 | The Dawn in Britain |  |
Was marked Segontorix wry away his face;
And how he paled, in temple of the god!
Being changed to gall, his ruddy countenance,
When girded lord-of-war was Togodumnos;
And he, with mantle, covered his stern face.
Nor went he, thence, among the kings, to sit;
But drew him to his tent, apart; where blaming
The heavens, that any were, before his worth,
Preferred, that lord did wallow on the grass.
And how he paled, in temple of the god!
Being changed to gall, his ruddy countenance,
When girded lord-of-war was Togodumnos;
And he, with mantle, covered his stern face.
Nor went he, thence, among the kings, to sit;
But drew him to his tent, apart; where blaming
The heavens, that any were, before his worth,
Preferred, that lord did wallow on the grass.
There no man durst, then, to the Guledig, call;
Till his strong passion, for he noble was,
Towards eve, subdued; the Belges' sire uprose,
Did on his raiment royal, and went forth:
So came to that broad oak, whose leafy arms,
Shelter the kings, where they assembled sup.
Till his strong passion, for he noble was,
Towards eve, subdued; the Belges' sire uprose,
Did on his raiment royal, and went forth:
So came to that broad oak, whose leafy arms,
Shelter the kings, where they assembled sup.
All yield room, to this nephew of old Commius,
That he might sit down, in the highest place,
Twixt Togodumnos and Caratacus.
Sith, after supper, when is poured-out mead;
Lifting his right hand, he, with manly voice,
Sware fealty, unto new warlord Togodumnos.
That he might sit down, in the highest place,
Twixt Togodumnos and Caratacus.
Sith, after supper, when is poured-out mead;
Lifting his right hand, he, with manly voice,
Sware fealty, unto new warlord Togodumnos.
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Failed the old sire, and fainted, in the night;
But he revived. Come morrow; king Cunobelin,
His servants, to the god's great temple's porch,
Bear, where, before South Britons, lords and druids,
Holds Togodumnos, morning parliament.
But he revived. Come morrow; king Cunobelin,
His servants, to the god's great temple's porch,
Bear, where, before South Britons, lords and druids,
Holds Togodumnos, morning parliament.
All hearken, the old king of warriors speaks!
Britons, Cunobelin, by his fathers' gods!
(Long warfare he foreshows, after his death,)
Exhorts to concord all, in war with Rome:
Else must, as parted streams, they lose their strength
He reads, (king most expert, in Britons' wars,)
Not fight with Romans, in an open field;
But rather waste, before their legions' march;
Them daily outwear, with ambushes, and cut-off
Their hindward, with oft onsets of swift chariots.
And be, (which from his fathers, he received,)
They ware to fight, when setting is day's sun;
Nor seek join battle, in a waning moon.
Let every night be full of new alarms!
Britons, Cunobelin, by his fathers' gods!
(Long warfare he foreshows, after his death,)
Exhorts to concord all, in war with Rome:
Else must, as parted streams, they lose their strength
He reads, (king most expert, in Britons' wars,)
Not fight with Romans, in an open field;
But rather waste, before their legions' march;
Them daily outwear, with ambushes, and cut-off
Their hindward, with oft onsets of swift chariots.
And be, (which from his fathers, he received,)
They ware to fight, when setting is day's sun;
Nor seek join battle, in a waning moon.
Let every night be full of new alarms!
Because might Britons' weapons, forged of bronze
Uneath the Romans' tempered hauberks pierce,
Counsels the sire, send, wide, for cunning smiths;
To beat, of tempered iron, glaives, heads of spears.
Uneath the Romans' tempered hauberks pierce,
Counsels the sire, send, wide, for cunning smiths;
To beat, of tempered iron, glaives, heads of spears.
Then risen Duneda, (for his kingly looks,
Like some war-god,) mongst Britons' lords and druids;
Reads, that, of gold and silver, were there made
Collection; namely, to hire wrights and smiths.
This said; he let fall his own royal weed,
On the green herb; and cast, in it, displayed,
Erst, Duffreynt's king, his red gold shining bracelets,
Like dragons long enrolled; and his broad brooch,
Like golden sun, within a silver wheel.
Like some war-god,) mongst Britons' lords and druids;
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Collection; namely, to hire wrights and smiths.
This said; he let fall his own royal weed,
On the green herb; and cast, in it, displayed,
Erst, Duffreynt's king, his red gold shining bracelets,
Like dragons long enrolled; and his broad brooch,
Like golden sun, within a silver wheel.
Lords, after him and kings, cast, with large hand,
Collars and bracelets, of burned gold, and rings.
Confer the warlike Britons, also, bronze,
And silver. Then, that war-gift take up druids;
And lay, lo, on the altar of their god.
Parted, at afternoon, the sire Cunobelin;
Whom all bring forth, to dry-hilled Sorbiodunum,
Then, kings and chief estates. Tarry yet Britons,
To make the Sun's great sacrifice of steeds.
Collars and bracelets, of burned gold, and rings.
Confer the warlike Britons, also, bronze,
And silver. Then, that war-gift take up druids;
And lay, lo, on the altar of their god.
Parted, at afternoon, the sire Cunobelin;
Whom all bring forth, to dry-hilled Sorbiodunum,
Then, kings and chief estates. Tarry yet Britons,
To make the Sun's great sacrifice of steeds.
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