 | The Dawn in Britain |  |
The sire, sith mounted, in Brigantine chariot;
Stands, like the radiant day's-god! hurling darts.
But soldiers daze; seen girded Roman harness,
Rome's short glaives in their hands, (like dyers' hands,
For woad,) on Britons' breasts. Even Roman helms
Shine, whelmed on long-haired barbare polls of Britons!
Britons, with Romans, wrestle in the forest.
Stands, like the radiant day's-god! hurling darts.
But soldiers daze; seen girded Roman harness,
Rome's short glaives in their hands, (like dyers' hands,
For woad,) on Britons' breasts. Even Roman helms
Shine, whelmed on long-haired barbare polls of Britons!
Britons, with Romans, wrestle in the forest.
Yet whilst this sun was young, came bands, by hap,
To that wold-side; (where towers and, famous sith,
Shall cities rise!) of glittering Gaulish horse,
Whom Titus leads. To-day had Titus cast,
In that green place, to graze his war-worn steeds:
Where, and the knights, his friends, would he, with bows,
Seek beasts forth, of the field and wood; by brook,
And dew-steeped launds, and under cooling shade,
Of Summer boughs; by thicks and hollow denes;
And in the fern, whereas dun deer, lie down,
By golden paths, at noon, in secret glades:
And make them lodges, under crooked arms
Of the broad oaks, of leafy boughs, at eve.
To that wold-side; (where towers and, famous sith,
Shall cities rise!) of glittering Gaulish horse,
Whom Titus leads. To-day had Titus cast,
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Where, and the knights, his friends, would he, with bows,
Seek beasts forth, of the field and wood; by brook,
And dew-steeped launds, and under cooling shade,
Of Summer boughs; by thicks and hollow denes;
And in the fern, whereas dun deer, lie down,
By golden paths, at noon, in secret glades:
And make them lodges, under crooked arms
Of the broad oaks, of leafy boughs, at eve.
But when, within, heard Titus battle-noise;
His Gauls shout! Shout again Ostorius' soldiers!
That made new effort, with great poise of cohorts,
Bear bloody aback blue Britons; on whose necks,
And wide uneven face, squadrons of Titus
Now impetuous ride. Vespasian's hardy son;
By valour of his arms, and warlike might,
Of his proud steed, shaking his armed stout crest;
With few, brake through, bold riders, men of his;
Where, in a twilight glade, in battle-cart,
Behold; that great king fights of all blue Britons!
What glory, and might he slay Caratacus,
Where his! They fight! but the blue long-haired sire,
In skill of arms, and his heroic force,
And manage of brave steeds, exceeds, as much,
All Romans, as all kings, in his high worth.
His Gauls shout! Shout again Ostorius' soldiers!
That made new effort, with great poise of cohorts,
Bear bloody aback blue Britons; on whose necks,
And wide uneven face, squadrons of Titus
Now impetuous ride. Vespasian's hardy son;
By valour of his arms, and warlike might,
Of his proud steed, shaking his armed stout crest;
With few, brake through, bold riders, men of his;
Where, in a twilight glade, in battle-cart,
Behold; that great king fights of all blue Britons!
What glory, and might he slay Caratacus,
Where his! They fight! but the blue long-haired sire,
In skill of arms, and his heroic force,
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All Romans, as all kings, in his high worth.
Lightly, the Flavian blade, he bet aside;
And with broad glaive, in half-disdainful wise,
Young Roman Titus smote, smote on the pan:
It shared his horse-tail crest; and had not been
His helm of proof, had cloven, to the chin,
That knight of Rome; who stoops, to his steed's neck;
As one dismayed. Gauls, Roman knights, made force,
Then, all, at once, assail Caratacus.
And with broad glaive, in half-disdainful wise,
Young Roman Titus smote, smote on the pan:
It shared his horse-tail crest; and had not been
His helm of proof, had cloven, to the chin,
That knight of Rome; who stoops, to his steed's neck;
As one dismayed. Gauls, Roman knights, made force,
Then, all, at once, assail Caratacus.
