The Dawn in Britain by Charles M. Doughty |
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 | The Dawn in Britain |  |
Read, divine Muse, which, from the shining spheres,
Beholdest, like to dark clot, this Middle-Earth;
And us, man's sinful seed, indwelling flesh;
How Fortune, demon-goddess of proud Rome,
Outstretched her arm, to smite our foster Britain.
Beholdest, like to dark clot, this Middle-Earth;
And us, man's sinful seed, indwelling flesh;
How Fortune, demon-goddess of proud Rome,
Outstretched her arm, to smite our foster Britain.
In Britain, chants the warlike bard Carvilios,
With oak-leaves, crowned, the hazard of the time;
And stirs men's hearts, as stormwinds of the North,
Hurl forth vast waves. The bard sings, in Caer Verulam,
In the king's hall; where, till each night far spent,
Sits, mongst his lords, the sire Cunobelin;
Consulting, for the safety of the Isle.
With oak-leaves, crowned, the hazard of the time;
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Hurl forth vast waves. The bard sings, in Caer Verulam,
In the king's hall; where, till each night far spent,
Sits, mongst his lords, the sire Cunobelin;
Consulting, for the safety of the Isle.
Was Caradoc come, in season of most heat,
Through Gaul Cisalpine, unto gate of Rome;
Whence, after few days, parted Togodumnos;
Whom calls their father, home, to Verulam.
Then days, then many weeks, long moons, they wasted;
Seeking, in vain, an audience of the Senate:
Nor might they, once, come, to the ear of Cæsar;
Who now is Claudius. To Campania, Cæsar
Soon went, by ship, the Summer heats to pass.
And now, in Rome, be left few magistrates:
And Bericos them hath hired, with Britain's gold.
Through Gaul Cisalpine, unto gate of Rome;
Whence, after few days, parted Togodumnos;
Whom calls their father, home, to Verulam.
Then days, then many weeks, long moons, they wasted;
Seeking, in vain, an audience of the Senate:
Nor might they, once, come, to the ear of Cæsar;
Who now is Claudius. To Campania, Cæsar
Soon went, by ship, the Summer heats to pass.
And now, in Rome, be left few magistrates:
And Bericos them hath hired, with Britain's gold.
Erst they in Autumn, to Cunobelin's son,
Respond, by Cæcina's mouth, In Island Britain,
Should answer be returned, to king Cunobelin.
Discerned the People of Rome have, and their Senate,
To send an army, to require that tribute,
Withheld; (which they allege had imposed Julius.)
These words declared, with loud injurious voice;
He bade, The legate of the Lord of Britain,
Part, within space of thirty days, from Rome!
Respond, by Cæcina's mouth, In Island Britain,
Should answer be returned, to king Cunobelin.
Discerned the People of Rome have, and their Senate,
To send an army, to require that tribute,
Withheld; (which they allege had imposed Julius.)
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He bade, The legate of the Lord of Britain,
Part, within space of thirty days, from Rome!
Deliberate Rome's proud consuls, and the Senate;
Should all the world be Rome: that no more Rome,
Through wild irrupting nations, from the North,
Were brought in peril. Chiefly and it behoves,
Cut off the seed of Brennus; whence sprung dukes,
Of barbare hosts, which have o'erthrown Rome's armies.
Should all the world be Rome: that no more Rome,
Through wild irrupting nations, from the North,
Were brought in peril. Chiefly and it behoves,
Cut off the seed of Brennus; whence sprung dukes,
Of barbare hosts, which have o'erthrown Rome's armies.
Moreo'er, then gan incense, in public audience,
The Romans, crying out, one Caius Marcius,
Their tribune, of the house of Marcus Manlius,
With his right arm, their quadrate temple-arx,
Showing; and those same hard outstanding stones,
Whereby climbed, yore, into Tarpean rock,
The Sénones Gauls, Gauls, namely, of Briton Brennus,
Brennus, that burned this City of Romulus,
(Whose sons, then, them redeemed, at price of gold!)
And gore-stained heaps, left Rome's razed streets and walls.
