 | The Dawn in Britain |  |
Lo, mingled deformed routs, not Roman soldiers!
For loosed is now all warlike discipline.
Again, them, Aulus, with loud trumpet's throat,
To his tribunal calls: with insolent tumult,
They turn, once more, the prætor's word to hear;
From the sea-shore. Blaming them, Aulus shows,
With his right hand, white-shining cliffs of Britain!
In the other, he a rescript holds of Cæsar.
For loosed is now all warlike discipline.
Again, them, Aulus, with loud trumpet's throat,
To his tribunal calls: with insolent tumult,
They turn, once more, the prætor's word to hear;
From the sea-shore. Blaming them, Aulus shows,
With his right hand, white-shining cliffs of Britain!
In the other, he a rescript holds of Cæsar.
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Soldiers, (he cries,) the emperor bids us pass.
And ye be unworthy, now, of Cæsar's trust,
Bear back to the prætorium, they, the eagles,
Whose duty it is; lest your seditious shouts,
Against the public-weal, should hear the gods!
Have memory, O soldiers, what their punishment is,
Which do forsake their legion's ordinance.
Yea, and if ye give occasion now to Gauls,
Inconstant nation, will ye not repent,
When ye have put in jeopardy your own state;
What time, and had ye overpassed to Britain,
Were the island prostrate, ended all the war.
But now, of all these things, write I to Cæsar.
Then Aulus, prætor, letters sealed, before
Them all. His ready messengers, bear them forth;
That put on, day and night, from post to post,
To horse. The tenth eve, those are come to Rome!
And ye be unworthy, now, of Cæsar's trust,
Bear back to the prætorium, they, the eagles,
Whose duty it is; lest your seditious shouts,
Against the public-weal, should hear the gods!
Have memory, O soldiers, what their punishment is,
Which do forsake their legion's ordinance.
Yea, and if ye give occasion now to Gauls,
Inconstant nation, will ye not repent,
When ye have put in jeopardy your own state;
What time, and had ye overpassed to Britain,
Were the island prostrate, ended all the war.
But now, of all these things, write I to Cæsar.
Then Aulus, prætor, letters sealed, before
Them all. His ready messengers, bear them forth;
That put on, day and night, from post to post,
To horse. The tenth eve, those are come to Rome!
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In Rome, reads, trembling, impotent Cæsar Claudius,
The words of Aulus: and, though night, commanded
He, the officer, straightway, summon a full senate,
To temple of Fidius. The emperor come, therein,
He, rheumy-eyed, those letters of his legate,
With stammering tongue, recites. Then, he himself,
Commiserates himself; who, cannot, Cæsar,
Put off this burden of the imperial state.
O times, O malice! But responds Vitellius,
Consul elect, chief flatterer, lately, was
Of mad Caligula, yet, in council, one
Found wise; Even as wont the immortal gods,
Ill men offend, so bring these care on Cæsar!
The words of Aulus: and, though night, commanded
He, the officer, straightway, summon a full senate,
To temple of Fidius. The emperor come, therein,
He, rheumy-eyed, those letters of his legate,
With stammering tongue, recites. Then, he himself,
Commiserates himself; who, cannot, Cæsar,
Put off this burden of the imperial state.
O times, O malice! But responds Vitellius,
Consul elect, chief flatterer, lately, was
Of mad Caligula, yet, in council, one
Found wise; Even as wont the immortal gods,
Ill men offend, so bring these care on Cæsar!
Ben they not Blæsus' legions, which, from Gaul,
To Isle Britannia, now, should overpass?
The same, which stationed, in Tiberius' days,
In wide Pannonia, and namely on both sides,
Danuvius' flood, that great sedition made;
Wherein, they tribunes cast forth and centurions?
Aye, and certain, in their fury, beat to death!
Which crimes, beheld his own eyes, in his youth;
What time he also served, in his first arms,
Being lodged in tent of great Germanicus.
To Isle Britannia, now, should overpass?
The same, which stationed, in Tiberius' days,
In wide Pannonia, and namely on both sides,
Danuvius' flood, that great sedition made;
Wherein, they tribunes cast forth and centurions?
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Which crimes, beheld his own eyes, in his youth;
What time he also served, in his first arms,
Being lodged in tent of great Germanicus.
Fathers, and most, quoth he, imperial Claudius!
My counsel is, Ye send Vespasian Flavius,
Leading his legion Pia, (rightly named!)
Aye well-affectioned to the imperial house,
In aid, (that time was also innocent;)
Which ever sith, in Germany, hath remained:
In aid, I say, to Plautius. The fleet soldiers,
(Men still found faithful,) able were, alone,
With wings of Gauls, allies, to chastise Britain.
My counsel is, Ye send Vespasian Flavius,
Leading his legion Pia, (rightly named!)
Aye well-affectioned to the imperial house,
In aid, (that time was also innocent;)
Which ever sith, in Germany, hath remained:
In aid, I say, to Plautius. The fleet soldiers,
(Men still found faithful,) able were, alone,
With wings of Gauls, allies, to chastise Britain.
Then first faint Claudius smiles. He smote together,
All in another mind, for joy, his palms.
And promised Cæsar, twenty Afric elephants,
(From Mauritania, lately again subdued,)
To draw his towers, in that Britannic war.
And, by divine Augustus' image, sware
Thereto, his palms outstretching! In new war,
Beyond Gaul's seas, would he, (as Julius, ere,)
Captain, himself, his legions' armament!
All in another mind, for joy, his palms.
And promised Cæsar, twenty Afric elephants,
(From Mauritania, lately again subdued,)
To draw his towers, in that Britannic war.
And, by divine Augustus' image, sware
Thereto, his palms outstretching! In new war,
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Captain, himself, his legions' armament!
Vitellius moves; Be Cæsar's gracious words,
In tables graven, of undying bronze,
And solemn thanks recorded of the Senate.
Will follow, the divinity of Claudius,
The Roman legions. In this sense it pleased
Write letters; which they send, with speed, to Flavius.
In tables graven, of undying bronze,
And solemn thanks recorded of the Senate.
Will follow, the divinity of Claudius,
The Roman legions. In this sense it pleased
Write letters; which they send, with speed, to Flavius.
The emperor bade enquire, and seek through Rome,
Out, who have knowledge of the parts and coasts,
Of Gaul, that look towards Britain. When of such,
(Merchant-provincials, come, for their affairs,
To the world's city,) is known, few weeks remain,
For navigation of those boisterous seas;
Claudius writes rescript, to his legate Aulus;
Charging withdraw, to winter-camps, the legions.
Out, who have knowledge of the parts and coasts,
Of Gaul, that look towards Britain. When of such,
(Merchant-provincials, come, for their affairs,
To the world's city,) is known, few weeks remain,
For navigation of those boisterous seas;
Claudius writes rescript, to his legate Aulus;
Charging withdraw, to winter-camps, the legions.
| The Dawn in Britain | |