THE COUNCIL.
So the battle had an end. And the next day, early in the morning,
Æneas paid his vows. For he took an oak-tree, and lopped the branches
round about, and set it on a mound. And thereon he hung, for a trophy
to Mars, the arms of King Mezentius, the crest dripping with blood,
and the headless spears, and the corslet pierced in twelve places.
Also he fastened on the left hand the shield, and hung about the neck
the ivory-hilted sword. And next, the chiefs being gathered about him,
he spake, saying, "We have wrought a great deed. Here ye see all that
remaineth of Mezentius. Now, therefore, let us make ready to carry the
war against the city of Latinus. This, therefore, will we do with the
first light to-morrow. And now let us bury the dead, doing such honour
to them as we may, for indeed they have purchased a country for us
with their own blood. But first will I send back Pallas to the city of
Evander."
Then he went to the tent where the dead body was laid, and old Acœtes
kept watch thereby--Acœtes, who had been armour-bearer to Evander,
and now had followed his son, but with evil fortune; and the women of
Troy, with their hair unbound, mourned about him. But when they saw
Æneas they beat their breasts, and sent up a great cry even to heaven.
And when the king saw the pillowed head and the great wound in the
breast he wept, and said, "Ah! why did Fortune grudge me this, that
thou shouldst see my kingdom, and go back in triumph to thy father's
home? This is not what I promised to Evander when he gave thee to my
charge, and warned me that the men of Italy were valiant and fierce.
And now haply, old man, thou makest offerings and prayers for him who
now hath no part nor lot in the Gods of heaven. Yet, at least, thou
wilt see that he beareth an honourable wound. But what a son thou
losest, O Italy! and what a friend, thou, Iülus!"
Then he chose a thousand men who should go with the dead and share
the father's grief. After this they made a bier of arbutus boughs and
oak, and put also over it a canopy of branches, and laid the dead
thereon, like unto a flower of violet or hyacinth which a girl hath
plucked, which still hath beauty and colour, but the earth nourisheth
it no more. And Æneas took two robes of purple, which Dido had woven
with thread of gold, and with one he wrapped the body and with the
other the head. And behind were carried the arms which Pallas had won
in fight; and they led the old man Acœtes, smiting on his breast and
tearing his cheeks, and throwing himself upon the ground; and the
war-horse Æthon walked beside, with the great tears rolling down his
cheeks. And also they bare behind him his helmet and shield, for all
else Turnus had taken; and then followed the whole company, the men of
Troy, the Arcadians, and the Tuscans, with arms reversed. And Æneas
said, "The same cares and sorrows of war call me elsewhere. Farewell,
my Pallas, for ever!" And he departed to the camp.
And now there came ambassadors from the city, having olive-branches
about their heads, praying for a truce, that they might bury their
dead. Then Æneas made answer, "Ye ask peace for the dead; fain would I
give it to the living. I had not come to this land but for the bidding
of the Fates. And if your king changeth from me and my friendship to
Turnus, I am blameless. Yet methinks Turnus should rather have taken
this danger upon himself. And even now, if he be willing to fight with
me, man to man, so be it. But now bury ye your dead."
Then they made a truce for twelve days. And the men of Troy and the
Latins laboured together, hewing wood upon the hills, pine and cedar
and mountain ash. And the men of Troy built great piles upon the shore
and burned the dead bodies of their companions thereon, and their arms
with them. And the Latins did likewise. Also they that had been chosen
to do this thing carried the body of Pallas to his city. And King
Evander and the Arcadians made a great mourning for him.
But when they had made an end of burning the dead there arose a great
tumult in the city, for many had lost husband, or brother, or son.
