FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91  
92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   >>   >|  
zed hatchet, bar, and crow, And smote upon the planks above, And loosed the props below. XXXV. Meanwhile the Tuscan army, Right glorious to behold, Came flashing back the noonday light, Rank behind rank, like surges bright Of a broad sea of gold. Four hundred trumpets sounded A peal of warlike glee, As that great host, with measured tread, And spears advanced, and ensigns spread, Rolled slowly toward the bridge's head, Where stood the dauntless Three. XXXVI. The Three stood calm and silent And looked upon the foes, And a great shout of laughter From all the vanguard rose; And forth three chiefs came spurring Before that deep array: To earth they sprang, their swords they drew, And lifted high their shields, and flew To win the narrow way. XXXVII. Aunus from green Tifernum, Lord of the Hill of Vines; And Seius, whose eight hundred slaves Sicken in Ilva's mines; And Picus, long to Clusium Vassal in peace and war, Who led to fight his Umbrian powers From that gray crag where, girt with towers, The fortress of Nequinum lowers O'er the pale waves of Nar. XXXVIII. Stout Lartius hurled down Aunus Into the stream beneath; Herminius struck at Seius, And clove him to the teeth; At Picus brave Horatius Darted one fiery thrust, And the proud Umbrian's gilded arms Clashed in the bloody dust. XXXIX. Then Ocnus of Falerii Rushed on the Roman Three; And Lausulus of Urgo, The rover of the sea; And Aruns of Volsinium, Who slew the great wild boar, The great wild boar that had his den Amidst the reeds of Cosa's fen, And wasted fields and slaughtered men Along Albinia's shore. XL. Herminius smote down Aruns; Lartius laid Ocnus low; Right to the heart of Lausulus Horatius sent a blow. "Lie there," he cried, "fell pirate! No more, aghast and pale, From Ostia's walls the crowd shall mark The track of thy destroying bark. No more Campania's hinds shall fly To woods and caverns when they spy Thy thrice accursed sail." XLI. But now no sound of laughter Was heard among the foes; A wild and wrathful clamor From all the vanguard rose. Six spears'
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91  
92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
spears
 
laughter
 
vanguard
 
Lausulus
 

hundred

 

Umbrian

 

Herminius

 

Lartius

 

Horatius

 

struck


beneath

 

Volsinium

 

hurled

 

stream

 

XXXVIII

 

Rushed

 

Darted

 
Clashed
 
gilded
 

thrust


bloody

 

Falerii

 
caverns
 

destroying

 

Campania

 

thrice

 
accursed
 

wrathful

 

clamor

 
Albinia

slaughtered

 
fields
 

Amidst

 

wasted

 
pirate
 

aghast

 

Clusium

 

warlike

 

measured

 

sounded


trumpets

 
advanced
 
dauntless
 

bridge

 

ensigns

 

spread

 

Rolled

 

slowly

 

bright

 
surges