FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164  
165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   >>   >|  
a vanquish'd prize. With furious madness fired, and stern disdain, The fierce Iberians[303] to the fight again Rush headlong; groans and yellings of despair With horrid uproar rend the trembling air. Hot boils the blood, thirst burns, and every breast Pants, every limb, with fainty weight oppress'd, Slow now obeys the will's stern ire, and slow From every sword descends the feeble blow: Till rage grew languid, and tir'd slaughter found No arm to combat, and no breast to wound. Now from the field Castile's proud monarch flies,[304] In wild dismay he rolls his madd'ning eyes, And leads the pale-lipp'd flight, swift wing'd with fear, } As drifted smoke; at distance disappear, } The dusty squadrons of the scatter'd rear; } Blaspheming Heaven, they fly, and him who first Forg'd murd'ring arms, and led to horrid wars accurs'd. The festive days by heroes old ordain'd[305] The glorious victor on the field remain'd. The funeral rites, and holy vows he paid: Yet, not the while the restless Nunio stay'd; O'er Tago's waves his gallant bands he led, And humbled Spain in every province bled: Sevilia's standard on his spear he bore, And Andalusia's ensigns, steep'd in gore. Low in the dust, distress'd Castilia mourn'd, And, bath'd in tears, each eye to Heav'n was turn'd; The orphan's, widow's, and the hoary sire's; And Heav'n relenting, quench'd the raging fires Of mutual hate: from England's happy shore The peaceful seas two lovely sisters bore.[306] The rival monarchs to the nuptial bed, In joyful hour, the royal virgins led, And holy peace assum'd her blissful reign, Again the peasant joy'd, the landscape smiled again. But, John's brave breast to warlike cares inur'd, With conscious shame the sloth of ease endu'rd, When not a foe awak'd his a rage in Spain, The valiant hero brav'd the foamy main; The first, nor meanest, of our kings who bore The Lusian thunders to the Afric shore. O'er the wild waves the victor-banners flow'd, Their silver wings a thousand eagles show'd; And, proudly swelling to the whistling gales, The seas were whiten'd with a thousand sails. Beyond the columns by Alcides[307] plac'd To bound the world, the zealous warrior pass'd. The shrines of Hagar's race, the
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164  
165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

breast

 

thousand

 
victor
 

horrid

 

peaceful

 

virgins

 

England

 

monarchs

 

lovely

 
joyful

nuptial

 

sisters

 
Castilia
 

distress

 

Andalusia

 
ensigns
 

quench

 

relenting

 

raging

 

orphan


mutual

 
proudly
 

swelling

 

whistling

 

eagles

 
thunders
 

banners

 
silver
 

whiten

 
warrior

zealous
 

shrines

 

columns

 
Beyond
 

Alcides

 

Lusian

 
warlike
 

conscious

 

standard

 
peasant

smiled

 

landscape

 
meanest
 

valiant

 

blissful

 

descends

 
feeble
 
languid
 

Castile

 
monarch