Wherefore they cried out that it was an evil war, and they cursed the
marriage of Turnus, and would have him fight with Æneas, man to man,
that there might be an end of these troubles. And lo! in the midst of
the tumult there came back the ambassadors that had been sent to
Diomed, saying that their prayers and gifts had availed nothing. Then
King Latinus called a council of the chiefs, and sat him down upon his
throne, and bade the men say on. Then Venulus, who was the chiefest
among them, spake, saying, "We went to Arpi, to the city of King
Diomed. And the man received us, and asked us wherefore we had come,
and when we had told him, he spake, saying, 'Men of Italy, why will ye
thus tempt your fate? Know ye not that we, as many of us as lifted
hand against the men of Troy, have suffered grievous things? For the
Lesser Ajax perished on the rocks of Eubœa; and Menelaüs was driven
even to the island of Proteus, which is hard by the land of Egypt; and
Ulysses scarcely escaped from the Cyclops; and as for King Agamemnon,
an adulterer slew him in his palace. And us the Gods suffered not to
see wife or country again. But as for this which ye ask of me, I
fight not against men of Troy any more. These gifts which ye bring to
me, give rather to Æneas. We have fought together, and I know how
mightily he rises to the stroke of his sword and casts his spear. I
tell you this: if there had been in Troy two others such as he, the
war had come to the gates of Argos, and Greece had suffered even what
she wrought. 'Twas he and Hector who for ten years bore up against our
arms: both valiant men and strong, and this man the dearer to the
Gods. Make peace with him, if ye may; but beware that ye meet him not
in war.'"
And when they had made an end of speaking, there was a murmur in the
council, some saying one thing, and some another. Then King Latinus
said from his throne, "This is an ill time for counsel when the enemy
is about our walls. Yet hearken to my words. Ye do ill to wage this
war: for the men of Troy are dear to the Gods, nor may any sword
prevail against them. Ye have heard what saith King Diomed; ye see
also how low our fortunes be brought. My sentence therefore is this: I
have a domain near to the Tiber, stretching far to the west, a land
of corn-fields and pasture. This, and the pine forests also on the
hills, will I give to the men of Troy, and I will divide also my
kingdom. But if they would rather seek some other land, let us build
them twelve ships, or more, if they be able to fill them, and let them
depart in peace. Now therefore let us send ambassadors, even a hundred
men, and let them carry gifts, talents of gold, and ivory, and also a
throne and a robe, which are the emblems of kingship."
Then spake Drances. (Now Drances had great jealousy of Turnus.
Bountiful was he, and eloquent, and skilful in counsel and debate, but
feeble in fight.) "This matter about which thou askest us, O King, is
manifest, and needeth not speech; for all men know what shall best
profit the people, yet fear to say it. 'Tis this man that hindereth us
from speech; this man for whose evil pride--aye, I will say it though
he threaten me with death--so many valiant chiefs have fallen, while
he makes a vain show of his valour. And now, O King, I would bid thee
add one more to thy gifts. Give thy daughter to this great son-in-law,
and make peace sure for ever. Yea, Turnus, yield thou this to thy
country. Lo! we all ask it of thee, even I, whom thou holdest to be
thine enemy. But if thou wilt not, counting a royal wife to be more
than thy country, call not on us to die for thee, but meet thy rival
face to face."
Then in great wrath Turnus made answer, "Thou hast always many words
at command, O Drances, and, when the senators are called, art ever the
first to come. But where is thy valour? Where are the trophies which
thy right hand hath set up? Wilt thou make trial of it now? Lo! the
enemy is at hand. Shall we go? Dost thou linger? Is all thy valour in
thy boasting tongue and coward feet? And thou doubtest, forsooth, of
my courage. What? hast thou not heard of Pallas slain, and Bitias and
Pandarus, and all whom I laid low when they shut me within their
walls? And now I would speak of thee and thy counsel, my father. If
thou thinkest that one defeat is enough, and that fortune may not
change, be it so: let us pray for peace. Happy then he who hath died
before he saw such foul disgrace! But if we have yet strength
remaining, and nations and cities that will yet help us; if these men
of Troy have won their victory dear, why faint we at the threshold,
and tremble before the trumpet sounds? Diomed will not help us. But we
have Messapus, and the augur Tolumnius, and all the chiefs of Italy,
yea and the Volscian Camilla, with her squadrons clad in bronze. And
if they would have me fight man to man, I refuse not in such a cause.
Let him be mighty as Achilles, and don the arms which Vulcan hath
made. I refuse not the battle, for my life is for you and for your
king."
But while they disputed there came a messenger unto the palace
bringing tidings of fear. For the men of Troy, he said, were marching
in battle line from their camp. Then there arose a great uproar, some
crying aloud for arms, and some weeping; loud was it as the clamour of
birds that settle in some deep wood, or of swans by the mouth of Po.
And Turnus cried, "Call your councils, my friends, speak of peace as
you sit. But the enemy is at the gate." And he made haste and rushed
forth from the senate-house.