Who all the loosened limbs of them to gentle rest had given;
When lo, the very light-winged Sleep stooped from the stars of heaven,
Thrusting aside the dusky air and cleaving night atwain:
The sackless Palinure he sought with evil dreams and vain. 840
So on the high poop sat the God as Phorbas fashioned,
And as he sat such-like discourse from out his mouth he shed:
"Iasian Palinure, unasked the waves our ship-host bear;
Soft blow the breezes steadily; the hour for rest is here:
Lay down thine head, steal weary eyes from toil a little space,
And I will do thy deeds awhile and hold me in thy place."

But Palinure with scarce-raised eyes e'en such an answer gave:
"To gentle countenance of sea and quiet of the wave
Deem'st thou me dull? would'st have me trow in such a monster's truth?
And shall I mine AEneas trust to lying breeze forsooth, 850
I, fool of peaceful heaven and sea so many times of old?"

So saying to the helm he clung, nor ever left his hold,
And all the while the stars above his eyen toward them drew.
But lo, the God brought forth a bough wet with Lethean dew,
And sleepy with the might of Styx, and shook it therewithal
Over his brow, and loosed his lids delaying still to fall:
But scarce in first of stealthy sleep his limbs all loosened lay,
When, weighing on him, did he tear a space of stern away,
And rolled him, helm and wrack and all, into the flowing wave
Headlong, and crying oft in vain for fellowship to save: 860
Then Sleep himself amid thin air flew, borne upon the wing.

No less the ship-host sails the sea, its safe way following
Untroubled 'neath the plighted word of Father Neptune's mouth.
So to the Sirens' rocks they draw, a dangerous pass forsooth
In yore agone, now white with bones of many a perished man.
Thence ever roared the salt sea now as on the rocks it ran;
And there the Father felt the ship fare wild and fitfully,
Her helmsman lost; so he himself steered o'er the night-tide sea,
Sore weeping; for his fellow's end his inmost heart did touch:
"O Palinure, that trowed the sky and soft seas overmuch, 870
Now naked on an unknown shore thy resting-place shall be!"

BOOK VI.

ARGUMENT.

AENEAS COMETH TO THE SIBYL OF CUMAE, AND BY HER IS LED INTO THE
UNDER-WORLD, AND THERE BEHOLDETH MANY STRANGE THING