Page:Aeneid (Conington 1866).djvu/405

Wealthy and dowered with wordy skill,
In battle spiritless and chill,
At council-board a name of weight,
Powerful in faction and debate,
His mother's house to kings allied,
Inglorious on his father's side,
Stands up, and thus with artful phrase
Fans smouldering passion into blaze:
'Too plain the answer that you seek,
Good king, nor needs my voice to speak:
The state's true interest none dispute,
But muttering terror holds them mute.
Let him the while free speech allow,
And calm the thunder of his brow,
Whose sullen mien, like baleful star
Grim lowering o'er the tide of war—
Aye, though with arms and death he threat
My safety, he shall hear me yet—
Has quenched the light of many a chief,
And plunged a city deep in grief,
While, trusting to retreat, he tries
Troy's camp, and menaces the skies.
Send one gift more, great prince, besides
The rest your care for Troy provides,
One more; nor let tempestuous frown
Or bluster bear your purpose down,
But give your child a fitting lord,
And bind two realms in firm accord.
Nay, if such craven fear we feel,
Let Latium to her master kneel,
Pray him of grace his claim to wave
And yield what king and country crave.
Why drive to death your nation still,
O guilty cause of all this ill?
No hope from war: for peace we sue,
For peace, and peace's sanction true.