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AUCAULAY^

LAYS OF

ANCIENT

ROA^E


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MACAULAY'S

POEMS


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American

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Sir Roger

de

Coverley.

Fairy

Tales.

Nights'

Entertainments.

Sohrab

and

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Pride

and

Prejudice.

Sense

and

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Essays.

Out of the

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Lorna

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Life

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Thanatopsis,

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Grimm's

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Keary's Heroes of

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a

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Letters from Many

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Longfellow's

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Longfellow's

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Jpocftet

American antr

lEnglislj

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Vision

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Earlier Essays.

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Life

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Lives

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Mark Antony.

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Lyrical.

Homer's Iliad.

Homer's

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The

Rape

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Lock.

Short Stories.

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Selected

Poems.

Sesame

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Air.

Ivanhoe.

Kenilworth.

Lady

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Last

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Quentin

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Required

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from

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for

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As

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Tennyson's

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Abridge

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/Eneid.

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Whittier's

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11/260

LAYS

OF

AiN^CIENT

ROME

AND

OTHER

POEMS

BY

THOMAS

BABINGTON

MACAULAY

EDITED

BY

FEAiTKLIX

T.

BAKER,

A.M.

PROFESSOR

OF ENGLISH

IX

TEACHERS

COLLEGB,

COLUMBIA

UNIVERSITY

THE

MACMILLAN

COMPANY

LONDON:

MACMILLAN

&

CO.,

Ltd.

1917


12/260


13/260

CONTEXTS

PAG

Introduction

,

i

LAYS

OF

ANCIENT

ROME:

Horatius

The

Battle

of

the

Lake

Regillus

26

Virginia

54

The

Prophecy

of

Capys

69

OTHER

BALLADS:

Ivry

, .

81

The

Armada

^

.

85

The

Battle

of

Naseby

90

MISCELLANEOUS

POEMS

:

Epitaph

on

Henry

Martyn

Lines to

the

Memory

of Pitt

A

Radical

War

Song

The

Battle

of

Moncontour

Sermon

in

a

Churchyard

.

Translation

from

A.

Y.

Arnault

Dies

Trae

94

94

95

98

100

103

104


14/260

lll

CONTENTS

The

Couutiy

Clergy

man's

Trip

to

Cambridge

Song

The

Deliverance

of

Vienna

The

Last Buccaneer .

.

.

,

Epitaph on

a

Jacobite

....

Lines

Written on

the

Night

of the

30th

of July,

1847

Paraphrase of a

Passage

in

the

Chronicle of

the Monk

of

St.

Gall

From

a

Manuscript

Poem

The

Cavaliers'

March to

London

.

,

, .

Eosamond

Inscription

on

the Statue

of Lord William Bentinck

Epitaph

on Sir

Benjamin

Heath Maekin

.

Epitaph

on

Lord

Metcalfe

Valentine

to

the

Hon.

Mary

C.

Stanhope

NOTES

Preface

to

The

Lays

of

Ancient Rome

Preface to

Horatius

....

Notes

to

Horatius

....

Preface

to

The

Battle

of

the

Lake

Regillus

Notes

to The

Battle

of the Lake Regillus

Preface

to

Virginia

....

Notes to

Virginia ....

Preface

to The Prophecy

of

Capys .

Notes to

The

Prophecy

of

Capys

Notes

to

Other

Ballads

and

Miscellaneous

Poems


15/260

INTRODUCTION.

Thomas

Babixgtox Macaulay

was cue

of

those

au-

whose

fame

came

early

and

easily,

and

whose

and

reputation persist

with

almost undimin-

vigor.

He

wrote

not

for

any literary

class or in

transient

literary

fashion, but made his

appeal

largely

the

common

sense

of common

peojDle.

He sought

not

to

instruct

but

also to

delight.

He

brought

to

his

a

marvellously stored

memory,

a

vivid

imagination,

lively

sense

of

that plain justice

of

which

plain

men

prove, a

discriminating sense of

what

is

of

general

inter-

and

an

extraordinary

power

of

saying his

thought

such a

way

that

it could not

be

misunderstood.

As

a

of these qualities, his writings have

continued

to

in

popularity

with

those

of

the

most

successful

and to

find

many readers

who

will

read

little

that is serious

and

made

into

the

form

of

books.

Macaulay was born October

25,

1800,

at

Eothley

Leicestershire,

and died December

28,

1859.

father, Zachary Macaulay,

a

Scotch Calvinist,

de-

many

arduous years to the

cause

of antislavery,

was, next to

Wilberforce,

the

greatest of the men in


16/260

INTRODUCTION.

movement.

His

mother, an

English

Quaker,

had

gentleness

and

force

of

character and

the

wis-

to

protect

the

child

from the flattery his

precocity

have

brought

upon

him.

For

precocious

the young Macaulay certainly was.

the

age

of

three

he

read incessantly.

He liked

better

than

toys,

and

was

fond

of

explaining

what

read.

He

would

spin

interminable

stories out of

his

while

out

walking

with his nurse.

He

constantly

his

everyday

experiences with

the things he

in

books.

In 1808

his

mother

wrote

:

My

dear

continues to

show

marks of

uncommon

genius. He

on

wonderfully

in all branches of his education,

and

extent

of

his reading

and

of the

knowledge

he

has

from

it

are

truly

astonishing

in

a

boy

not yet

years

old.

He

is at

the same

time

as

playful

as

a

And

his

mother's

testimony

is

more

temperate

tone

than that

of

others. He

began

to

write

in

both

and

verse before

he

was

eight.

Indeed,

there

is

in

the life

of the infant Macaulay to console the

parents

of

dull children.

His

preparation for the

university

was conducted

in

a

school

near Cambridge,

and

at

the

age

of

eighteen

entered

Trinity

College,

Cambridge. Here

he

was

centre

of

a

brilliant group

of

young

men

who

were

not

only in their

university

studies,

but in

literature,

politics,

and

social

theories of the

day.


17/260

INTROD

UC

TIOX.

XI

almost

all

subjects,

except

mathematics and

and

he

was

even then

known

as

an excep-

brilliant

talker and

debater.

He

took his

full

of

university

honors,

and

in

1824

was

appointed

to

fellowship.

Soon after this

he

began

to

read

law and

was

admitted

the

bar in 1826. But

until

he read

law later, with

deliuite

purpose

of

applying

its

principles

to

legisla-

for

India,

he never put his

whole

heart

into

the

It

was

during

these years

of reading

law that he

his literary

career.

After

a

brief

connection with

Qii.arteiiy

Magazine, he

began

to

write

for

the

Review, whose editor was

the

famous

scholar,

and

lawyer,

Jeffrey.

His

first contribution was

essay

on

Milton.

It

attracted

immediate

and

wide

by its

brilliancy and

force.

