ves your country coast to gain;
And neither star nor strand made blind the region of our road;
But we by counsel and free will have sought out thine abode,
Outcast from such a realm as once was deemed the mightiest
The Sun beheld, as o'er the heaven she ran from east to west.
Jove is the well-spring of our race; the Dardan children joy
In Jove for father; yea, our king, AEneas out of Troy, 220
Who sends us to thy door, himself is of the Highest's seed.
How great a tempest was let loose o'er our Idaean mead,
From dire Mycenae Sent; what fate drave either clashing world,
Europe and Asia, till the war each against each they hurled,
His ears have heard, who dwells afar upon the land alone
That ocean beats; and his no less the bondman of the zone,
That midmost lieth of the four, by cruel sun-blaze worn.
Lo, from that flood we come to thee, o'er waste of waters borne,
Praying a strip of harmless shore our House-Gods' home to be,
And grace of water and of air to all men lying free. 230
We shall not foul our land's renown; and thou, thy glory fair
We know, and plenteous fruit of thanks this deed of thine shall bear:
Nor ever may embrace of Troy Ausonia's soul despite.
Now by AEneas' fates I swear, and by his hand of might,
Whether in troth it hath been tried, or mid the hosts of war,
That many folks--yea, scorn us not that willingly we bore
These fillets in our hands today with words beseeching peace--
That many lands have longed for us, and yearned for our increase.
But fate of Gods and Gods' command would ever drive us home
To this your land: this is the place whence Dardanus was come, 240
And hither now he comes again: full sore Apollo drave
To Tuscan Tiber, and the place of dread Numicius' wave.
Moreover, here some little gifts of early days of joy
Giveth our king, a handful gleaned from burning-tide of Troy:
Anchises at the altar erst would pour from out this gold;
This was the gear that Priam used when in the guise of old
He gave his gathered folk the law; sceptre, and holy crown,
And weed the work of Ilian wives."

Now while Ilioneus so spake Latinus held his face,
Musing and steadfast, on the ground setting his downcast gaze, 250
Rolling his eyes all thought-fulfilled; nor did the broidered gear
Of purple move the King so much