The Dawn in Britain by Charles M. Doughty |
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 | The Dawn in Britain |  |
Shrink the clear stars, those watchfires of high gods,
In vast night-camp of heaven: and cometh forth, soon,
Veiléd with grace, and amber her bright weed,
Broidered with pearl; (for she, glad-eyed and mild,
Is maiden heavenly pure,) the sacred Dawn.
Whilst, forth, her goddess feet do gently trace:
Her crystal front, and long, ringed, golden locks,
The Graces, like to virgin bride, have crowned;
With rosebuds pluckt from garden of the gods.
In vast night-camp of heaven: and cometh forth, soon,
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Broidered with pearl; (for she, glad-eyed and mild,
Is maiden heavenly pure,) the sacred Dawn.
Whilst, forth, her goddess feet do gently trace:
Her crystal front, and long, ringed, golden locks,
The Graces, like to virgin bride, have crowned;
With rosebuds pluckt from garden of the gods.
Legions then march, of Rome, in wide waste heath,
Gilded with budded brooms and whin-flowers sweet,
Where drink the early bees their morrow's mead.
Blithe partridge-cock pipes, on that bent; the hare
Scuds, startled, from the powdered feet of soldiers;
Whose war-wont, swart, Italic face is set,
Towards Trinobantine city of Camulus.
Gilded with budded brooms and whin-flowers sweet,
Where drink the early bees their morrow's mead.
Blithe partridge-cock pipes, on that bent; the hare
Scuds, startled, from the powdered feet of soldiers;
Whose war-wont, swart, Italic face is set,
Towards Trinobantine city of Camulus.
Lo, where that great dune, built on an hill's breast;
With river's fence, and walled of rampires round!
Whose field, beneath, shines full of barbare arms;
Each nation, by itself, caterfs and ensigns.
Fearing some hardy assay of Britons' war-carts,
Claudius, whose va'ward now arrived, commands,
His castrum mete, at distance of a league;
Whose trench-breadth shall be fifteen feet, the depth
Twelve; so assault he fears of hardy Britons.
Britons have breastwork heaped, beyond their stream!
Whereon, long gazing, drivelling Claudius;
Gins call this, with his solemn toothless chaps,
Scamander; he names yond towered dune, high Ilion!
With river's fence, and walled of rampires round!
Whose field, beneath, shines full of barbare arms;
Each nation, by itself, caterfs and ensigns.
Fearing some hardy assay of Britons' war-carts,
Claudius, whose va'ward now arrived, commands,
His castrum mete, at distance of a league;
Whose trench-breadth shall be fifteen feet, the depth
Twelve; so assault he fears of hardy Britons.
Britons have breastwork heaped, beyond their stream!
Whereon, long gazing, drivelling Claudius;
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Scamander; he names yond towered dune, high Ilion!
Sith, Cæsar charged slay beasts; and to every soldier,
Mete rate of Gaulish wine, fetched in his ships.
Cure they, to-day, their bodies, prepare arms;
To-morrow, look to fight. Chat weary soldiers,
That pitch their leathern booths, and say; should Claudius,
The third day, give them spoil of yond good town;
And sith, to winter-camps, withdraw the legions.
Mete rate of Gaulish wine, fetched in his ships.
Cure they, to-day, their bodies, prepare arms;
To-morrow, look to fight. Chat weary soldiers,
That pitch their leathern booths, and say; should Claudius,
The third day, give them spoil of yond good town;
And sith, to winter-camps, withdraw the legions.
Lo, where wide-stretched the imperial pavilion,
Of purple silk of Seres, ceiled with line,
Azure, with silver stars! midst legions' camp.
Therein now Claudius sits, midst Roman dukes.
In skill, he deems, of battles, they excell;
But he in arts: witness this ordinance, which
His youth devised, of tower-machines; that charged,
On wagons, (great squared beams,) now, with the legions,
Arrive; and build his shipwrights, in the plain.
Of purple silk of Seres, ceiled with line,
Azure, with silver stars! midst legions' camp.
Therein now Claudius sits, midst Roman dukes.
In skill, he deems, of battles, they excell;
But he in arts: witness this ordinance, which
His youth devised, of tower-machines; that charged,
On wagons, (great squared beams,) now, with the legions,
Arrive; and build his shipwrights, in the plain.
Archers and slingers shall, on those machines,
Stand; wherein are, of steel, stringed mighty engines,
On stages; that hurl beams, with dreadful din;
And stones of poise, each able a caterf,
To pierce. And tower, by tower, will station Claudius,
On his two wings, and longs his middle front.
He trusts well; should the headlong Britons' chariots,
Rushing to battle, thereby be repressed.
Stand; wherein are, of steel, stringed mighty engines,
On stages; that hurl beams, with dreadful din;
And stones of poise, each able a caterf,
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On his two wings, and longs his middle front.
He trusts well; should the headlong Britons' chariots,
Rushing to battle, thereby be repressed.
Standing the elephants, longs his battle-face,
Well-fenced with scales of impierceable brass,
The beasts' huge breasts, bearing their castled chines
Numidian archery, (and in each tower, five soldiers,)
Him thinks, should needs be broken, by their force,
The forward running of loose blue caterfs.
Well-fenced with scales of impierceable brass,
The beasts' huge breasts, bearing their castled chines
Numidian archery, (and in each tower, five soldiers,)
Him thinks, should needs be broken, by their force,
The forward running of loose blue caterfs.
| The Dawn in Britain | |