A wood with bushes broad there was, begrown with bigtree boughs,
Whom thick entangling thorns and briery brambles filled with brows:
No trade but trattling paths, some here, some there that secret strays.
Euryalus the branches dark of trees, and heavy preys,
Done let; he clean contrary runs, beguiled by wandering ways.
Nisus went on, and en'mies all unwares had scaped quite,
And passed that place which afterwards Albanus mountain hight
Of Alba's name; King Latin there great pastures did maintain;
When first he stood, and for his absent friend did look in vain.
‘Euryalus, poor lad, what country now shall I thee seek?
What path should I pursue?’ Straight back again from creek to creek
Through that deceitful wood unwinding ways perplexed he sought,
Still tracking marking steps through thickets silent straggling blind.
He hears their horse, he hears their rustling noise and en'mies' wind.
Not long between there was when to his ears the cry came hot,
And first Euryalus he seeth, whom all men's hands had got,
Through fraud of night and place, of troublous tumult wareless trapped,
Vain-struggling, working much, but round about him all they wrapped.
What should he do? What strength? How could he shift or dare dispose
To rescue thus this lad? Should he run rashly mids his foes?
Enforcing fair to death with comely wounds his life to lose?
He swiftly shook his dart, and high beholding bright the moon
He whirling bent his arm, and thus he fervent made his boon:
‘Thou goddess, thou this time, thou in our labours lend relief,
Thou beauteous queen of stars, in forests virgin keeper chief.
If ever gift for me sir Hyrtacus my father gave
Unto thine offerings' seats, if ever I increased have
Thy sacred altars' fees, with hunting daily through my coasts,
Or decked thy church with spoils, or hanged about thy holy posts,
Give me to break this plump, and through the skies now guide my dart.’
He spake; and straining total strength his tool with hand and heart
Cast forth. It whirling flew, and through the shade of shimm'ring night
It passed, and into Sulmon's back with noise did sharply light;
In pieces there it brake, and to the heart-strings pierced the wood.
He tumbling (cold) outspewed all hot from breast his reeking flood,
Far-fetching, vexing slow; his guts upgathering smites his sides.
Each man about them look. Lo, yet again a smarter glides,
Which he with force outflang and level cast direct from ear.
Whiles all they troubled stood, to Tagus whistling ran that spear;
Athwart his head it came, and thirled him quite through temples twain
With noise, where fixed fast it stack warm-waxing through his brain.
Duke Volscens storming frets, nor him that did that weapon fling
He one where could behold, nor whither fervent mad to spring.
‘But thou this while,’ quoth he, ‘these two men's death shalt surely rue,
If any hot blood in thy heart there be’—and straight outdrew
Against Euryalus his sword. Then verily indeed dismayed
Did Nisus loudly shriek, nor more to lurk in darkness stayed.
Such torments then him took, he cried amain with voice afraid:
‘'Tis I, 'tis I, here, here I am that did, turn all at me,
O Rutils, with your tools! My only craft here 'tis, not he!
He neither durst nor could, this heaven, these stars I witness take.
Only for too much love his wretched friend he nould forsake.’
Such words he gave, but deep with dint the sword enforced first
Had ransacked through his ribs, and sweet white breast at once had burst.
Down falls Euryalus in death; his limbs, his fair fine flesh
All runs on blood; his neck down-fainting nods on shoulders nesh
Well like the purple flower that, cut with plough, letfalling lops
In languish withering dies, or like weak necks of poppies' crops
Down peising heavy heads, when rain doth lading grieve their tops.
But Nisus to his en'mies fiercely ran, and through their mids
Duke Volscens out he seeks, he only Volscens battle bids;
Whom Rutils clustering close on each side shoves and stout withstands.
Yet ne'ertheless his sword like lightning bright with both his hands
He swingeing stirred, and as Duke Volscens cried he smote him so
That through his throat in went, and even in death he killed his foe.
Then weary, digged with wounds, on his dead friend himself he kest
Expiring life at last, and took his death for pleasant rest.
O fortunate both twain! And if my verse may get good luck,
Shall never day nor time from mindful age your praises pluck,
While Prince Aeneas' house, while Capitol most stately stone
Unmovable shall stand, while Roman rules this world in one.