This was

only the

of

a

long

series of

important historical and

essays,

most

of

which

were written in the

brief

he found from

the

pressure of

the

duties of

life.

His

first

entry

into

Parliament

was

in

1830.

His

speech

was

in favor

of

the

removal

of

the

politi-

disabilities

of

the

Jews.

His first great

speech was

in

1831,

in

favor of

the

Eeform

Bill.

It

aroused

excited admiration,

such

as

set

all

who

heard it

to

Macaulay

with

the greatest

orators

within

memories.

From

this

time

to

the end

of

his career

'

'*


18/260

INTRODUCTION.

to

fill

the

house.

In

all his political career he

consistently

by

the

stanch and reasonable principles

the Whig

party.

To

his mind the right

to

govern was

by

the exercise

of power

through

the consent

of

governed

and for

their

good.

With

literary

and political

distinction came

social

Macaulay

was

overwhelmed

with

invita-

to

the

houses of the great.

But though

he found

this flattery

some

modest

pleasure,

he

continued

his

labors,

and

still

found

his pleasure

mainly

in

his

home.

In

1834

he

was made

a member

of the

Supreme Coun-

for India.

Upon

him

fell

the

principal part

of

the

of framing

the

laws for the government

of India.

so-called

Penal

Code

of

India

was

a

monument

not

to

the

industry,

but to

the high

ability

of

its

In

1838

Macaulay

returned

from India

and made

a

through

France and Italy.

Upon

his

return

to

Eng-

in

1839,

he

reentered

Parliament

as

member

for

and for

the

next ten years continued

his

ac-

political

and literary

life. The

years

1842

and

1843

marked

by

the

publication of

the

Lays

of

Ancient

and

his

collected

Essays

respectively.

In

1847,

ter his

defeat for reelection

at

Edinburgh, he retired

private

life

to

complete

his

cherished

plan

of

a

history

England.


19/260

INTRODUCTION.

Xlli

of

this

famous

work. It was

greeted

with

a cordiality

amounting

to

enthusiasm.

Edition

after

edition

was

called

for,

until it

rivalled

the

success

that

had

belonged

to

Scott's

novels

and

Byron's

Childe

Harold.

Its

author

had

held that

history

could

be made as

interesting

as

fiction,

and

he had

proved

his theory.

Xew honors

now

came to

him.

He was

elected

Lord

Rector

of

the

Uni-

versity

of Glasgow,

and

appointed to

the professorship

of

modern history at

Cambridge.

The

latter position he

declined,

that

he

might

continue

his

own

historical

worii.

In

1852

he was

reelected to

Parliament from

Edinburgh,

and

in

1856

resigned

because

of

failing health. In

the

following

year his

long

career

as

statesman and

man of

letters

received

the

highest

honor

reserved

for

illustri

ous

Englishmen. He

was

made a peer,

Lord

Macaulay,

Baron

of

Rothle}^.

But his

great

vigor

of

body

and

intellect

had now

failed

him, and

in

two years

more he was

buried

in

the

l^oets'

Corner

of Westminster

Abbey.

Of

Macaulay's

literary

work

much

has

been

written.

And to

jndge

him

properly is

not so

easy

as

his

own

clearness

and

vigor

might

seem

to

indicate. His

ad

mirers

are to be

counted

by

thousands.

His detractors

are

few, and

these

commonly censure

in

him the absence

of certain

subtleties

and

of

a certain

philosophical

bal

ance,

rather

than

the

presence

of

any

positive

faults.

Here,

as

elsewhere,

it seems

to be

the

business of

criti


20/260

introduction:

to judge

the

writer for what he

was rather

than

what he

might

have

been.

As an

essayist,

he

is

easily

one of the

two

or

three

interesting,

if,

indeed,

he does not in

this

regard

the

first

place

in English literature.

His

style is

and cogent,

his imagination

vivid,

his resources

Subjects

that are dull in

other

men's

hands

his

become

fascinating.

If

his

statements

are

some-

too emphatic,

the

march

of

his

periods

too

sono-

too

much like

the music

of brass

instruments,

his

thought

never

rises

very high or

penetrates

very

these,

at

least,

are faults

which

are

seen

rather

by

trained

student

of

literature than

by

the

ordinary

And

to

have

won

the ordinary

reader

to the

of

long

essays

on

serious

subjects

is

one

of

the

reatest of

triumphs.

Not less

interesting

to

note

than his

manner

are his

and

variety

of

subjects

:

On Milton

and

the Civil

on

BoswelVs

Johnson,

on Hallam^s

Constitutional

on

Pitt,

on Lord Bacon, on

Lord

Clive, on

d^Arhlay,

on

Rankers

Lives

of

the

Popes,

on

the

of

the

Kestoration,

on

Education.

The

list is

longer than

can

be

given here. And all

this

rich

brilliant

work

was put forth for the

pages

of

a

maga-

in

the

scant leisure

of

the

busy

life

of

a

statesman.

As

a

historian, Macaulay

still

stands first in

the power

telling an interesting

story

of

the

past.

Gibbon

and


21/260

INTRODUCTION.

xv

him.

It

is

often charged

that

he

overstates

a

for

the

sake of

effect,

and

that

his

Whig principles

him

from that

entire

impartiality

which

a

historian

have.

If

this

is

true

and

I

have

not

the

historical knowledge either

to

support

or

refute

statement

it

is

a

grave

limitation. But

the student

literature may

be

permitted

to

wonder whether

the

tinc-

of

error

in

his Avork is

not atoned for

by

the skill which

made

familiar and vivid to many readers what the

ac-

but

dull

historian

never

could

induce

them

to read.

Of

Macaulay's powers

as

an orator we

have

interesting

testimony: His

action

the

little

that

used

was

rather

ungainly.

His

voice was

full

and

;

but

it

had

not

the

light

and

shade,

the modulation,

in

practised speakers.

His

speeches

were most

prepared,

and

were

repeated

without the

loss

omission

of

a

single

word.

But

his biographer

says

:

Macaulay spoke

frequently

enough

the

spur

of

the

moment

;

and

some

excellent

judges

of

opinion

that,

on

these occasions,

his

style gained

in

animation

than

it

lost

in

ornament.

Even

when

rose

in his

place

to

take part

in

a

discussion

Avhicii

long

been

foreseen, he had no notes

in

his

hand

and

manuscript

in

his pocket.

.

. .

Each

thought,

as

it

in his

mind,

embodied

itself in phrases,

and

clothed

in

an

appropriate drapery of images,

instances,

and

;

and

when,

in

the

course

of his

speech,

the

recurred,

all the words

which

gave

it point

and


22/260

xn miRODUCTION.

beauty

sponfcaneously

recurred

with it.

