There shield on arm, and leaned upon the length of shafted spear,
They stand amid their stronghold's mead: in eager haste the twain,
Nisus and young Euryalus, the presence crave to gain, 230
For matters great and worth the time: straight doth Iulus take
Those hurried men to him, and bids that Nisus speech should wake.

Then saith the son of Hyrtacus: "Just-hearted, hearken now,
Folk of AEneas, neither look upon the things we show
As by our years. The Rutuli slackened by wine and sleep
Lie hushed, and we have seen whereby upon our way to creep,
E'en by the double-roaded gate that near the sea-strand lies:
Their fires are slaked, and black the smoke goes upward to the skies.
If ye will suffer us to use this fortune that doth fall
We will go seek AEneas now and Pallanteum's wall: 240
Ye shall behold him and his spoils from mighty victory wrought
Come hither presently: the way shall fail our feet in nought,
For we have seen the city's skirts amid the valleys dim
In daily hunt, whereby we learned the river's uplong brim."

Then spake Aletes weighty-wise, heart-ripe with plenteous eld:
"Gods of our fathers, under whom the weal of Troy is held,
Ye have not doomed all utterly the Teucrian folk undone,
When ye for us such souls of youth, such hardy hearts have won."

So saying by shoulder and by hand he took the goodly twain,
While all his countenance and cheeks were wet with plenteous rain, 250
"What gifts may I deem worthy, men, to pay such hearts athirst
For utmost glory? certainly the fairest and the first
The Gods and your own hearts shall grant: the rest your lord shall give,
Godly AEneas; and this man with all his life to live,
Ascanius here, no memory of such desert shall lack."

"But I," Ascanius breaketh in, "whose father brought aback
Is all my heal--Nisus, I pray by those great Gods of mine,
By him of old, Assaracus, by hoary Vesta's shrine,
Bring back my father! whatsoe'er is left with me today
Of Fate or Faith, into your breasts I give it all away. 260
O give me back the sight of him, and grief is all gone by.
Two cups of utter silver wrought and rough with imagery
I give you, which my father took from wracked Arisbe's hold;
Two tripods eke, two talents' weight of fire-beproven gold;
A beaker of the time agone, S