strike the wretch Hanuman down,
The spoiler of our golden town."

But sage Vibhishan strove to calm
The chieftains' fury; palm to palm
He joined in lowly reverence, pressed(915)
Before them, and the throng addressed:

"Dismiss the hope of conquering one
So stern and strong as Raghu's son.
In due control each