But, in that point, arrive Brigantine war-carts;
Those which Volisios guides; on whose shrill axetrees,
Which fray Gauls' steeds, stand men, that hurl forth hand-stones,
And thonged spears! Leapt down then, with immane cries,
Those hale; and slay, on ground, their enemies!
Those which Volisios guides; on whose shrill axetrees,
Which fray Gauls' steeds, stand men, that hurl forth hand-stones,
And thonged spears! Leapt down then, with immane cries,
Those hale; and slay, on ground, their enemies!
As drave king Caradoc forth, he calls to Britons,
Disperse them, by thick coverts and rough brakes:
So leaves he a barren victory, to Rome's legions!
Disperse them, by thick coverts and rough brakes:
So leaves he a barren victory, to Rome's legions!
Verges the year: yet greater tumult grows,
Mongst subject peoples of the Roman Province.
And when are floods erst bridged, of stony frost;
Careless of fords and Aulus' towers, men pass,
From roman pale, to go to free West Britons.
Mongst subject peoples of the Roman Province.
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Careless of fords and Aulus' towers, men pass,
From roman pale, to go to free West Britons.
But prodigies have made cold the people's hearts;
For heard divine trump was, in Eryr, sound;
And, mongst the nations, bloody dew was seen;
And druids heard living groans, from dead kings' mounds!
Saw portents Romans also on their part.
At Troynovant, (that is now Augusta named,)
Smote lightning flame, the eagle of a legion.
For heard divine trump was, in Eryr, sound;
And, mongst the nations, bloody dew was seen;
And druids heard living groans, from dead kings' mounds!
Saw portents Romans also on their part.
At Troynovant, (that is now Augusta named,)
Smote lightning flame, the eagle of a legion.
The sixth year running now of Roman war;
When come is Winter, journeys the warsire,
From Caerwent, unto kings of far North March:
And Caradoc lies each night, in some lord's court.
When come is Winter, journeys the warsire,
From Caerwent, unto kings of far North March:
And Caradoc lies each night, in some lord's court.
He lights, come to Cornavian Pennocrucion,
From journey; and sups in Ruan's stone-walled hall.
Was there, in Caradoc's sleep, an impious crept,
To slay him. But upsprung, from the sire's feet,
A noble warhound; that the felon, pluckt
Down, on the floor; now strangles, with deep throat.
From journey; and sups in Ruan's stone-walled hall.
Was there, in Caradoc's sleep, an impious crept,
To slay him. But upsprung, from the sire's feet,
A noble warhound; that the felon, pluckt
Down, on the floor; now strangles, with deep throat.
Upleapt king's champions, in the doubtful night:
Those grope, in shimmering twilight, to the walls;
Where, at beds' heads, they left, uphanged, their arms.
Hurt, in blind tumult, ere might fire be blown,
Was many an one. His fellow, each misdeems,
That it was he bewrays Caratacus!
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Where, at beds' heads, they left, uphanged, their arms.
Hurt, in blind tumult, ere might fire be blown,
Was many an one. His fellow, each misdeems,
That it was he bewrays Caratacus!
Light blown of dying embers, in their hearth;
Men rid that wretch, from under raging hound.
(Half-dead for fear,) it is a cripple-thrall;
Wont curmi bear, in his lord's hall, and mead.
Gorran, whose hand arrest on him erst laid,
Shows, this, lo, upholding! long skean of sharp bronze.
Men rid that wretch, from under raging hound.
(Half-dead for fear,) it is a cripple-thrall;
Wont curmi bear, in his lord's hall, and mead.
Gorran, whose hand arrest on him erst laid,
Shows, this, lo, upholding! long skean of sharp bronze.
Threatened with extreme torment of the flame,
That wretch beknew his guilt: suborned with gold,
Him servant of Cæsarian Cogidubnos;
Who lately, a feigned bard, came into these parts;
And that with privity óf great duke Ostorius!
