 | The Dawn in Britain |  |
They few leagues marched, see cornfields yellowripe,
Nigh to their path. The legate, with new clarion,
His armed trains halts: then, sends, from every legion,
A cohort, to reap down, with their short glaives,
Bread-corn. Being come, together, to that place,
Deposed their shields and hauberks, Roman soldiers,
Gin crop the jocund ears. Then, with iron noise,
Fall; suddenly outrushing on them, from nigh wood,
Swift-wheeling chariot-squadrons of blue Britons!
Horrid with scythed beams and wheels' whirling-hooks,
And dreadful yells of noble barbare warriors.
Who stand, to fight, on them, the island youth;
Outrun, on their scythe-beams, and cast thick javelins!
Nor tussocks let them, stiches, stubs, nor stones,
But their shrill-leaping axetrees all o'er-ride.
Some leapt-down; even join battle, in the plain.
Nigh to their path. The legate, with new clarion,
His armed trains halts: then, sends, from every legion,
A cohort, to reap down, with their short glaives,
Bread-corn. Being come, together, to that place,
Deposed their shields and hauberks, Roman soldiers,
Gin crop the jocund ears. Then, with iron noise,
Fall; suddenly outrushing on them, from nigh wood,
Swift-wheeling chariot-squadrons of blue Britons!
Horrid with scythed beams and wheels' whirling-hooks,
And dreadful yells of noble barbare warriors.
Who stand, to fight, on them, the island youth;
Outrun, on their scythe-beams, and cast thick javelins!
Nor tussocks let them, stiches, stubs, nor stones,
But their shrill-leaping axetrees all o'er-ride.
Some leapt-down; even join battle, in the plain.
Under their wheels, rumbles the clodded glebe.
Being taken unready, helmless Roman soldiers
Blue Britons' onset might sustain, uneath:
Yet globed them round, who their most strenuous ones,
Romans, with glaives, (few of them have snatcht shields,)
Resist, with the Italic fortitude.
Being taken unready, helmless Roman soldiers
Blue Britons' onset might sustain, uneath:
Yet globed them round, who their most strenuous ones,
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Resist, with the Italic fortitude.
The dreadful justling war-carts now passed forth;
Return, anew, on them, with whirling hooks!
Their teams all of a foam, and crackling whips;
And glorious cries of Britain's charioteers!
Britons' shrill raging wheels now hold, in chace,
(Which Aulus sent in aid,) the Gaulish horse.
Fast flying, through the plain, those frighted steeds,
Maugré their heads, their cumbered riders cast.
Return, anew, on them, with whirling hooks!
Their teams all of a foam, and crackling whips;
And glorious cries of Britain's charioteers!
Britons' shrill raging wheels now hold, in chace,
(Which Aulus sent in aid,) the Gaulish horse.
Fast flying, through the plain, those frighted steeds,
Maugré their heads, their cumbered riders cast.
Then borne away, alive, were knights and soldiers;
Tending their suppliant hands, to men and gods!
Captives, to druids' dreadful sacrifices.
Seen this new case, which happened in a moment,
Aulus, himself, a legion's eagle snatched.
Him cohorts follow fast, in sounding harness;
Not otherwise than who his fellow seeing,
Fallen in some mischief, runs on his winged feet;
Nor recks put, in adventure, his own life;
Might only he save that other, from dark death!
Their knees leap to their breasts, on the green grass.
Tending their suppliant hands, to men and gods!
Captives, to druids' dreadful sacrifices.
Seen this new case, which happened in a moment,
Aulus, himself, a legion's eagle snatched.
Him cohorts follow fast, in sounding harness;
Not otherwise than who his fellow seeing,
Fallen in some mischief, runs on his winged feet;
Nor recks put, in adventure, his own life;
Might only he save that other, from dark death!
Their knees leap to their breasts, on the green grass.
Over-against those, issue from hill-grove,
New cloud of war-carts. O'er stone, over bush
Jump their sheen war-wheels. Captain of East-men,
Icenian Fythiol guides; whilst the first squadron,
O'er whom young Brentyn rules, withholds apart,
To blow their sweating steeds. Sith, all the Britons,
Hurl, freshly yelling, on the approaching legions!
New cloud of war-carts. O'er stone, over bush
Jump their sheen war-wheels. Captain of East-men,
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O'er whom young Brentyn rules, withholds apart,
To blow their sweating steeds. Sith, all the Britons,
Hurl, freshly yelling, on the approaching legions!
Then grievous were the maims of trampled soldiers;
Rushing, with generous brunt, of their piked breasts,
The island steeds. Is any thrilled of dart;
To grass leapt, sever, with sharp belt-knives, drivers,
His leathern bands; and, mostwhiles, saved their cart,
They issue, harmless, with an horse's loss.
Last, Britons draw to wood, with panting steeds!
