uring usury sprang,
Faith's breach, and hence came war, to most men welcome.
Now Caesar overpass'd the snowy Alps;
His mind was troubled, and he aim'd at war:
And coming to the ford of Rubicon,
At night in dreadful vision fearful[594] Rome
Mourning appear'd, whose hoary hairs were torn,
And on her turret-bearing head dispers'd, 190
And arms all naked; who, with broken sighs,
And staring, thus bespoke: "What mean'st thou, Caesar?
Whither goes my standard? Romans if ye be,
And bear true hearts, stay here!" This spectacle
Struck Caesar's heart with fear; his hair stood up,
And faintness numb'd his steps there on the brink.
He thus cried out: "Thou thunderer that guard'st
Rome's mighty walls, built on Tarpeian rock!
Ye gods of Phrygia and Ilus' line,
Quirinus' rites, and Latian Jove advanc'd 200
On Alba hill! O vestal flames! O Rome,
My thoughts sole goddess, aid mine enterprise!
I hate thee not, to thee my conquests stoop:
Caesar is thine, so please it thee, thy soldier.
He, he afflicts Rome that made me Rome's foe."
This said, he, laying aside all lets[595] of war,
Approach'd the swelling stream with drum and ensign:
Like to a lion of scorch'd desert Afric,
Who, seeing hunters, pauseth till fell wrath
And kingly rage increase, then, having whisk'd 210
His tail athwart his back, and crest heav'd up,
With jaws wide-open ghastly roaring out,
Albeit the Moor's light javelin or his spear
Sticks in his side, yet runs upon the hunter.
In summer-time the purple Rubicon,
Which issues from a small spring, is but shallow,
And creeps along the vales, dividing just
The bounds of Italy from Cisalpine France.
But now the winter's wrath, and watery moon
Being three days old, enforc'd the flood to swell, 220
And frozen Alps thaw'd with resolving winds.
The thunder-hoof'd[596] horse, in a crooked line,
To scape the violence of the stream, first waded;
Which being broke, the foot had easy passage.
As soon as Caesar got unto the bank
And bounds of Italy, "Here, here," saith he,
"An end of peace; here end polluted laws!
Hence leagues and covenants! Fortune, thee I follow!
War and the Destinies shall try my cause."
This said, the restless general through the dark,