Whom thick entangling thorns and briery brambles filled with brows:
No trade but trattling paths, some here, some there that secret strays.
Euryalus the branches dark of trees, and heavy preys,
Done let; he clean contrary runs, beguiled by wandering ways.
Nisus went on, and en'mies all unwares had scaped quite,
And passed that place which afterwards Albanus mountain hight
Of Alba's name; King Latin there great pastures did maintain;
When first he stood, and for his absent friend did look in vain.
‘Euryalus, poor lad, what country now shall I thee seek?
What path should I pursue?’ Straight back again from creek to creek
Through that deceitful wood unwinding ways perplexed he sought,
Still tracking marking steps through thickets silent straggling blind.
He hears their horse, he hears their rustling noise and en'mies' wind.
Not long between there was when to his ears the cry came hot,
And first Euryalus he seeth, whom all men's hands had got,
Through fraud of night and place, of troublous tumult wareless trapped,
Vain-struggling, working much, but round about him all they wrapped.
What should he do? What strength? How could he shift or dare dispose
To rescue thus this lad? Should he run rashly mids his foes?
Enforcing fair to death with comely wounds his life to lose?
He swiftly shook his dart, and high beholding bright the moon
He whirling bent his arm, and thus he fervent made his boon:
‘Thou goddess, thou this time, thou in our labours lend relief,
Thou beauteous queen of stars, in forests virgin keeper chief.
If ever gift for me sir Hyrtacus my father gave
Unto thine offerings' seats, if ever I increased have
Thy sacred altars' fees, with hunting daily through my coasts,
Or decked thy church with spoils, or hanged about thy holy posts,
Give me to break this plump, and through the skies now guide my dart.’
He spake; and straining total strength his tool with hand and heart
Cast forth. It whirling flew, and through the shade of shimm'ring night
It passed, and into Sulmon's back with noise did sharply light;
In pieces there it brake, and to the heart-strings pierced the wood.
He tumbling (cold) outspewed all hot from breast his reeking flood,
Far-fetching, vexing slow; his guts upgathering smites his sides.
Each man about them look. Lo, yet again a smarter glides,
Which he with force outflang and level cast direct from ear.
Whiles all they troubled stood, to Tagus whistling ran that spear;
Athwart his head it came, and thirled him quite through temples twain
With noise, where fixed fast it stack warm-waxing through his brain.
Duke Volscens storming frets, nor him that did that weapon fling
He one where could behold, nor whither fervent mad to spring.
‘But thou this while,’ quoth he, ‘these two men's death shalt surely rue,
If any hot blood in thy heart there be’—and straight outdrew
Against Euryalus his sword. Then verily indeed dismayed
Did Nisus loudly shriek, nor more to lurk in darkness stayed.
Such torments then him took, he cried amain with voice afraid:
‘'Tis I, 'tis I, here, here I am that did, turn all at me,
O Rutils, with your tools! My only craft here 'tis, not he!
He neither durst nor could, this heaven, these stars I witness take.
Only for too much love his wretched friend he nould forsake.’
Such words he gave, but deep with dint the sword enforced first
Had ransacked through his ribs, and sweet white breast at once had burst.
Down falls Euryalus in death; his limbs, his fair fine flesh
All runs on blood; his neck down-fainting nods on shoulders nesh
Well like the purple flower that, cut with plough, letfalling lops
In languish withering dies, or like weak necks of poppies' crops
Down peising heavy heads, when rain doth lading grieve their tops.
But Nisus to his en'mies fiercely ran, and through their mids
Duke Volscens out he seeks, he only Volscens battle bids;
Whom Rutils clustering close on each side shoves and stout withstands.
Yet ne'ertheless his sword like lightning bright with both his hands
He swingeing stirred, and as Duke Volscens cried he smote him so
That through his throat in went, and even in death he killed his foe.
Then weary, digged with wounds, on his dead friend himself he kest
Expiring life at last, and took his death for pleasant rest.
O fortunate both twain! And if my verse may get good luck,
Shall never day nor time from mindful age your praises pluck,
While Prince Aeneas' house, while Capitol most stately stone
Unmovable shall stand, while Roman rules this world in one.