So Romans wont, in their ignoble mood:
Witness thou bleeding ghost of Viriathus;
And thou, great Roman, wronged Sertorius;
Jugurtha, and many more; and Gaulish Commius.
That wretch beknew his guilt: suborned with gold,
Him servant of Cæsarian Cogidubnos;
Who lately, a feigned bard, came into these parts;
And that with privity óf great duke Ostorius!
So Romans wont, in their ignoble mood:
Witness thou bleeding ghost of Viriathus;
And thou, great Roman, wronged Sertorius;
Jugurtha, and many more; and Gaulish Commius.
Ere had that caitif shed, in the king's drink,
Venim; which fell Lucusta's hand prepared,
By the perfumer's art, damned hag in Rome:
(But feeling, in his wayfare, his old ill
Revive; the sire would taste, that night, no mead.)
Venim; which fell Lucusta's hand prepared,
By the perfumer's art, damned hag in Rome:
(But feeling, in his wayfare, his old ill
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And this, next day, was certainly known, by servant,
One given to ale; which snatcht, from hand, the cup;
Thereto resisting, of that wicked thrall;
Who bare, again, the royal mead; and did
Drink-out, to shining bottom of the bowl:
Whence being overcome, from the king's hall,
Men drave him forth. The wretch went home, to sleep:
But so incontinently wrung him his bowels,
He left not crying-out, in his pangs, till dawn;
When ceased his breath! Came knocking, heard that noise;
And gropes in, from the porch, another thrall,
For is this blind. And fiercely, If any, enquires,
Do wrong to Ruan, or his sacred guests?
But when he understood the cause, had license,
With wounds he slew, on wounds, of his own knife,
That fellow thrall! and drawn his carrion forth,
On the laystall, to crows, it cast, and kites.
Princes and champions, with Caratacus,
Then sware an oath; at king's bed-head, henceforth,
To wake, in arms; and that by nightly course.
One given to ale; which snatcht, from hand, the cup;
Thereto resisting, of that wicked thrall;
Who bare, again, the royal mead; and did
Drink-out, to shining bottom of the bowl:
Whence being overcome, from the king's hall,
Men drave him forth. The wretch went home, to sleep:
But so incontinently wrung him his bowels,
He left not crying-out, in his pangs, till dawn;
When ceased his breath! Came knocking, heard that noise;
And gropes in, from the porch, another thrall,
For is this blind. And fiercely, If any, enquires,
Do wrong to Ruan, or his sacred guests?
But when he understood the cause, had license,
With wounds he slew, on wounds, of his own knife,
That fellow thrall! and drawn his carrion forth,
On the laystall, to crows, it cast, and kites.
Princes and champions, with Caratacus,
Then sware an oath; at king's bed-head, henceforth,
To wake, in arms; and that by nightly course.
Lifted, on immense wings, flew Rumour forth,
From Penkridge craigs; and, at all Winter-hearths,
Uncertain tiding whispers, dread. But Caradoc,
Being come again to Caerwent, to Moelmabon;
Is word, by messengers, brought, were burned in Severn,
And broken, at the shore, Duneda's ships!
And cause, few ravisht brands of herdman's fire;
That empty keels, (which dasht together, ere,
And hurled to land,) in tempest of night wind,
Kindled. But lords feel strangling in their throats;
Astonishment! that do hear, their breathless hearts.
From Penkridge craigs; and, at all Winter-hearths,
Uncertain tiding whispers, dread. But Caradoc,
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Is word, by messengers, brought, were burned in Severn,
And broken, at the shore, Duneda's ships!
And cause, few ravisht brands of herdman's fire;
That empty keels, (which dasht together, ere,
And hurled to land,) in tempest of night wind,
Kindled. But lords feel strangling in their throats;
Astonishment! that do hear, their breathless hearts.
| The Dawn in Britain | |