The Dawn in Britain by Charles M. Doughty |
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 | The Dawn in Britain |  |
Aulus then, and chief captains, fled, by night,
Bearing the eagles, with them, of their legions;
With hope, to save their lives, to camp of Flavius,
Vespasian, who makes forward, with great marches.
Bearing the eagles, with them, of their legions;
With hope, to save their lives, to camp of Flavius,
Vespasian, who makes forward, with great marches.
The fugitive dukes and ensigns were received,
Amidst the pia legion's four-square castrum.
Rode Flavius, then, with wing of Gaulish horse,
To view the state of those revolted soldiers.
Amidst the pia legion's four-square castrum.
Rode Flavius, then, with wing of Gaulish horse,
To view the state of those revolted soldiers.
But when that renowned captain seen approach;
All hail him, those tumultuous legionaries:
Men call him, Father! They, now, deformed routs;
Do throng on him, an headless multitude.
Hunger their ears, to hear his martial voice.
All pray him, enter, in their desolate castra.
But, shaking forth his purple, he denies;
That Roman duke, which Cæsar and the Senate,
Serves, with their fury, would be maculate.
On their heads, be the crime of this revolt.
And choose they, whether they, which once were soldiers,
Will, here, in border of their enemies,
Most warlike nations, with the legion pia,
Contend, when this, the third day, shall arrive;
Or else revert to their obedience!
Which heard, they swarm the more, about his horse,
And humbly entreat great Flavius, lead them forth;
And were it, to new war, beyond the world!
200
Men call him, Father! They, now, deformed routs;
Do throng on him, an headless multitude.
Hunger their ears, to hear his martial voice.
All pray him, enter, in their desolate castra.
But, shaking forth his purple, he denies;
That Roman duke, which Cæsar and the Senate,
Serves, with their fury, would be maculate.
On their heads, be the crime of this revolt.
And choose they, whether they, which once were soldiers,
Will, here, in border of their enemies,
Most warlike nations, with the legion pia,
Contend, when this, the third day, shall arrive;
Or else revert to their obedience!
Which heard, they swarm the more, about his horse,
And humbly entreat great Flavius, lead them forth;
And were it, to new war, beyond the world!
He, blaming them, persuades, they sue to Aulus,
Imperial legate; that, for them, to Cæsar,
He intercede. The punishment, is, of soldiers;
Soldiers, which make sedition, in the field,
That each tenth man, by lot, should suffer death!
There brake great Flavius off; and turned the duke,
With austere looks, from them, his horse. In troops,
They follow him; but rode Vespasian, forth.
Imperial legate; that, for them, to Cæsar,
He intercede. The punishment, is, of soldiers;
Soldiers, which make sedition, in the field,
That each tenth man, by lot, should suffer death!
201
With austere looks, from them, his horse. In troops,
They follow him; but rode Vespasian, forth.
The same night, certain constant legionaries;
(Which spoken have together,) weary of this
Excess, men faithful to their sacrament,
Have armed them, secretly; and, when the camp slumbers,
They tents of, who ringleaders were, Volturnius,
Cropinus, and other more, with iron, invade;
And them they slay! Loud outcry rose, of soldiers,
Then, in the dark! that start from heavy sleep:
And wot not, wounded, why they fight and die!
(Which spoken have together,) weary of this
Excess, men faithful to their sacrament,
Have armed them, secretly; and, when the camp slumbers,
They tents of, who ringleaders were, Volturnius,
Cropinus, and other more, with iron, invade;
And them they slay! Loud outcry rose, of soldiers,
Then, in the dark! that start from heavy sleep:
And wot not, wounded, why they fight and die!
Come dawn, and seen; how slain, all those men, lie,
Who authors of their fault: with one accord,
Soldiers send message, to the legate Aulus.
And, for were now their camps contaminate,
With civil blood; all, with their tents, pass forth,
With troubled looks, to pitch, by the sea-side.
Who authors of their fault: with one accord,
Soldiers send message, to the legate Aulus.
And, for were now their camps contaminate,
With civil blood; all, with their tents, pass forth,
With troubled looks, to pitch, by the sea-side.
| The Dawn in Britain | |