Random Bibliomancy Reading with The Aeneid

This oracle points to a randomly selected passage from one of the books in our bibliomancy library. You have randomly pulled The Aeneid off the shelf. The text near your passage is included below for context.

Your line is from BOOK XII: DECISION AND REVENGE.

 

For context:

BOOK XII: DECISION AND REVENGE

On your account I wag’d an impious war—
With what success, ’tis needless to declare;
I and my subjects feel, and you have had your share.

Twice vanquish’d while in bloody fields we strive,
Scarce in our walls we keep our hopes alive:

The rolling flood runs warm with human gore;
The bones of Latians blanch the neighb’ring shore.

Why put I not an end to this debate,
Still unresolv’d, and still a slave to fate?

If Turnus’ death a lasting peace can give,
Why should I not procure it whilst you live?

Should I to doubtful arms your youth betray,
What would my kinsmen, the Rutulians, say?

And, should you fall in fight, (which Heav’n defend!)
How curse the cause which hasten’d to his end
The daughter’s lover and the father’s friend?

Weigh in your mind the various chance of war;
Pity your parent’s age, and ease his care.”

Such balmy words he pour’d, but all in vain:
The proffer’d med’cine but provok’d the pain.

The wrathful youth, disdaining the relief,
With intermitting sobs thus vents his grief:

“The care, O best of fathers, which you take
For my concerns, at my desire forsake.

Permit me not to languish out my days,
But make the best exchange of life for praise.

This arm, this lance, can well dispute the prize;
And the blood follows, where the weapon flies.

His goddess mother is not near, to shroud
The flying coward with an empty cloud.”

But now the queen, who fear’d for Turnus’ life,
And loath’d the hard conditions of the strife,