 | The Dawn in Britain |  |
Parted, the kings sleep weary, under shields;
Save the strong arm of war, Caratacus;
With whom wakes, yet, Velaunos and Venutios:
For they dispose them, send forth the trimarch,
At day-star; which, a compass having fetched,
Should lay a wait; that when is battle joined,
They might fall suddenly out, on the legions' backs.
Save the strong arm of war, Caratacus;
With whom wakes, yet, Velaunos and Venutios:
For they dispose them, send forth the trimarch,
At day-star; which, a compass having fetched,
Should lay a wait; that when is battle joined,
They might fall suddenly out, on the legions' backs.
One come in, to the supreme lord, contends,
(Tasgetus, prince of strange Selgovian nation,)
That chief place were, to his young men, assigned,
To-morrow, in fight, against the elephants.
Hunters, in their wild hills, of the ureox;
They, boldly upleaping, sinews of his nape,
Wont thrill behind his bowéd threatful horns,
With their long crooked knives of whetted bronze.
So that the roarers sudden start to ground!
In such wise, also, in sight of all the Britons,
Will they slay those Rome's monstrous snout-head beasts.
This their request, grants king Caratacus.
(Tasgetus, prince of strange Selgovian nation,)
That chief place were, to his young men, assigned,
To-morrow, in fight, against the elephants.
Hunters, in their wild hills, of the ureox;
They, boldly upleaping, sinews of his nape,
Wont thrill behind his bowéd threatful horns,
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So that the roarers sudden start to ground!
In such wise, also, in sight of all the Britons,
Will they slay those Rome's monstrous snout-head beasts.
This their request, grants king Caratacus.
Then, unto Decet's warriors, (wont to frame
Scaffolds, with ladders, in deep tinny mines,)
The warlord king permits, stand next in place;
Beside Dumnonians of Duneda's ships,
Over against the towered machines of Romans.
Scaffolds, with ladders, in deep tinny mines,)
The warlord king permits, stand next in place;
Beside Dumnonians of Duneda's ships,
Over against the towered machines of Romans.
King Caradoc, looking on night's starry watch,
Sees little now, to Summer's dawn, remains:
So laid him down, on splayed elk hide, was gift
Of noble Thorolf: and, with hundred spears,
Their lord around, wake valiant men-at-arms.
Then slumbers Britons' warsire, soon, and sleeps!
Sees little now, to Summer's dawn, remains:
So laid him down, on splayed elk hide, was gift
Of noble Thorolf: and, with hundred spears,
Their lord around, wake valiant men-at-arms.
Then slumbers Britons' warsire, soon, and sleeps!
| The Dawn in Britain | |