deal his blows in combat, stringing his arms with the tough

hide. Every heart was amazed, so vast were the seven

huge bull-hides, hardened with patches of lead and iron.

More than all the rest Dares is astonished, and recoils

many paces; and the hero himself, Anchises’ son, stands

turning in his hands the massive weight and the enormous

wrappers of twisted thong. Then the old man fetched

from his heart words like these:—“What if any one here 5

had seen those mightier weapons, Hercules’ own gauntlets,

and the fatal combat on this very strand? These are the