:-- "What here thou dost seek, O Roman, thou mightst
have sought in a nearer spot: and now seek it in a nearer spot; thou
hast no need of Apollo to diminish thy grief, but of the son of Apollo.
Go with a good omen, and invite my son."

After the prudent Senate had received the commands of the Deity, they
enquired what city the youthful son of Phoebus inhabited; and they sent
some to reach the coasts of Epidaurus[62] with the winds. Soon as those
sent had reached them in the curving ship, they repaired to the council
and the Grecian elders, and besought them to grant them the Divinity,
who by his presence could put an end to the mortality of the Ausonian
nation; {for} that so the unerring response had directed. Their opinions
were divided, and differed; and some thought that aid ought not to be
refused. Many refused it, and advised them not to part with their own
protector, and to give up their own guardian Deity. While they were
deliberating, twilight had {now} expelled the waning day, and the shadow
of the earth had brought darkness over the world; when, in thy sleep,
the saving God seemed, O Roman, to be standing before thy couch; but
just as he is wont to be in his temple; and, holding a rustic staff in
his left hand, {he seemed} to be stroking the long hair of his beard
with his right, and to utter such words as these from his kindly
breast-- "Lay aside thy fears; I will come, and I will leave these {my}
statues. Only observe {now} this serpent, which with its folds entwines
around this staff, and accurately mark it with thine eyes, that thou
mayst be able to know it again. Into this shall I be changed; but I
shall be greater, and I shall appear to be of a size as great as that
into which heavenly bodies ought to be transformed."

Forthwith, with {these} words, the God departs; and with his words and
the God sleep {departs}, and genial light follows upon the departure of
sleep. The following morn has {now} dispersed the starry fires;
uncertain what to do, the nobles meet together in the sumptuous temple
of the God {then} sought, and beseech him to indicate, by celestial
tokens, in what spot he would wish to abide. Hardly have they well
ceased, when the God, all glittering with gold, in {the form of} a
serpent, with crest erect, sends forth a hissing, as a notice of his
approach; and in his coming, he shakes both his statue, the altars, the
doors, the marble pavement, and the gilded roof, and as far as the
breast he