HE WAS PRAYING WITH WORDS SUCH AS THESE and gripping the altar, when the Sibyl began to speak thus:

"Seed of the blood of gods, Trojan son of Anchises, the descent to Hades is easy. All day and all night the portal of Dis is open: but to retrace your steps and escape to the air above, this is the problem and this the task. Only a few, whom Jupiter especially loved, or whose outstanding achievements made them worthy of heaven, have had the power. Forests envelop the entire route, and the Cocytus surrounds it, snaking in murky coils.

But if the longing in your heart is great enough, and your passion to cross the Stygian waters twice and to view black Tartarus twice is strong enough, and it is your wish to surrender to this foolish scheme, then listen to what you must do first.

There lies hidden in a shady tree a golden branch complete with leaves and supple stem: it is aid to be sacred to the queen of the Underworld. The whole forest conceals it, and shadows mask it in a hidden valley. But it is not permitted to penetrate the secret places of the earth until one has pulled off the branch with its golden leaves from the tree. Lovely Proserpina orders this gift to be brought to her.

As soon as one bough has been torn off, a second golden one never fails to replace it, and the stem puts out leaves of the same metal. Keep a sharp look out, and when in due course you find it, tug it with your hand, for it will come way readily and easily if the fates are summoning you. Otherwise you will not be able to defeat it whatever your strength, or wrench it off with hard steel."