The Romans, crying out, one Caius Marcius,
Their tribune, of the house of Marcus Manlius,
With his right arm, their quadrate temple-arx,
Showing; and those same hard outstanding stones,
Whereby climbed, yore, into Tarpean rock,
The Sénones Gauls, Gauls, namely, of Briton Brennus,
Brennus, that burned this City of Romulus,
(Whose sons, then, them redeemed, at price of gold!)
And gore-stained heaps, left Rome's razed streets and walls.
Hail, double-headed hill Capitoline!
Which sempiternal Destiny hath named,
Head of the nations. Hail yond triple fane!
Hail, august images of great Rome's trine gods!
That angry, erewhile, last weary of their pride,
Cast out, again, from Rome, those Sénones Gauls.
Nor is, I say, even yet, that old reproach,
Redeemed, whilst Isle of Brennus yields no tribute.
I say, no tribute to world-conquering Rome!
Which sempiternal Destiny hath named,
Head of the nations. Hail yond triple fane!
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That angry, erewhile, last weary of their pride,
Cast out, again, from Rome, those Sénones Gauls.
Nor is, I say, even yet, that old reproach,
Redeemed, whilst Isle of Brennus yields no tribute.
I say, no tribute to world-conquering Rome!
Moreo'er marched other swarms, after those swarms,
Cimbers; whose dukes were nephews to old Brennus;
That, slain your consuls, overthrew your armies.
We owe it to our sires, to Rome's great gods;
That pest out of the North, that Cerberus,
In Gaul now tamed, in Britain, to subdue.
Go up, great Roman gods, before the legions!
So shall our prætors lead, in chains, to Rome,
Britannic kings; that, with joy of all Romans,
From yond cliffs, were they hurled! which besieged Brennus!
Cimbers; whose dukes were nephews to old Brennus;
That, slain your consuls, overthrew your armies.
We owe it to our sires, to Rome's great gods;
That pest out of the North, that Cerberus,
In Gaul now tamed, in Britain, to subdue.
Go up, great Roman gods, before the legions!
So shall our prætors lead, in chains, to Rome,
Britannic kings; that, with joy of all Romans,
From yond cliffs, were they hurled! which besieged Brennus!
Mongst Britain's exiles, which are, now, in Rome,
Is Trinobantine, noble, Dumnoveros;
Dubnovelaunos' nephew, whom great Julius
Restored to antique reign of Androgorios.
Him Cassiobellan, Catuvelaunian king,
Had conquered, in old wars, and slain. His son
Sith, Tasciovant, all marches, beyond Thames,
Subdued of Trinobantine Eppilos:
And, save the isles, all Cantion coast he wan;
Isles, whither merchants sail, in Summer ships,
From Gaul, the Britons' tinny ores to lade.
Seized on those isles, then, climbing base Adminius,
By fraud; and ever since, withheld by arms.
Is Trinobantine, noble, Dumnoveros;
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Restored to antique reign of Androgorios.
Him Cassiobellan, Catuvelaunian king,
Had conquered, in old wars, and slain. His son
Sith, Tasciovant, all marches, beyond Thames,
Subdued of Trinobantine Eppilos:
And, save the isles, all Cantion coast he wan;
Isles, whither merchants sail, in Summer ships,
From Gaul, the Britons' tinny ores to lade.
Seized on those isles, then, climbing base Adminius,
By fraud; and ever since, withheld by arms.
Found refuge the expulsed lord Dumnoveros,
Erst, with an Almain king, beyond the Rhine;
Where was his daughter born. The Almain queen,
Her Embla named. But white-browed Melusina,
Her mother, died, in birth of their sweet babe.
Erst, with an Almain king, beyond the Rhine;
Where was his daughter born. The Almain queen,
Her Embla named. But white-browed Melusina,
Her mother, died, in birth of their sweet babe.
Sith Dumnoveros, to the duke of legions,
That river passed; whence sought he sovereign Rome:
Where mad Caligula Cæsar him received.
And Gaius sware; as late he bridged sea-gulf,
He Ocean flood, to Britain, would o'erride;
Displeased, that any, therein, should wear diadem,
Without his license. But scorned Dumnoveros
Mad Gaius; and rejoiced at his swift death.