Another

con-

temporary

says

:

It

was quite evident

that Macaulay

had

not learned

the art

of

speaking

from

the

platform,

the

pulpit,

the

forum,

or

any

of

the

usual

modes

of

attaining

a

fluent diction.

He was at once

too

robust

and

too

recondite

for these

methods

of

introduction

to

the

oratorical art.

In all

probability

it

was

that

fulness

of

mind, which

broke

out

in many

departments,

that

constituted him

a

born

orator.

Vehemence

of

thought,

vehemence of language,

vehemence

of

manner, were his

chief characteristics. .

.

. He

x^lunged

at once into the

heart of

the matter, and

continued his

loud

resounding

pace,

from beginning to end,

without

halt or

pause.

This

vehemence

and volume

made

jMacaulay

the

terror

of

the

reporters;

and

when

he

engaged

in

a

subject

outside their

ordinary experience,

they

were

fairly non-

plussed by the

display

of

names,

and

dates,

and titles.

He was not a

long-winded

speaker.

In

fact,

his earnest-

ness

was

so

great

that

it would

have

failed

under a

very

long

effort.

He had the

faculty,

possessed

by

every great

omtor,

of

compressing

a

great deal

in

a

short

space.''

As

a poet,

he has

fewer

claims

to

distinction. He

has

few

lines

that please

the

fancy and

haunt

the

memory. His melodies

have

not

the

subtle charm

that

the great English poets

have

known from Chaucer down

to

Tennyson.

He

does not

move

to

tears. He

does not

arrest

one by

insight and

penetrative

imagination

as

Wordsworth,

Compared

with

the

greatest,

indeed,


23/260

INTRODUCTION.

iLVli

falls

far

sliort.

But

he can

tell

a

stirring

story in

fashion.

He

can give

the

reader

ar

lively

sense

place and

action.

Indeed, it

was

his

habit

not merely

composing

the

Lays,

but

in

all

his

reading,

to

not

only

the

actors

but

the

geography of

the

And

so

his

poems,

like his prose,

bristle

with

that

become interesting

and

effective

only

as

reader

widens

his own

range of

reading.

His best

work, indeed

almost his

only

known work,

verse

is his

ballads

:

The

Lays

of

Ancient

Rome,

The

Battle

of

Nasehy,

and

the

untinished

Armada.

their

lifelike

manner

and

their

local color

we see

the

of

view,

not

so

much of

the historian

as

of the

his-

novelist,

and

in

the

verse-structure

of

the

Lays

see

the influence of Scott's

metrical

romances.

His

purpose

in these

Lays,

the

imaginary reproduction

lost

ballads

of

the

Romans,

Macaulay. has fully

ex-

in

his letters

and

in the notes

reprinted

in

the

volume.

Like

everything

else that

he

wrote,

found

instant

favor. John

Wilson,

the

dreaded

of

first

efforts

in

poetry,

whom

not

even

Tennyson

please

at

first, was

emphatic

in

his praise of the

Sir

Walter

would

have

rejoiced

in

Horatius

il

had

been

a

doughty

Douglas.

**

*Now

by

our

sire

Quirinius,

It was

a

goodly sight

To

see

the thirty standards

Swept

down the tide of

flight.


24/260

XVlll

INTRODUCTIOX.

hat

is

the

way

of doing

business A

cut-and-thrust

tyle, without

any

flourish,

Scott's

style

when his

blood

as

up,

and the

first words

came

like

a

vanguard

im-

for

battle. The

directness and vigor

which

favor

then

are

still

the

main charm for

readers

or

old.

Of

Macaulay's

personal characteristics

much

that

en-

him

to

memory

has been

recorded. His

father

been

rich,

and

the

son

had

every

reason

to

expect

a

free from

the necessity of

earning

money. But

while

was at

college

the family

fortunes

began

to

decline,

when he left

the

university,

it

became

evident that

the

coming

years

of difficulty and

distress,

brothers

and

sisters

would

depend

mainly

upon

him

comfort^ guidance,

and

support.

He

acknowledged

he claim

cheerfully,

lovingly, and,

indeed,

almost

un-

.

It

was

not

in his

disposition to

murmur

what was

inevitable, or

to

plume

himself

upon

doing

was

right. He

quietly

took

up

the burden

which

father was

unable

to

bear

;

and,

before

many

years

elapsed,

the

fortunes

of all for

whom

he

considered

responsible

were abundantly

assured.

.

.

.

He

the very

notion of

framing

his method of

life

a

view to

his

own pleasure ;

and such

was his

high

simple

nature, that it

may well

be

doubted

whether

ever

crossed

his

mind

that

to

live

wholly

for

others

a

sacrifice

at

all.

Trevelyan, from whom

the fore-


25/260

INTRODUCTION.

XIX

of

the

hearty

love

and

fun that ruled

in

the

which he maintained, and

that

were

continued

his

nephews and

nieces.

He never married, but

to

his

last

years the

keenest

delight

in

the

society

children. His

tenderness

of heart, his robust vigor,

his

of fun, and

his knack

of

improvising verses

and

made

him their

favorite

playfellow.

And

so

and unassuming was

he

in his

private life that

it

long

before

the

children even

suspected

that

their

Uncle

Tom, one

of

the

most

distinguished

in

England,

was

anything

else than

their uncle.

He

could

seldom be tempted

to step

outside

his own

circle

of

friends

and

relations.

His

distaste

the

chance society of

a

London drawing-room

in-

as

years

went

on.

...

'It

was

with

an

effort

he

even

dined out,

and

few

of

those

who met

him,

enjoyed

his animated conversation,

could

guess

hov.'

rather

he

would

have

remained at home.'

The wealth which Macaulay

gathered prudently

he

royally,

if

to

spend

royally is

to

spend

on

others

than

yourself.

From

the

time

that

he

began

feel

the money in

his purse almost

every page

in

his

ary contains

evidence

of his

inexhaustible, and

some-

rather

carelessly regulated,

generosity.

...

To

written,

or to pretend to have

written,

a

book,

good or

bad,

was the

surest

and shortest road to

s

pocket.

.

. .

He was

handsome in

all his


26/260

XX

lyTR

OD

UCTIOm

use

his own

phrase)

he

took

care

to

make

his

mother's

son

welcome.

Within his

own

household

he was

posi

tively

worshipped, and

with good reason

;

for Sir

Walter

Scott

himself

was

not

a

kinder master. ...

It

is

pleas

ant

to

reflect

that

Macaulay's

goodness

was repaid,

as

fa

as

gratitude

and affection

could suffice

to

repay

it.


27/260

MACAULAY'S POEMS


28/260


29/260

MACAULATS

POEMS

HORATIUS

LAY

MADE

ABOUT

THE

TEAR

OF

THE

CITT

CCCLX

Lars

Porsexa

of

Clusium^

By the

Nine

Gods

he

swore

That the

great

house

of

Tarquin

Should suffer wrong

no more.

