The Dawn in Britain by Charles M. Doughty |
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 | The Dawn in Britain |  |
Wide-dawning ray, lo, utters in the East,
Chacing night's cheerless murk; and seen is gleam,
Of arms and ensigns, of approaching legions,
From the imperial vallum. When now Aulus
Views, from his horse, the castra and Cæsar's tents;
He with chief captains, præfects of his legions,
Rides forth, upon the spur, to salute Claudius.
Chacing night's cheerless murk; and seen is gleam,
Of arms and ensigns, of approaching legions,
From the imperial vallum. When now Aulus
Views, from his horse, the castra and Cæsar's tents;
He with chief captains, præfects of his legions,
Rides forth, upon the spur, to salute Claudius.
With knops of gold, lo, shines, towards them, borne forth;
Nodding, with purple and pall, the imperial litter.
(Soldiers, irreverent, gibe, Is Cæsar's corse!)
Which ward, lo, round, three hundred spears, of Almains,
With knights of Rome and glittering Gaulish horse.
Being come to a stone's cast, dismounted Claudius;
And gravely on foot, towards those that light to earth,
Cæsar advanced; and giving his right hand,
Salutes, by name; and calls them fellow-soldiers!
And Claudius communes with them; he extolls
Their conduct of this war: and in this sense,
Will he, from point to point, write to the Senate.
Nodding, with purple and pall, the imperial litter.
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Which ward, lo, round, three hundred spears, of Almains,
With knights of Rome and glittering Gaulish horse.
Being come to a stone's cast, dismounted Claudius;
And gravely on foot, towards those that light to earth,
Cæsar advanced; and giving his right hand,
Salutes, by name; and calls them fellow-soldiers!
And Claudius communes with them; he extolls
Their conduct of this war: and in this sense,
Will he, from point to point, write to the Senate.
Sith Cæsar viewed those four, now marshalled, legions,
The squalid looks admires, of his proud soldiers!
That stand, unshorn, in lean, war-wasted, ranks:
And the army salute Claudius, Imperator!
The squalid looks admires, of his proud soldiers!
That stand, unshorn, in lean, war-wasted, ranks:
And the army salute Claudius, Imperator!
| The Dawn in Britain | |