Lays and Legends or Ballads of the New World By G. W. Thornbury |
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CURTIUS. |
 | Lays and Legends or Ballads of the New World |  |
131
CURTIUS.
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[Livy, that delightful reciter of old wives' fables, tells us that, a.u.c. 391, a wide chasm suddenly opened in the forum of Rome, which the augurs pronounced would never close until Rome had thrown in that which she valued most. M. Curtius, a brave young patrician, on hearing the oracle, clothed himself in complete steel, exclaimed that arms and valour were the dearest treasure of the Romans, and, praying to the gods, leaped into the abyss, which closed over his head.]
There's silence in the forum,—
No more the human tide,
Low murmuring like the ocean,
Pours through its portals wide.
No more the human tide,
Low murmuring like the ocean,
Pours through its portals wide.
There's fear on pallid faces,
The hum of men is mute,—
Hushed is the mummer's jesting,
Hushed is the Oscan flute.
The hum of men is mute,—
Hushed is the mummer's jesting,
Hushed is the Oscan flute.
No maidens throng the market,
No traders hurry there;
Nought breaks the mournful silence,
But some poor trembler's prayer.
No traders hurry there;
Nought breaks the mournful silence,
But some poor trembler's prayer.
But still, as when new founded
By Romulus divine;
High o'er the seven-hilled city
The rock-built temples shine.
By Romulus divine;
High o'er the seven-hilled city
The rock-built temples shine.
When the blood of a murdered brother,
The twin son of the god,
Fell on the fresh raised rampart,
And crimsoned all the sod.
The twin son of the god,
Fell on the fresh raised rampart,
And crimsoned all the sod.
132
With dusky wave the Tyber
Flows through the silent plain,
Silent as when in senate-house
The aged men lay slain.
Flows through the silent plain,
Silent as when in senate-house
The aged men lay slain.
Jove veils his face in anger,
So boding augurs say;
On a chasm in the forum
Looks down the god of day.
So boding augurs say;
On a chasm in the forum
Looks down the god of day.
Jove's lightnings light the city:
'Twas his globe-shaking hunder
That furrowed up that chasm,
And tore the earth asunder.
'Twas his globe-shaking hunder
That furrowed up that chasm,
And tore the earth asunder.
The seven hills in that abyss
Were but a heap of sand;
In vain the sacred offerings
Thrown by the pontiff's hand.
Were but a heap of sand;
In vain the sacred offerings
Thrown by the pontiff's hand.
“The Roman's dearest treasure,”
The holy augur cries,
“Alone will fill that yawning gulf,
Black as the tempest skies.”
The holy augur cries,
“Alone will fill that yawning gulf,
Black as the tempest skies.”
Gay through the spacious forum
A bride, new wedded, came,
Blushing 'mid glad array of friends,
That shout her bridegroom's name.
A bride, new wedded, came,
Blushing 'mid glad array of friends,
That shout her bridegroom's name.
And by her side rode Curtius,
Of Rome's fair sons the pride;
Down through the trembling multitude
The youthful warriors ride.
Of Rome's fair sons the pride;
Down through the trembling multitude
The youthful warriors ride.
He hears the whispered words of Jove—
“A heart for every fate
Is Rome's best pride and treasure,
The bulwark of her state.”
“A heart for every fate
Is Rome's best pride and treasure,
The bulwark of her state.”
133
“In vain the Gauls were routed
By Allia's hoary mount,—
In vain with gore we stained
The river's bubbling fount,—
By Allia's hoary mount,—
In vain with gore we stained
The river's bubbling fount,—
“If Mars in day of anger,
In wrath's hot fiery hour,
Hath smote the sacred forum,
And shattered Tyber's tower.”
In wrath's hot fiery hour,
Hath smote the sacred forum,
And shattered Tyber's tower.”
He clasped his bride, a moment gazed
On capitol and hill,
Beside the sun-lighted Tyber
A moment standeth still.
On capitol and hill,
Beside the sun-lighted Tyber
A moment standeth still.
One prayer to Rome's dark manes,
One glance at her who wept,
Then with a bound the goaded steed
Into the chasm leapt.
One glance at her who wept,
Then with a bound the goaded steed
Into the chasm leapt.
With a bursting shout to heaven
Of joy unstained by tear,
With a gaze of awe and wonder,
Of terror and of fear,
Of joy unstained by tear,
With a gaze of awe and wonder,
Of terror and of fear,
They see the jaws of the dark abyss,
The home of the noble dead,
Silent and slowly closing
Above that victim's head.
The home of the noble dead,
Silent and slowly closing
Above that victim's head.
'Twas men like these who founded Rome,
Who kings from their proud thrones hurled;
'Twas such as these that Cæsar led
To conquer half the world.
Who kings from their proud thrones hurled;
'Twas such as these that Cæsar led
To conquer half the world.
| Lays and Legends or Ballads of the New World | |