d from the walls of war and those high towers he came.
He casts away all tarrying, sets every deed aside,
And thundering in his battle-gear rejoicing doth he stride: 700
As Athos great, as Eryx great, great as when roaring goes
Amid the quaking oaken woods and glory lights the snows,
And Father Apennine uprears his head amidst the skies.
Then Trojan and Rutulian men turn thither all their eyes,
And all the folk of Italy, and they that hold the wall,
And they that drive against its feet the battering engines' fall
All men do off their armour then. Amazed Latinus stands
To see two mighty heroes, born in such wide-sundered lands.
Meet thus to try what deed of doom in meeting swords may be.

But they, when empty space is cleared amid the open lea, 710
Set each on each in speedy wise, and with their war-spears hurled
Amid the clash of shield and brass break into Mavors' world;
Then groaneth earth; then comes the hail of sword-strokes thick and fast,
And in one blended tangle now are luck and valour cast:
As when on mighty Sila's side, or on Taburnus height,
Two bulls with pushing horny brows are mingled in the fight:
The frighted herdsmen draw aback, and all the beasts are dumb
For utter fear; the heifers too misdoubt them what shall come,
Who shall be master of the grove and leader of the flock;
But each on each they mingle wounds with fearful might of shock, 720
And gore and push home fencing horns, and with abundant blood
Bathe neck and shoulder, till the noise goes bellowing through the wood;
E'en so AEneas out of Troy, and he, the Daunian man,
Smite shield on shield; and mighty clash through all the heavens there ran.
'Tis Jupiter who holds the scales 'twixt even-poised tongue;
There in the balance needfully their sundered fates he hung,
Which one the battle-pain shall doom, in which the death shall lie.

Now Turnus deems him safe, and forth with sword upreared on high,
He springs, and all his body strains, and rises to the stroke,
And smites: the Trojans cry aloud, and eager Latin folk, 730
And both hosts hang 'twixt hope and fear: but lo, the treacherous sword
Breaks in the middle of the blow and leaves its fiery lord:--
And if the flight shall fail him now!--Swift as the East he flees
When in his right hand weaponless an unknown hilt he s