By

the

Xine

Gods he

swore

it,

And

named

a

trysting

day,

And

bade

his

messengers

ride

forth,

East

and

west and

south

and

north,

To

summon

his array.

II

East

and west

and

south

and

north

lo

The

messengers

ride

fast,

And

tower

and

town

and

cottage

Have

heard

the

trumpet's

blast.

Shame

on the

false

Etruscan

Who

lingers

in

his

home,

15

AVhen

Porsena

of

Clusium


30/260

MA

CAULA Y'S POEMS

IIT

The

horsemen and

the

footmen

,

Are

pouring

in amain

jT

'

From

many

a

stately

market-place,

From

many

a

fruitful plain,

From many a

lonely

hamlet,

Which,

hid

by

beech

and pine,

Like

an

eagle's

nest,

hangs

on

the

crest

Of

purple

Apennine

IV

iJJ^

From

lordly Volaterra3,

Where

scowls

the

far-famed

hold

Piled

by

the

hands

of

giants

For godlike

kings

of

old;

,^

-

From seagirt

Populonia,

-

Whose sentinels descry

Sardinia's^ snowy mountain-tops

Fringing the southern

sky

From

the

proud

mart

of

Pisae**,

Queen

of

the western waves,

Where

ride

Massilia's triremes

Heavy

with fair-haired

slaves

;

From

where

sweet

Clanis

wanders

Through

corn

and

vines

and

flowers


31/260

HOB

ATI

us

VI

Tall

are

the

oaks

whose

acorns

Drop

in

dark

Auser's

rill

Fat

are

the

stags that champ

the

boughs

Of

the

Ciminian hill

45

Beyond

all

streams

Clitumnus

Is

to

the

herdsman

dear

Best

of all

pools

the

fowler

loves

The

great

Volsinian

mere.

vn

But now no

stroke

of woodman

50

Is heard

by

Aiiser

s

rill

No

hunter

tracks

the

stag's

green

path

Up

the

Ciminian

hill

TJnwatched

along

Clitumnns

Grazes

the

milk-white

steer;

55

Unharmed

the

water

fowl may

dip

In

the

Volsinian

mere.

VIII

The harvests

of

Arretium,

This year,

old

men

shall

reap

This

year,

young

boys

in Unibro

60

Shall

plunge

the struggling

sheep^;

And

in

the

vats of Luna,

This year,

the

must

shall

foam

Round the

white

feet

of

laughing

girls


32/260

MAC

AUL

AY'S POEMS

IX

There

be

thirty chosen

prophets,

The

wisest

of

the land,

Who alway

by

Lars

Porsena

Both

morn and

evening

stand

Evening

and

morn the Thirty

Have

turned

the

verses

o'er,

Traced

from the

right

on

linen

white**

By

mighty

seers

of

yore.

And

with

one

voice

the Thirty

Have

their

glad

answer given

*'

Go

forth,

go

forth,

Lars Porsena;

Go

forth,

beloved of

Heaven;

Go,

and return

in glory

To Clusium's

royal dome

And

hang

round Nursia's^

altars

The

golden

shields of

Eome.''

XI

And

now hath

every

city

Sent

up

her

tale

of men

The

foot

are

fourscore thousand,

The

horse

are

thousands

ten.

Before

the

gates

of

Sutrium''

Is

met

the great

array.


33/260

HORATIUS

XII

For

all

the

Etruscan armies

90

Were

ranged

beneath

his

eye,

And many

a

banished Koman,

And

many

a

stout

ally

And

with

a

mighty following

To

join the

muster

came

95

The

Tusculan

Mamilius,

Prince

of

the Latian

name.

XIII

But

by

the

yellow Tiber

Was

tumult and affright

From

all

the

spacious

champaign

To

Eome

men

took

their

flight.

A

mile

around

the

city,

The

throng stopped up

the

ways

A

fearful sight it

was to see

Through

two

long

nights and days.

XIV

Por

aged

folks

on crutches,

And

women great

with

child,

And

mothers sobbing

over babes

That

clung

to

them

and smiled,

And

sick men

borne in

litters

High

on

the

necks

of

slaves,

And troops of

sun-burned

husbandmen


34/260

MACAU

LAY'S

POEMS

XV

And

droves

of

mules

and

asses

Laden

with

skins

of

wine,

11

And

endless

flocks

of

goats

and sheep,

And

endless herds

of kine.

And

endless trains

of

wagons

That

creaked beneath

the

weight

Of

corn-sacks and of household

goods, 12

Choked every

roaring

gate.

XYI

Kow,

from

the

rock Tarpeian'*,

Could

the

wan

burghers

spy

The

line

of

blazing villages

Red in the

midnight

skv.

12

The Fathers of

the

City,

They

sat

all

night and

day,

For

every

hour

some

horseman

came

With

tidings of

dismay.

XVII

To

eastward

and

to

westward

13

Have spread

the

Tuscan

bands

Kor

house,

nor fence, nor dovecote

In

Crustamerium stands.

Verbenna

down

to

Ostia

Hath wasted

all

the

plain

13

Janiculum**,


35/260

EORA TIUS

XYIIl

I

wis, in

all

the Senate,

There

was

no

heart

so bold,

But sore it

ached, and fast

it

beat,

140

When

that

ill

news

was

told.

Forthwith up

rose

the

Consul,

Up

rose the

Fathers

all

In haste

they

girded up their

gowns,

And

hied them to the wall.

145

XIX

They

held

a

council

standing,

Before the

Eiver-Gate

Short

time

was

there,

ye

well may

gness,

For

musing

or

debate.

Out

spake

the Consul roundly

150

The

bridge must

straight

go

down

j

For,

since

Janiculum

is lost,

Nought else can

save

the town.'*

XX

Just

then

a

scout

came flying,

All

wild

with

haste

and

fear

155

To arms to

arms

Sir Consul

Lars Porsena is

here.

On

the

low hills

to

Avestward

The

Consul

fixed his

eye.

And

saw

the

swarthy

storm

of

dust,

160


36/260

MAC

AULAY'S POEMS

XXI

And

nearer fast and nearer

Doth

the red whirlwind

come;

And

louder still and still

more

loud,

From underneath that

rolling

cloud,

1

Is

heard

the

trumpet's

war-note

proud,

The

trampling,

and

the

hum.

And

plainly

and

more plainly

Now

through

the gloom appears,

Par

to left

and

far

to

right,

1

In broken

gleams of

dark-blue light,

The long array

of

helmets

bright,

The long array of

spears.

XXII

And

plainly and more

plainly,

Above

that

glimmering

line,

1

Now

might ye see

the banners

Of

twelve fair

cities shine

But

the

banner of proud

Clusium

Was

highest

of them

all,

The

terror

of

the

Urabrian,

i

The terror of the

Gaul.

