498To meet him came Camilla, with her column of Volsci in attendance, and right at the gates the queen leapt down from her horse, and the whole troop, following her, left their horses and slid to the ground; 501then she speaks thus: 'Turnus, if the brave may rightly have any confidence in themselves, I dare and I promise to meet the squadron of Aeneas' men and to ride alone against the Tyrrhenian horsemen. 505Let me try the first dangers of war with my hand; you stay on foot by the walls and guard the city.' 507Turnus to this, his eyes fixed on the awe-inspiring maiden: 'O maiden, glory of Italy, what thanks can I make ready to speak or to repay?
509But now, since that spirit of yours is above all things, share the toil with me. 511Aeneas, as rumour and the scouts we sent report reliably, has wickedly sent ahead his light-armed horsemen to scour the plains; 513he himself, crossing the steep wastes of the mountain over the ridge, is approaching the city. 515I am preparing a stratagem of war on the arched path through the wood, to block the two-way gorge with armed soldiers. 517You must take on the Tyrrhenian cavalry in close engagement; 518with you will be keen Messapus, the Latin squadrons and the band of Tiburtus; you too take up the charge of command.' 520So he speaks, and with like words urges Messapus and the allied leaders to battle, and advances on the enemy.