Classics: Classics collection contents
About the Classics collection
Greek Hist. Overview
Art & Arch. Catalogs
Other Tools & Lexica
Plot: sites on this page sites in this book sites in this document
Display text chunked by: book card (default)
Contents: Book 1Book 2Book 3Book 4Book 5Book 6Book 7Book 8Book 9Book 10Book 11Book 12 |
P. Vergilius Maro, Aeneid (ed. John Dryden)
Editions and translations: English (ed. John Dryden) | English (ed. Theodore C. Williams) | Latin (ed. J. B. Greenough)
Your current position in the text is marked in red. Click anywhere on the line to jump to another position.
Rais'd in his mind the Trojan hero stood,
And long'd to break from out his ambient cloud:
Achates found it, and thus urg'd his way:
“From whence, O goddess-born, this long delay?
What more can you desire, your welcome sure,
Your fleet in safety, and your friends secure?
One only wants; and him we saw in vain
Oppose the Storm, and swallow'd in the main.
Orontes in his fate our forfeit paid;
The rest agrees with what your mother said.”
Scarce had he spoken, when the cloud gave way,
The mists flew upward and dissolv'd in day.
The Trojan chief appear'd in open sight,
August in visage, and serenely bright.
His mother goddess, with her hands divine,
Had form'd his curling locks, and made his temples shine,
And giv'n his rolling eyes a sparkling grace,
And breath'd a youthful vigor on his face;
Like polish'd ivory, beauteous to behold,
Or Parian marble, when enchas'd in gold:
Thus radiant from the circling cloud he broke,
And thus with manly modesty he spoke:
“He whom you seek am I; by tempests toss'd,
And sav'd from shipwreck on your Libyan coast;
Presenting, gracious queen, before your throne,
A prince that owes his life to you alone.
Fair majesty, the refuge and redress
Of those whom fate pursues, and wants oppress,
You, who your pious offices employ
To save the relics of abandon'd Troy;
Receive the shipwreck'd on your friendly shore,
With hospitable rites relieve the poor;
Associate in your town a wand'ring train,
And strangers in your palace entertain:
What thanks can wretched fugitives return,
Who, scatter'd thro' the world, in exile mourn?
The gods, if gods to goodness are inclin'd;
If acts of mercy touch their heav'nly mind,
And, more than all the gods, your gen'rous heart.
Conscious of worth, requite its own desert!
In you this age is happy, and this earth,
And parents more than mortal gave you birth.
While rolling rivers into seas shall run,
And round the space of heav'n the radiant sun;
While trees the mountain tops with shades supply,
Your honor, name, and praise shall never die.
Whate'er abode my fortune has assign'd,
Your image shall be present in my mind.”
Thus having said, he turn'd with pious haste,
And joyful his expecting friends embrac'd:
With his right hand Ilioneus was grac'd,
Serestus with his left; then to his breast
Cloanthus and the noble Gyas press'd;
And so by turns descended to the rest.
There are a total of 3 comments on and cross references to this page.
Further comments from John Conington, Commentary on Vergil's Aeneid, Volume 1:
book 1 (general note)
Further comments from Maurus Servius Honoratus, Commentary on the Aeneid of Vergil:
book 1 (general note)
Cross references from W. Walter Merry, James Riddell, D. B. Monro, Commentary on the Odyssey (1886):
4, 502 [Book 4 (d)]
Preferred URL for linking to this page: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Verg.+A.+1.579
The National Endowment for the Humanities provided support for entering this text.
This text is based on the following book(s): Vergil. Aeneid. John Dryden. trans. XXX. XXX. XXX.
|