XXIIl

And plainly and

more

plainly

Now

might

the burghers

know.

By

port

and

vest,

by

horse

and

crest,

Each

warlike Lucumo. i


37/260

HORATIUS

9

And

Astur

of

the

four-fold

shield,

Girt with

the

brand none

else

may wield,

Tolumnius

with

the

belt of gold,

190

And

dark

Verbenna

from

the

hold

By

reedy

Thrasymene.

XXIV

Fast by the royal

standard,

O'erlooking all

the

war,

Lars

Porsena

of

Chisiimi

195

Sat

in his

ivory

car.

By

the right wheel

rode

Mamilius,

Prince

of the

Latian

name

;

And

by

the

left false

Sextus,

That

wrought

the

deed of

shame.

20c

XXV

But

when

the face

of

Sextus

Was seen

among

the

foes,

A

yell

that

rent

the

firmament

From all

the town arose.

On

the

house-tops

was

no woman

205

But

spat

towards

him

and

hissed,

No

child

but screamed out

curses.

And shook its

little

fist.

XXVI

But

the

Consul's brow was

sad,

And

the Consul's

speech

was

low,

And

darkly looked he

at

the

wall,


38/260

MAC

AUL

AY'S

POEMS

Their

van

will

be

upon

us

Before

the

bridge

goes down

And

if they

once may

Avin

the

bridge,

215

What

hope

to

save

the

town

?

XXVII

Then

out spake

brave

Horatius,

The

Captain of

the

Gate

:

To

every

man upon

this

earth

Death cometh soon or

late.

220

And

how can

man

die

better

Than

facing

fearful

odds,

For

the ashes

of

his fathers,

And the

temples

of his Gods,

XXVIII

**

And

for the

tender

mother

225

Who

dandled

him

to

rest,

And

for

the

wife who

nurses

His baby

at

her

breast,

And

for the

holy

maidens

Who

feed the

eternal flame,

23c

To

save

them

from

false Sextus

That

wrought

the deed

of

shame

?

XXIX

**

Hew

down the

bridge,

Sir

Consul,

With

all the

speed

ye

may

I,

with

two

more

to

help me,

235


39/260

BORATIUS

11

In

yon strait

path

a

thousand

May

well

be

stopped

by

three.

Now

who

will

stand

on

either

hand

And

keep

the

bridge

with

me

?

''

XXX

24a

Then

out

spake

Spurius

Lartius

A

Eamnian

proud

was

he

Lo,

I

will

stand

at

thy

right

hand,

And

keep

the

bridge

with

thee.

And

out

spake

strong

Herminius

845

Of

Titian

blood

was he

:

I will

abide

on

thy

left

side,

And

keep

the

bridge

with

thee.

XXXI

Horatius,

quoth

the

Consul,

As

thou

sayest,

so

let

it

be.

250

And

straight

against

that

great

array

Forth

went

the

dauntless

Three.

For

Romans

in

Eome's

quarrel

Spared

neither

land

nor

gold,

Nor son

nor

wife,

nor

limb

nor

life,

255

In

the

brave

davs

of

old.

XXXII

Then

none

was for

a

party

,

Then

all

were

for

the

state

Then

the

great

men

helped

the

poor,

:


40/260

12

MACAULAY'S

POEMS

Then

lands

were

fairly

portioned;

Then

spoils were

fairly

sold

The

Romans

were like

brothers

In

the

brave

days

of

old.

XXXIII

Now

Roman

is

to

Roman

26

More

hateful

than

a

foe,

And

the

Tribunes^ beard

the

high,

And

the

Fathers^ grind

the

low.

As

we

wax

hot

in

faction,

In

battle we wax

cold

27

Wherefore

men

fight

not

as

they fought

In

the

brave days

of

old.

XXXIV

Kow

while the Three

were

tightening

Their

harness on

their

backs,

The

Consul

was

the

foremost

man

27

To

take

in

hand an

axe:

And

Fathers mixed with

Commons**

Seized

hatchet,

bar, and

crow,

And

smote

upon

the

planks

above,

And

loosed

the

props

below.

2

XXXV

Meanwhile

the

Tuscan army,

Right

glorious

to

behold.

Came

flashing

back

the

noonday

light,

Rank

behind

rank,

like

surges

bright


41/260

HORATIUS

13

Four

hundred trunipets

sounded

A

peal

of

warlike

glee,

As

that

great host, with measured tread,

And

spears advanced,

and

ensigns

spread,

Rolled slowly towards the bridge's head,

29c

Where stood

the dauntless

Three.

XXXYI

The

Three stood

calm

and

silent,

And looked

upon the

foes,

And a

great

shout of

laughter

From all

the vanguard rose

295

And

forth three chiefs

came

spurring

Before that

deep

array

To

earth

they

sprang,

their

swords

they

drew,

And

lifted high their

shields, and flew

To

win

the

narrow

way

joi

XXX

VII

Annus from

green

Tifernum**,

Lord

of

the

Hill

of Vines

And Seius,

whose

eight hundred slaves

Sicken

in

Ilva's mines

And Picus, long

to Clusium

305

Vassal

in

peace

and

war.

Who

led

to

fight

his

Umbrian

powers

From

that

gray

crag

where, girt

with

towers.


42/260

MACAULAY'S

POEMS

XXXVIII

Stout

Lartius hurled down

Aunus

Into

the

stream beneath

;

Herminius

struck

at

Seius,

And

clove him

to

the

teeth

At

Picus

brave

Horatius

315

Darted

one

fiery

thrust

And

the

proud

Umbrian's

gilded

arms

Clashed

in

the

bloody dust.

XXXIX

Then

Ocnus of

Falerii^

Rushed

on

the

Roman

Three

320

And

Lausulus

of

Urgo,

The

rover

of

the

sea

And Aruns of Yolsinium ,

*Who slcTV

the

great

wild

boar,

The great

wild boar

that had

his

den

32^

Amidst the

reeds of

Cosa's

fen,

And

wasted

fields,

and

slaughtered

men,

Along

Albinia's shore.

XL

Herminius

smote

down

Aruns:

Lartius laid Ocnus low

330

Right

to the heart

of

Lausulus

Horatius

sent a

blow.

Lie

there,

he

cried,

fell

pirate


43/260

EORATIUS

15

From

Ostia's

walls

the crowd

shall

mark

335

The track of thy

destroying

bark.

]^o

more Campania's^

hinds shall fly

To

woods

and

caverns when

they

spy

Thy

thi'ice

accursed sail.'^

XLI

But

now

no

sound

of laughter

340

Was

heard among

the

foes.

A

wild

and

wrathful

clamor

Erom all

the vanguard

rose.

