The Dawn in Britain :: :: University of Virginia Library

Kings, captains, white-stoled druids, on his wide walls,
To Camulus offer solemn sacrifice!
To them, comes Cartismandua queen, anon,
With jewelled neck, and jetting like to dove;
And tyred her broidered locks, with fret of gold,
Wherein the plume, is seen, of a grey erne.
Issuing from her dune-gates, to Roman war,
In battle-cart, is told, it fell, upon her.

She harnessed is; lo, on her warlike breast,

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Shines plate of bronze, with dragons, wreathed, embossed;
And silver moons. Beside Caratacus,
She sits: and when had all declared their minds,
Opens this queen her lips. With a stern voice,
She reads; stop all nigh ways, before this town,
With great felled trees; and weave the woods around.
With trench and pit, (wherein sharp stakes be set,)
Cumber the plain: so that the enemies' horse
Were broken, nor might soldiers keep their ranks;
Wherein much lies, she hears, the Romans' force.

Labraid, who pilot of Duneda's ships,
Upspake then, and persuades; with cables, knit
The caterfs' ranks; that they, with mighty brunt,
Might strew Rome's cohorts. Cries the Northern queen,
She would, alone, set on the marching legions!
For tiding now is brought, of their approach.

Was then, when kings and captains well have supped;
And they had poured, to Camulus, the brown mead;
Queen Cartismandua, in bower, her ready made.
She, on hér white shoulders, cast a spotted pilch,
Of wolf-whelps' hide; who fenced, with a ringed harness,
Hath her lithe flanks. Then high, upon her shanks,

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She buskins laced, with tinny scales, beset.
Sith Leddiad, the victorious glaive, renowned,
Of Cunobal, on her luxurious loins,
Fair Cartismandua binds. On her bright locks,
She morion set, and silver shield embraced.

When now the moon is rising, she descends,
To Embla's court; where, ready made, her warcart;
And stand, beneath the yoke, two high-necked steeds,
Long-maned, whose generous chests, to battle, pant.
Calls Cartismandua on Morrigu, witches' goddess,
Great queen of heaven, in that she leaps to chariot!
With Cartismandua, ascénds young Vellocatus.

Now by dim street her wheels, and her team's hooves,
Resound. Open the porters, to her, gate
Of Camulus; and, with cry, the queen speeds forth!
Being come to her Brigantine camp, without;
Follow her all the power of her young men;
Which, ready in arms her wait, in this moonlight.

To Camulus' dune, descending from the North,
Had Cartismandua a certain thicket place,
Thence, Eastward, marked; whereas deep drift-way passed,
Twixt two, which crown dark cedars, opposed banks.

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There, is, these, marched few silent leagues, now wait;
Whereby, the queen looks, Romans soon must pass:
Nor fails her forecast. Levied camp had Claudius:
Before him tread the elephants; and enclose,
The imperial litter, band of Almain spears.
Therein he slumbers, midst his trains of soldiers.

Is heard, in clear moonshine, now in night's wind,
Mules' gingling bells, that bear the Romans' stuff!
Approach the legions: they, few furlongs passed,
Gin enter in this wood. Then yells of Britons,
Sound, súdden, out, to dim night-stars, on both parts!

The queen's young men of war, from bushments, rise.
Bliss they it count, of heaven, feast of war-gods,
To die even, in beholding of her eyes!
So makes her aspect drunken their young hearts.
Five thousand, mainly, and hurling darts, outrush.
Body to body, as hunters that slay beasts,
They thrust with spears; with bronze long knives, slay Romans.

Queen Cartismandua, (is springing now dim dawn,)
Romans behold, amazed, in glittering war-cart;
Like to that huntress goddess of the night,
(Neath whose swift wheels, is fame, our Britain lies.)

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In chariot sheen, like Cynthia crowned, she drives!
Seems the new moon shine, in her broidered hair:
And glisters, on her front, as the day-star.
And that tall young man, fighting beside her,
They gin, from mouth to mouth, Endymion! name.

Is none so hardy, who dúrst hurl, ágainst her
His javelin; whiles she by them shining drives!
And terrible beams seem lighten, from her eyes:
So that, on her, gaze confused, Roman soldiers!
Which hear, above the din, her cry, divine!

But after-marching Romans', warlike, trains;
Heard tumult in the va'ward, yet unwist
The cause, press forward. Then, in the blind night,
Cohorts rebutted of the former legion,
Recoil, and trouble their well-ordered ranks.

Romans, in derne wood-path, contend with Romans.
Nor perished few, by their own fellows' glaives;
Ere might, who friends, be known, who enemies.
And, whom, air-riding spirits, the Morrigu sends,
In the tree-tops, quench the few beams of stars.
There fall stout soldiers, one on other, slain;
With their centurions: fell Marcellus, tribune.

Waked Claudius, trembling, quoth, He was a-cold!
And would, had he found heart, have slain himself,
Looking for dreadful altars of the druids,

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If him mishapped. But eftsoon war-wont Flavius,
Prickt, with few valorous Gauls and Roman knights;
Restores the troubled orders of his legion.

He erects, then, double acies, of three ranks,
Facing to ambushed enemies, on both parts:
Behind whose backs, holding above their heads,
Their shields, on whom, from wood, falls sleet of darts,
As in a lane, the trains might, safely, pass.
Whilst, then, by clarion's sound, the rearward halt,
He hastes bring forth next after-marching cohorts;
And them, beyond, enranged he in like sort.

Thus hath great Flavius saved, this night, the army;
Mongst whom, seen Claudius riding on his feet!
Who quitted, for faint heart, had a knight's horse,
Which erst he mounted; and his cloak had cast;
And, men say, cast his shield! Trode cohorts' press
The imperial purple! Cæsar, as he passed,
(Now issued the armed trains, to open ground,)
Calls Flavius, Father! There the Britons cease,
Being few, with onset, to provoke the legions.
But many are wounded seen, among the soldiers:
Who slain, were left, unburied, in dim grove.