And Lavinia heard the voice of her mother, and wept.  As a man stains ivory with crimson, or as roses are seen mixed with lilies, even so the virgin’s face burned with crimson.  And Turnus, regarding her, loved her exceedingly, and made answer, “Trouble me not with tears or idle words, my mother, for to this battle I must go.  And do thou, Idmon the herald, say to the Phrygian king, ’To-morrow, when the sun shall rise, let the people have peace, but we two will fight together.  And let him that prevaileth have Lavinia to wife.’”

Then first he went to the stalls of his horses.  The wife of the North Wind gave them to Pilumnus.  Whiter than snow were they, and swifter than the wind.  Then he put the coat of mail about his shoulders, and fitted a helmet on his head, and took the great sword which Vulcan had made for Daunus his father, and had dipped it when it was white-hot in the river of Styx.  His spear also he took where it stood against a pillar, saying, “Serve me well, my spear, that hast never failed me before, that I may lay low this womanish robber of Phrygia, and soil with dust his curled and perfumed hair.”  The next day the men of Italy and the men of Troy measured out a space for the battle.  And in the midst they builded an altar of turf.  And the two armies sat on the one side and on the other, having fixed their spears in the earth and laid down their shields.  Also the women and the old men stood on the towers and roofs of the city, that they might see the fight.

But Queen Juno spake to Juturna, the sister of Turnus, saying, “Seest thou how these two are now about to fight, face to face?  And indeed Turnus goeth to his death.  As for me, I endure not to look upon this covenant or this battle.  But if thou canst do aught for thy brother, lo! the time is at hand.”  And when the nymph wept and beat her breast, Juno said, “This is no time for tears.  Save thy brother, if thou canst, from death; or cause that they break this covenant.”

After this came the kings, that they might make the covenant together.  And King Latinus rode in a chariot with four horses, and he had on his head a crown with twelve rays of gold, for he was of the race of the sun; and Turnus came in a chariot with two white horses, having a javelin in either hand; and AEneas had donned the arms which Vulcan had made, and with him was the young Iulus.  And after due offering AEneas sware, calling on all the Gods, “If the victory shall fall this day to Turnus, the men of Troy shall depart to the city of Evander, nor trouble this land any more.  But if it fall to me, I will not that the Latins should serve the men of Troy.  Let the nations be equal one with the other.  The gods that I bring we will worship together, but King Latinus shall reign as before.  A new city shall the men of Troy build for me, and Lavinia shall call it after her own name.”

Then King Latinus sware, calling on the gods that are above and the gods that are below, saying, “This covenant shall stand forever, whatsoever may befall.  As sure as this sceptre which I bear—­once it was a tree, but a cunning workman closed it in bronze, to be the glory of the Latian kings—­shall never again bear twig or leaf, so surely shall this covenant be kept.”