Six

spears'

length from

the

entrance

Halted

that deep array,

345

And

for

a sj^ace

no

man came

forth

To win

the narrow

way.

XLII

But

hark

the cry

is

Astur

And lo

the

ranks

divide

And

the

great

Lord of

Luna

35a

Comes

with his

stately

stride.

Upon

his

ample

shoulders

Clangs

loud

the

four-fold

shield,

And

in

his hand

he shakes the

brand

Which

none

but

he

can

wield.

355

XLIII

He

smiled

on those

bold

Romans

A

smile

serene

and

high

;

He

eyed

the flinching

Tuscans,


44/260

MACAULAY^S

POEMS

Quoth he,

The she-wolf's litter

360

Stand

savagely

at

bay

:

But

will

ye

dare

to

follow,

If

Astur

clears

the

way

?

XLIV

Then,

whirling

np

his broadsword

With

both

hands to

the height,

365

He

rushed

against

Horatius,

And

smote

with all

his might.

With

shield

and blade Horatius

Eight deftly turned

the

blow.

The blow, though

turned, came

yet

too nigh

;

370

It missed

his

helm,

but

gashed

his thigh

The

Tuscans

raised

a

joyful cry

To

see

the

red blood

flow.

XLV

He reeled,

and

on

Herminius

He

leaned one breathing-space;

375

Then, like

a

wild

cat mad

with

wounds,

Sprang right

at Astur's

face.

Through

teeth, and

skull, and helmet

So fierce

a

thrust

he

sped,

The

good

sword

stood

a

hand-breadth

out

380

Behind the

Tuscan's head.

XLVI

And

the great Lord

of Luna

Fell

at

that

deadly

stroke,

As

falls

on

Mount

Alvernus


45/260

HORATIUS

17

Far

o'er

the

crashing

forest

The

giant

arms

lie

spread

And

the

pale

augurs,

muttering

low,

Gaze

on

the

blasted

head.

XL

VII

On

Astur's

throat

Horatius

390

Eight

firmly

pressed

his

heel

And

thrice

and

four

times

tugged

amain,

Ere

he

wrenched

out

the

steel.

And

see,

he

cried,

the

welcome,

Fair

guests,

that

waits

you

here

395

What

noble

Lucumo

comes

next

To

taste

our

Roman

cheer ?

'^

XLYIII

But

at his

haughty

challenge

A

sullen

murmur

ran,

Mingled

of

wrath,

and

shame,

and

dread,

400

Along

that

glittering

van.

There

lacked

not

men

of

prowess,

ISTor

men

of

lordly

race

For

all

Etruria's

noblest

Were

round

the

fatal

place.

405

XLIX

But

all

Etruria's

noblest

Felt

their

hearts sink

to

see

On

the

earth

the

bloody

corpses,

:


46/260

MACAULAY'S

POEMS

And from the

ghastly

entrance

41a

Where those

bold

Komans stood,

All

shrank, like boys

who

unaware,

Ranging

the woods

to

start

a

hare,

Come to

the

mouth of

the dark

lair

Where,

growling

low,

a

fierce

old

bear

415

Lies

amidst

bones

and

blood.

Was

none

who

would

be foremost

To

lead

such dire

attack

But

those

behind

cried,

Forward

And

those

before

cried,

Back

I

'*

42a

And

backward

now and

forward

Wavers

the deep

array

And

on the

tossing

sea

of steel,

To

and

fro

the

standards

reel

And

the

victorious

trumpet-peal

425

Dies

fitfully

away.

LI

Yet

one

man for one

moment

Stood

out before

the crowd

Well

known

was

he

to

all

the

Three,

And

they

gave

him

greeting

loud.

430

jSTow

welcome,-welcome,

Sextus

Now

welcome

to

thy

home

Why

dost

thou

stay,

and

turn

away

?

Here

lies

the road

to

-Rom^.-'

LIT


47/260

HORATIUS

19

And thrice

came

on

in

fury,

And

thrice

turned

back in

dread

And, white

with

fear

and

hatred,

Scowled

at

the

narrow

way

44c

Where,

wallowing

in

a

pool

of

blood,

The

bravest

Tuscans

lay.

LIII

But

meanwhile

axe

and

lever

Have

manfully

been

plied

;

And

now

the

bridge

hangs

tottering

445

Above

the

boiling

tide.

Come

back,

come

back,

Horatius

Loud

cried

the

Fathers

all.

Back,

Lartius

back,

Herminius

Back,

ere

the

ruin

fall

450

LIV

Back

darted

Spurius

Lartius

Herminius

darted

back

And,

as they

passed,

beneath

their

feet

They

felt

the

timbers

crack.

But

Vv'hen

they

turned

their

faces,

455

And

on

the

farther

shore

Saw

brave

Horatius

stand

alone,

They

would

have

crossed

once

more.

LV

But with

a

crash

like

thunder

Fell

every loosened

beam,

^

And,

like

a dam,

the

mighty

wreck


48/260

20

MACAULAY'S

POEMS

And

a

long

shout

of triumph

Eose

from

the walls

of

Rome,

As

to

the

highest turret-tops

46^

Was

splashed

the

yellow

foam,

LVI

And

like

a

horse

unbroken

When

first

he

feels

the

rein,

The

furious

river

struggled hard,

And

tossed

his

tawny

mane,

47a

And

burst the

curb, and bounded.

Rejoicing

to

be

free,

And

whirling

down,

in fierce

career

Battlement,

and

plank,

and

pier,

Rushed

headlong

to

the

sea.

475

LYII

Alone

stood

brave

Horatius,

But

constant still in

mind

Thrice

thirty

thousand

foes before,

And

the broad

flood

behind.

Down

with

him

cried false

Sextus,

48

With

a

smile

on

his

pale

face.

Now

yield

thee, cried Lars

Porsena.

Now

yield thee

to

our grace.

LYIII

Round

turned he,

as not

deigning

Those

craven

ranks

to

see

;

48

Nought spake

he to

Lars

Porsena,


49/260

HOE

A

TIUS

21

But

he

saw

on

Palatinus

The

white

povch

of

his

home

And

he

sjjake

lo

the

noble

river

490

That

rolls

by

the

towers

of

Rome.

LIX

0h,

Tiber

father

Tiber

To

whom

the

Romans

pray,

A

Roman's

life,

a

Roman's

arms,

Take

thou

in

charge

this

da}'.

495

So

he

spake,

and speaking

sheathed

The

good sword

by

his

side,

And

with

his harness

on his

back,

Plunged

headlong

in

the

tide.

LX

Ko sound

of joy

or

sorrow

500

Was

heard

from

either

bank

But friends

and

foes,

in

dumb

surprise,

With parted

lips and

straining

eyes,

Stood

gazing where

he

sank

And when

above

the

surges

503

They

saw

his crest

appear.