Rushing, with generous brunt, of their piked breasts,
The island steeds. Is any thrilled of dart;
To grass leapt, sever, with sharp belt-knives, drivers,
His leathern bands; and, mostwhiles, saved their cart,
They issue, harmless, with an horse's loss.
Last, Britons draw to wood, with panting steeds!
More heedful, henceforth, is the cohorts' march.
And when their trains, to an hill's bent, gainst eve,
Gin first, where some fresh fleeting brook, arrive;
And there green meadows, pasture for the horse,
The clarion sounds! three times, to measure camp;
Whence was not, till the fifth day, that now legions
Approach, to Caer Corinium of Mid-Britons.
And when their trains, to an hill's bent, gainst eve,
Gin first, where some fresh fleeting brook, arrive;
And there green meadows, pasture for the horse,
The clarion sounds! three times, to measure camp;
Whence was not, till the fifth day, that now legions
Approach, to Caer Corinium of Mid-Britons.
Then, when rekindled was the sacred ray,
Behind them, in the East: whilst Romans march;
Their scouts, (light horse,) entangled all the paths,
Report, beyond, widewhere, with woven wood!
Custom of Britons, in their island wars.
Behind them, in the East: whilst Romans march;
Their scouts, (light horse,) entangled all the paths,
Report, beyond, widewhere, with woven wood!
Custom of Britons, in their island wars.
In that, assailed them Beichiad's rushing chariots.
Fall many, in the long glittering trains: sound trumpets,
To halt! Then, hastily, the more valiant soldiers,
Them ordering, pierce, with darts, the Britons' steeds;
That issued from all rule, and mad with smart,
Yerking, with brazen hooves, bring all to naught.
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To halt! Then, hastily, the more valiant soldiers,
Them ordering, pierce, with darts, the Britons' steeds;
That issued from all rule, and mad with smart,
Yerking, with brazen hooves, bring all to naught.
Repulsed those Britons, Romans now, in forest,
Enter, beyond which, say their Belges' guides,
Lies Caer Corinium. They see great felled trees;
All wattled whose green boughs, like nightmare dream;
Where weary way, under their knitted shields,
Must open, with their glaives, Italic soldiers.
Lurk ambushed wights, in every thicket grove.
Them labouring, thus, the sun, at afternoon,
Already, in forest darkness, seems go down.
Enter, beyond which, say their Belges' guides,
Lies Caer Corinium. They see great felled trees;
All wattled whose green boughs, like nightmare dream;
Where weary way, under their knitted shields,
Must open, with their glaives, Italic soldiers.
Lurk ambushed wights, in every thicket grove.
Them labouring, thus, the sun, at afternoon,
Already, in forest darkness, seems go down.
The Roman cumbered cohorts, next day, pass
The Churne. And, lo, nigh-hand, that Britons' dune,
Fenced with pale-work, upon a bank of earth.
Halts Aulus, and commands, that all take meat:
They rest an hour. Romans upholding, sith,
Round knitted shields, over their bronze-helmed heads,
Assail the Britons' bulwark. Drag down soldiers,
Impatient, with long grapples, stones and earth:
Though hail out on them be, of sling-stones, shot;
And flights of bitter shafts, and sharp-ground darts;
And ruin, óf down-húrled beams, doth oppress,
Whole ranks, at once. Viewed this destruction, Aulus,
With clarion's voice, recalls his legionaries.
The Churne. And, lo, nigh-hand, that Britons' dune,
Fenced with pale-work, upon a bank of earth.
Halts Aulus, and commands, that all take meat:
They rest an hour. Romans upholding, sith,
Round knitted shields, over their bronze-helmed heads,
Assail the Britons' bulwark. Drag down soldiers,
Impatient, with long grapples, stones and earth:
Though hail out on them be, of sling-stones, shot;
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And ruin, óf down-húrled beams, doth oppress,
Whole ranks, at once. Viewed this destruction, Aulus,
With clarion's voice, recalls his legionaries.
He, sith, commands, that captive king, bring forth;
And set within the danger of their shot,
Which look down from the wall. Dobuni cry out!
That see their lord bound and entreated thus.
They stretcht their palms to him, lament and weep.
And set within the danger of their shot,
Which look down from the wall. Dobuni cry out!
That see their lord bound and entreated thus.
They stretcht their palms to him, lament and weep.
Aulus, through an interpreter, proclaims;
And they, to Cæsar, yield them, and pay ransom,
They should have their lives saved; and will the Romans
Their king restore them, to be under tribute:
Else soldiers, in their view, for Romans slain,
This king will kill! Forbids, by sign, Bodvocos,
And royal shout; to all, to yield his dune!
And they, to Cæsar, yield them, and pay ransom,
They should have their lives saved; and will the Romans
Their king restore them, to be under tribute:
Else soldiers, in their view, for Romans slain,
This king will kill! Forbids, by sign, Bodvocos,
And royal shout; to all, to yield his dune!
| The Dawn in Britain | |