The Æneids of Virgil, Done into English Verse. Virgil

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">       And all the unmeasured backs of them coil upon coil they wind,

       While sends the sea great sound of foam. And now the meads they gained,

       The burning eyes with flecks of blood and streaks of fire are stained,

       Their mouths with hisses all fulfilled are licked by flickering tongue.211

       Bloodless we flee the sight, but they fare steadfastly along

       Unto Laocoon; and first each serpent round doth reach

       One little body of his sons, and knitting each to each,

       And winding round and round about, the unhappy body gnaws:

       And then himself, as sword in hand anigh for help he draws,

       They seize and bind about in coils most huge, and presently

       Are folded twice about his midst, twice round his neck they tie

       Their scaly backs, and hang above with head and toppling mane,

       While he both striveth with his hands to rend their folds atwain,220

       His fillets covered o'er with blood and venom black and fell,

       And starward sendeth forth withal a cry most horrible,

       The roaring of a wounded bull who flees the altar-horn

       And shaketh from his crest away the axe unhandy borne.

      But fleeing to the shrines on high do those two serpents glide,

       And reach the hard Tritonia's house, and therewithin they hide

       Beneath the Goddess' very feet and orbèd shield of dread;

       Then through our quaking hearts indeed afresh the terror spread,

       And all men say Laocoon hath paid but worthily

       For guilt of his, and hurt of steel upon the holy tree,230

       When that unhappy wicked spear against its flank he threw.

       They cry to lead the image on to holy house and due,

       And Pallas' godhead to adore.

       We break adown our rampart walls and bare the very town:

       All gird themselves unto the work, set wheels that it may glide

       Beneath his feet, about his neck the hempen bond is tied

       To warp it on: up o'er the walls so climbs the fateful thing

       Fruitful of arms; and boys about and unwed maidens sing

       The holy songs, and deem it joy hand on the ropes to lay.

       It enters; through the city's midst it wends its evil way.240

       —O land! O Ilium, house of Gods! O glorious walls of war!

       O Dardan walls!—four times amidst the threshold of our door

       It stood: four times with sound of arms the belly of it rung;

       But heedless, maddened hearts and blind, hard on the ropes we hung,

       Nor but amidst the holy burg the monster's feet we stay.

       And then Cassandra oped her mouth to tell the fateful day—

       Her mouth that by the Gods' own doom the Teucrians ne'er might trow.

       Then on this day that was our last we bear the joyous bough,

       Poor wretches! through the town to deck each godhead's holy place.

      Meanwhile the heavens are faring round, night falls on ocean's face,250

       Enwrapping in her mighty shade all earthly things and sky,

       And all the guile of Myrmidons: silent the Teucrians lie

       Through all the town, and Sleep her arms o'er wearied bodies slips.

      And now the Argive host comes forth upon its ordered ships

       From Tenedos, all hushed amid the kind moon's silent ways,

       Seeking the well-known strand, when forth there breaks the bale-fire's blaze

       On the king's deck: and Sinon, kept by Gods' unequal fate,

       For Danaans hid in horse's womb undoes the piny gate

       In stealthy wise: them now the horse, laid open to the air,

       Gives forth again, and glad from out the hollow wood they fare;260

       Thessandrus, Sthenelus, the dukes, and dire Ulysses pass;

       Slipped down along a hanging rope, Thoas and Acamas,

       Peleian Neoptolemus, and Machaon the first,

       And Menelaüs, and the man who forged the guile accursed,

       Epeos. Through the city sunk in sleep and wine they break,

       Slain are the guards, at gates all oped their fellows in they take,

       Till all their bands confederate are met at last in one.

      It was the time when that first peace of sick men hath begun,

       By very gift of God o'er all in sweetest wise to creep,

       When Hector comes before mine eyes amid the dreams of sleep,270

       Most sorrowful to see he was, and weeping plenteous flood,

       And e'en as torn behind the car, black with the dust and blood,

       His feet all swollen with the thong that pierced them through and through.

       Woe worth the while for what he was! How changed from him we knew!

       The Hector come from out the fight in arms Achilles lost,

       The Hector that on Danaan decks the Phrygian firebrands tost.

       Foul was his beard, and all his hair was matted up with gore,

       And on his body were the wounds, the many wounds he bore

       Around his Troy. I seemed in sleep, I weeping e'en as he,

       To speak unto the hero first in voice of misery:280

      'O Light of Troy, most faithful hope of all the Teucrian men,

       What stay hath held thee back so long? from what shore com'st thou then,

       Long-looked-for Hector? that at last, so many died away,

       Such toil of city, toil of men, we see thy face today,

       We so forewearied? What hath fouled in such an evil wise

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