That river passed; whence sought he sovereign Rome:
Where mad Caligula Cæsar him received.
And Gaius sware; as late he bridged sea-gulf,
He Ocean flood, to Britain, would o'erride;
Displeased, that any, therein, should wear diadem,
Without his license. But scorned Dumnoveros
Mad Gaius; and rejoiced at his swift death.
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That imperator, lately, in a full Senate,
Expounded his intent: in subdued Britain,
Fierce Gauls to plant. In further isle of Erinn,
The German tribes: that, hemmed of boisterous seas,
Those truculent nations, no more, might brast forth.
Had Xerxes hardly bridled Hellespont,
Which liker river is; but he, Rome's Cæsar,
Tyrrhenian seas. Only his godhead's self,
That great Earth-serpent, Ocean's stream, he vaunts,
Could tame. Should he not more be titled Great,
Than half-Greek Alexander, Philip's son;
Which did but women-nations, of the East,
With Macedon's long phalanxed spears, surprise:
But he vast seas, which flow betwixt two worlds;
And Island-Nation of men-giants subdued.
Then, Scythians would he fence, with mighty wall;
Whom none can tame, not even the immortal gods.
For such, quoth he, he would this People and Senate,
Discern him some new honour; as to name him,
New Heracles, or else Second Romulus.
Expounded his intent: in subdued Britain,
Fierce Gauls to plant. In further isle of Erinn,
The German tribes: that, hemmed of boisterous seas,
Those truculent nations, no more, might brast forth.
Had Xerxes hardly bridled Hellespont,
Which liker river is; but he, Rome's Cæsar,
Tyrrhenian seas. Only his godhead's self,
That great Earth-serpent, Ocean's stream, he vaunts,
Could tame. Should he not more be titled Great,
Than half-Greek Alexander, Philip's son;
Which did but women-nations, of the East,
With Macedon's long phalanxed spears, surprise:
But he vast seas, which flow betwixt two worlds;
And Island-Nation of men-giants subdued.
Then, Scythians would he fence, with mighty wall;
Whom none can tame, not even the immortal gods.
For such, quoth he, he would this People and Senate,
Discern him some new honour; as to name him,
New Heracles, or else Second Romulus.
His cares, that Cantion king, to brain-sick Cæsar,
Exposed, responded Galage; he his prayer,
As god, accepted: and, as imperator,
Would vindicate his right, by arms of Rome.
But, in his private art; wherein he, thrice,
Was crowned first driver of imperial Rome,
The Briton king, from Isle renowned for chariots;
He challengeth run, with him, a career.
Howbe vain were vie with him, which hath steeds,
Immortal seed, of swift Sicanian winds;
Such being, that able are his matchless teams,
And he, as Phœbus, standing them to rule!
Through heaven's vast steep, draw day-cart of the sun.
Exposed, responded Galage; he his prayer,
As god, accepted: and, as imperator,
Would vindicate his right, by arms of Rome.
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Was crowned first driver of imperial Rome,
The Briton king, from Isle renowned for chariots;
He challengeth run, with him, a career.
Howbe vain were vie with him, which hath steeds,
Immortal seed, of swift Sicanian winds;
Such being, that able are his matchless teams,
And he, as Phœbus, standing them to rule!
Through heaven's vast steep, draw day-cart of the sun.
Among the princes, exiles from Isle Britain,
Did first fell Bericos persuade mad Cæsar,
Like thunder-god, with lightning in his hand,
Rise, subdue Briton kings. But Gaius slain,
On Rome's new lord, fawns Bericos; and is Claudius
Well-pleased, to hear like words of Red Adminius.
At the imperial knees, they wallow, both!
Did first fell Bericos persuade mad Cæsar,
Like thunder-god, with lightning in his hand,
Rise, subdue Briton kings. But Gaius slain,
On Rome's new lord, fawns Bericos; and is Claudius
Well-pleased, to hear like words of Red Adminius.
At the imperial knees, they wallow, both!
| The Dawn in Britain | |