All

Rome

sent forth

a

rapturous

cry,

And

even the

ranks of

Tuscany

Could

scarce forbear

to

cheer.

LXI

But

fiercely

ran

the

current,

514

Swollen high

by months

of

rain:

And

fast his

blood

was

flowing,


50/260

MACAULAY S

POEMS

And

heavy with

his

armor,

And spent with changing

blows

515

And

oft

they

thought him

sinking,

But

stili

again

he

rose.

LXII

Never, I

ween,

did

swimmer,

In such an

evil

case,

Struggle

through

such

a

raging

flood

52c

Safe to the

landing-place

:

But

his

limbs

were

borne

up

bravely

By

the brave heart

within,

And our good

father

Tiber

Bore

bravely

up

his

chin.^

52?

LXIII

Curse

on him

''

quoth false

Sextus

Will

not

the

villain

drown

?

But

for

this

stay,

ere close

of day

We should

have

sacked the town

Heaven

help

him

quoth

Lars

Porsena,

53c

And

bring

him

safe to

shore

For

such

a

gallant

feat

of arms

Was

never

seen

before/'

1

Our

ladye

bare

upp her cliinne.

Ballad

of Childe

Waters.

Never

heavier man and horse

Stemmed

a

midnight torrent's

force;

Yet,

through

.icood

heart

and

our

Lady's

grace,


51/260

EORATIUS

23

LXIV

And

now

he

feels

the

bottom;

Kow

OD dry earth

he stands

535

Kow

round

him

throng

the

Fathers

To press his gory

hands

;

And

now,

with

shouts and

clapping,

And

noise

of

weeping

loud,

He

enters

through

the

River-Gate,

'

54a

Borne by the

joyous

crowd.

LXV

They gave

him

of

the

corn-land.

That

was of

public

right,

As

much

as

two strong

oxen

Could

plough

from

morn

till

night**

j

545

And

they

made

a

molten

image,

And

set

it

up

on high,

And

there it

stands unto

this

day

To witness

if

I

lie.

LXVI

It

stands in the Comitium,

55a

Plain for all folk

to see

Horatius in

his harness,

Halting

upon

one

knee

And underneath

is

written,

In

letters

all

of

gold,

55j

How

valiantly

he kept

the

bridge,


52/260

MAC

A ULAY'S

POEMS

LXVII

And

still his

name

sounds

stirring

Unto

the

men

of

Rome,

As the

trumpet-blast

that

cries to

them

56*3

To

charge the A^olscian home

And

wives

still pray to

Juno

For

boys with hearts

as

bold

As

his who kept

the bridge

so well

In

the brave

days

of old.

565

LXVIII

And

in the nights

of

winter,

When

the

cold north winds

blow,

And

the

long

howling

of

the

wolves

Is

heard

amidst

the

snow

When

round the lonely cottage

570

Roars loud

the

tempest's din,

And

the good logs

of Algidus

Roar louder yet

within

LXIX

When

the

oldest cask

is

opened,

And the largest

lamp

is

lit

575

When

the

chestnuts

glow in the

embers,

And

the kid

turns on

the

spit

When

young and

old

in

circle

Around the

firebrands

close;

When

the

girls are

weaving

baskets,

580


53/260

H0RATIU8 25

LXX

When

tlie goodman

mends

his

armor,

And

trims

his

helmet's

plume

When

the

goodwife's

shuttle

merrily

Goes

flashing

through the

loom

With

weeping

and

with

laughter

Still

is

the

story told,

How

well Horatius kept the bridge

In

the

brave

days

of

old.


54/260

THE

BATTLE OF

THE

LAKE

REGILLUS^

LAY SUNG AT THE

FEAST

OF CASTOR AND POLLUX

ON THE

IDES

OF

QUINTILIS

IN

THE

YEAR

OF

THE

CITY

CCCCLI

Ho,

trumpets,

sound a

war-note

Ho,

lictors,

clear

the

way

The

Knights

will ride,

in

all their

pride

Along the

streets

to-day.

To-day

the

doors

and

windows

Are

hung with garlands all,

From Castor

in the Forum,

To

Mars

without the

wall.

Each

Knight

is

robed

in purple,

With

olive each

is

crowned;

A

gallant war-horse under each

Paws

haughtily

the ground.

While flows

the

Yellow

Eirer^,

While

stands

the Sacred

Hill*',

The

proud

Ides of

Quiutilis

Shall have such

honor still.

Gay

are

the

Martian Kalends,

December's

N'ones

are

gay,

But

the

proud

Ides,

when

the

squadron

rides,


55/260

THE

BATTLE

OF

THE

LAKE

REGILLUS

27

II

Unto

the

Great Twin

Brethren^

We

keep

this

solemn

feast.

Swift,

swift, the

Great

Twin

Brethren

Came

spurring

from

the

east.

They

came

o'er

wild

Parthenius

25

Tossing

in

waves

of

pine,

O'er

Cirrha's

dome,

o'er

Adria s

foam,

O'er purple

Apennine,

From

where

with

flutes

and

dances

Their

ancient

mansion

rings,

30

In

lordly

Lacedfemon,

The

City

of two

kings.

To where,

by Lake

Regillus,

Under

the

Porcian

height.

All in

the

lands

of

Tusculum,

35

Was

fought

the

glorious

fight.

Ill

Now

on

the

place

of

slaughter

Are

cots

and

sheepfolds

seen.

And

rows

of

vines,

and

fields

of

wheat,

And

apple-orchards

green

;

40

The

swine

crush

the

big

acorns

That

fall

from

Corne's

oaks.

Upon

the

turf

by

the

Fair

Fount

The

reaper's

pottage

smokes.

The

fisher

baits

his

angle

45

The

hunter

twangs

his

bow

Little

they

think

on

those

strong

limbs


56/260

MAC

AUL

AY'S

POEMS

Little they

tliink how sternly

That

clay

the

trumpets

pealed

50

How in the

slippery swamp

of

blood

Warrior

and

war-horse

reeled

How

wolves

came

with

fierce

gallop,

And

crows

on

eager wings,

To

tear

the

flesh of captains,

5f

And peck

the eyes

of kings

How thick the dead lay scattered

Under

the

Porcian

height

How through

the

gates

of Tusculum

Kaved

the

wild stream of flight

60

And how

the Lake Kegillus

Babbled with

crimson foam,

What

time the

Thirty

Cities

Came

forth

to

war with Rome.

IV

But,

Koman,

when thou

standest

65

Upon

that

holy ground,

Look thou

with heed

on the

dark rock

That

girds

the

dark

lake round.

So shalt

thou see

a

hoof-mark

Stamped

deep

into

the flint

70

It

was

no

hoof

of

mortal

steed

That

made so

strange

a

dint

:

There to

the

Great

Twin

Brethren

Vow

thou

thy

vows, and pray

That

they,

in

tempest

and

in

fight,

y.

Will

keep

thy

head

alway.


57/260

THE BATTLE

OF

THE

LAKE

EEGILLUS

29

Since last the

Great

Twin

Brethren

Of

mortal

eyes

were

seen,

Have

years gone

by an hundred

And

fourscore

and

thirteen.

80

That

summer

a Virginius

Was

consul

tirst in

place;

The

second

was

stout

Aulus,

Of

the

Posthumian

race.

The

Herald

of

the

Latines

85

From

Gabii came

in

state

The Herald

of

the

Latines

Passed

through

Rome's

Eastern

Gate

The

Herald

of the

Latines

Did

in

our Forum

stand

90

And

there he

did

his

office,

A

sceptre

in his

hand.

VI

Hear,

Senators

and

people

Of

the

good

town

of

Rome,

The

Thirty Cities

charge

you

To

bring

the

Tarquins

home

And

if

ye still

be stubborn,

To work

the

Tarquins

wrong,

The Thirty

Cities warn

you.

Look

that your walls

be strong.

YII

Then spake the Consul

Aulus,


58/260

30

MACAULAY'S POEMS

Once

the

jays sent

a

message

Unto

the

eagle's nest

:

Now yield thou up thine

eyrie

10

Unto

the

carrion-kite,

Or

come forth valiantly, and

face

The

jays

in

deadly

fight.

Forth

looked in

wrath the eagle

j

And carrion-kite

and jay, no

Soon

as

they

saw

his beak

and

claw,

Fled screaming

far

away.

VIII

The

Herald

of

the Latines

Hath hied him

back in

state:

The Fathers of

the

City

11

Are

met

in

high

debate.

Then

spake the

elder

Consul,

An ancient man

and

wise

Now hearken. Conscript

Fathers,

To that

which

I

advise.

12

In seasons

of great peril

'Tis

good

that one

bear

sway

Then

choose

we

a

Dictator,

Whom

all

men

shall obey.

Camerium knows how deeply

12

The

sword of Aulas bites.

And

all

our city calls

him

The man

of

seventy

fights.

Then

let him

be

Dictator

For

six months

and

no more,

13

And

have

a

Master

of the Knights,


59/260

THE

BATTLE

OF

THE LAKE

REGILL

US

31

IX

So

Aulus

was

Dictator,

The

man

of seventy fights

He

made

.^butius Elva

135

His

Master of the

Knights.

On

the

third

morn

thereafter,

At

dawning

of

the

day,

Did

Aulus and

^^butius

Set

forth with their

array.

140

Sempronius

Atratinus

Was

left

in

charge

at

home,

With

boys,

and

with

gray-headed

men.

To keep the walls

of

Kome.

Hard

by

the Lake

Eegillus

145

Our camp was

pitched

at

night

Eastward

a

mile

the

Latines lay,

Under

the

Porcian

height.

Far over

hill and

valley

Their niight}^ host was

spread

;

X50

And with

their

thousand watch-fires

The

midnight

sky

was red.

Up

rose

the

golden

morning

Over the Porcian height,

The

proud

Ides of Quintilis

155

Marked

evermore with

white.

ISTot without

secret

trouble

Our bravest

saw

the

foes

For

girt

by

threescore thousand spears,

The thirty standards

rose.

160

From every

warlike

city


60/260

MACAULAY'S

POEMS

Foredoomed

to dogs

and

vultures,

That

gallant army

came

From Setia's

purple vineyards,

165

From

Norba's

ancient

wall,

From

the

white streets

of Tusculum,

The

proudest town of all

From

where

the

Witch's

Fortress^

O'erhangs the dark-blue seas

;

170

From

the

still

glassy

lake that

sleeps

Beneath

Aricia's

trees

Those trees

in whose

dim

shadow

The

ghastly

priest

doth reign,

The

priest

who

slew

the slayer,

175

And

shall

himself be

slain

From the drear

banks

of

Ufens,

Where flights of

marsh-fowl

play,

And

buffaloes

lie

wallowing

Through the

hot

summer's

day

;

180

From the

gigantic

watch-towers.

No

work

of earthly

men,

Whence Cora's

sentinels

o'erlook

The

never-ending

fen

From

the Laurentian

jungle,

185

The

wild

hog's

reedy

home

From

the

green steeps

whence

Anio

leaps

In

floods

of

snow-white

foam.

XT

Aricia,

Cora,

Norba,

Velitr8e,

with

the might

19


61/260

THE

BATTLE

OF

THE

LAKE

REGILLUS

33

The

leader

was

Mamilius,

Prince

of

the

Latiaii

name

Upon

his

head

a helmet

195

Of

red gold

shone

like

flame

j

High

on

a

gallant

charger

Of

dark-gray

hue

he

rode

Over

his

gilded

armor

A

vest

of

purple

flowed,

200

Woven

in

the

land

of

sunrise

By

Syria's

dark-browed

daughters,

And

by

the

sails

of

Carthage

brought

Far

o'er

the

southern

waters.

XII

Lavinium

and

Laurentum

205

Had

on

the

left

their

post,

With all

the

banners

of

the

marsh,

And

banners

of

the

coast.

Their

leader

was

false

Sextus,

That

wrought

the

deed

of

shame

210

With

restless

pace

and

haggard

face

To

his

last

field

he

came.

Men

said

he

saw

strange

visions

Which

none

beside

might

see,

And

that

strange

sounds

were

in

his

ears

215

Which

none

might

hear

but

he.

A

woman

fair

and

stately,

But

pale

as

are

the

dead.

Oft

through

the

watches

of

the

night

Sat

spinning

by

his

bed.

220

And

as she

plied

the

distaff,


62/260

34

macaulay's

poems

She

sang of

great

old

houses,

And fights fought long

ago.

So

sj^un

she, and

so

sang

she,

225

Until

the

east

was

gray.

Then

j^ointed

to

her

bleeding

breast,

And

shrieked,

and fled

away.

XIII

But

in

the

centre

thickest

Were

ranged

the

shields

of

foes,

230

And

from the

centre loudest

The cry

of

battle rose.

There

Tibur

inarched

and Pedum

Beneath proud

Tarquin's

rule,

And

Ferentinum

of

the rock,

235

And

Gabii

of

the pool.

There

rode the

Volscian

succors

:

There, in

a

dark stern ring,

The

Eoman exiles

gathered

close

Around

the

ancient king.

240

Though

white

as

Mount

Soracte,

When

winter

nights are

long,

His

beard

flowed

down

o'er

mail

and

belt,

His

heart and

hand

were strong

Under his hoary

eyebrows

245

Still

flashed

forth quenchless

rage

And,

if

th

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