Lays of Ancient Rome Part 6

False s.e.xtus rode out foremost, His look was high and bold; His corslet was of bison's hide, Plated with steel and gold.

As glares the famished eagle From the Digentian rock On a choice lamb that bounds alone Before Bandusia's flock, Herminius glared on s.e.xtus, And came with eagle speed, Herminius on black Auster, Brave champion on brave steed; In his right hand the broadsword That kept the bridge so well, And on his helm the crown he won When proud Fidenae fell.

Woe to the maid whose lover Shall cross his path to-day!

False s.e.xtus saw, and trembled, And turned, and fled away.

As turns, as flies, the woodman In the Calabrian brake, When through the reeds gleams the round eye Of that fell speckled snake; So turned, so fled, false s.e.xtus, And hid him in the rear, Behind the dark Lavinian ranks, Bristling with crest and spear.

XVI

But far to the north aebutius, The Master of the Knights, Gave Tubero of Norba To feed the Porcian kites.

Next under those red horse-hoofs Flaccus of Setia lay; Better had he been pruning Among his elms that day.

Mamilus saw the slaughter, And tossed his golden crest, And towards the Master of the Knights Through the thick battle pressed.

aebutius smote Mamilius So fiercely on the shield That the great lord of Tusculum Well-nigh rolled on the field.

Mamilius smote aebutius, With a good aim and true, Just where the next and shoulder join, And pierced him through and through; And brave aebutius Elva Fell swooning to the ground: But a thick wall of bucklers Encompa.s.sed him around.

His clients from the battle Bare him some little s.p.a.ce, And filled a helm from the dark lake, And bathed his brow and face; And when at last he opened His swimming eyes to light, Men say, the earliest words he spake Was, "Friends, how goes the fight?".

XVII

But meanwhile in the centre Great deeds of arms were wrought; There Aulus the Dictator And there Valerius fought.

Aulus with his good broadsword A b.l.o.o.d.y pa.s.sage cleared To where, amidst the thickest foes, He saw the long white beard.

Flat lighted that good broadsword Upon proud Tarquin's head.

He dropped the lance: he dropped the reins: He fell as fall the dead.

Down Aulus springs to slay him, With eyes like coals of fire; But faster t.i.tus hath sprung down, And hath bestrode his sire.

Latian captains, Roman knights, Fast down to earth they spring, And hand to hand they fight on foot Around the ancient king.

First t.i.tus gave tall Caeso A death wound in the face; Tall Caeso was the bravest man Of the brave Fabian race: Aulus slew Rex of Gabii, The priest of Juno's shrine; Valerius smote down Julius, Of Rome's great Julian line; Julius, who left his mansion, High on the Velian hill, And through all turns of weal and woe Followed proud Tarquin still.

Now right across proud Tarquin A corpse was Julius laid; And t.i.tus groaned with rage and grief, And at Valerius made.

Valerius struck at t.i.tus, And lopped off half his crest; But t.i.tus stabbed Valerius A span deep in the breast.

Like a mast snapped by the tempest, Valerius reeled and fell.

Ah! woe is me for the good house That loves the people well!

Then shouted loud the Latines; And with one rush they bore The struggling Romans backward Three lances' length and more: And up they took proud Tarquin, And laid him on a shield, And four strong yeomen bare him, Still senseless, from the field.

XVIII

But fiercer grew the fighting Around Valerius dead; For t.i.tus dragged him by the foot And Aulus by the head.

"On, Latines, on!" quoth t.i.tus, "See how the rebels fly!"

"Romans, stand firm!" quoth Aulus, "And win this fight or die!

They must not give Valerius To raven and to kite; For aye Valerius loathed the wrong, And aye upheld the right: And for your wives and babies In the front rank he fell.

Now play the men for the good house That loves the people well!"

XIX

Then tenfold round the body The roar of battle rose, Like the roar of a burning forest, When a strong north wind blows, Now backward, and now forward, Rocked furiously the fray, Till none could see Valerius, And none wist where he lay.

For shivered arms and ensigns Were heaped there in a mound, And corpses stiff, and dying men That writhed and gnawed the ground; And wounded horses kicking, And snorting purple foam: Right well did such a couch befit A Consular of Rome.

XX

But north looked the Dictator; North looked he long and hard, And spake to Caius Cossus, The Captain of his Guard; "Caius, of all the Romans Thou hast the keenest sight, Say, what through yonder storm of dust Comes from the Latian right;"

XXI

Then answered Caius Cossus: "I see an evil sight; The banner of proud Tusculum Comes from the Latian right; I see the plumed hors.e.m.e.n; And far before the rest I see the dark-gray charger, I see the purple vest; I see the golden helmet That shines far off like flame; So ever rides Mamilius, Prince of the Latian name."

XXII

"Now hearken, Caius Cossus: Spring on thy horse's back; Ride as the wolves of Apennine Were all upon thy track; Haste to our southward battle: And never draw thy rein Until thou find Herminius, And bid hime come amain."

XXIII

So Aulus spake, and turned him Again to that fierce strife; And Caius Cossus mounted, And rode for death and life.

Loud clanged beneath his horse-hoofs The helmets of the dead, And many a curdling pool of blood Splashed him heel to head.

So came he far to southward, Where fought the Roman host, Against the banners of the marsh And banners of the coast.

Like corn before the sickle The stout Laninians fell, Beneath the edge of the true sword That kept the bridge so well.

XXIV

"Herminius! Aulus greets thee; He bids thee come with speed, To help our central battle, For sore is there our need; There wars the youngest Tarquin, And there the Crest of Flame, The Tusculan Mamilius, Prince of the Latian name.

Valerius hath fallen fighting In front of our array; And Aulus of the seventy fields Alone upholds the day."

XXV

Herminius beat his bosom: But never a word he spake.

He clapped his hand on Auster's mane, He gave the reins a shake.

Away, away, went Auster, Like an arrow from the bow: Black Auster was the fleetest steed From Aufidus to Po.

XXVI

Right glad were all the Romans Who, in that hour of dread, Against great odds bare up the war Around Valerius dead, When from the south the cheering Rose with a mighty swell; "Herminius comes, Herminius, Who kept the bridge so well!"

XXVII

Mamilius spied Herminius, And dashed across the way.

"Herminius! I have sought thee Through many a b.l.o.o.d.y day.

One of us two, Herminius, Shall never more go home.

I will lay on for Tusculum, And lay thou on for Rome!"

XXVIII

All round them paused the battle, While met in mortal fray The Roman and the Tusculan, The horses black and gray.

Herminius smote Mamilius Through breast-plate and through breast, And fast flowed out the purple blood Over the purple vest.

Mamilius smote Herminius Through head-piece and through head, And side by side those chiefs of pride, Together fell down dead.

Down fell they dead together In a great lake of gore; And still stood all who saw them fall While men might count a score.

XXIX

Fast, fast, with heels wild spurning, The dark-gray charger fled: He burst through ranks of fighting men, He sprang o'er heaps of dead.

His bridle far out-streaming, His flanks all blood and foam, He sought the southern mountains, The mountains of his home.

The pa.s.s was steep and rugged, The wolves they howled and whined; But he ran like a whirlwind up the pa.s.s, And he left the wolves behind.

Through many a startled hamlet Thundered his flying feet; He rushed through the gate of Tusculum, He rushed up the long white street; He rushed by tower and temple, And paused not from his race Till he stood before his master's door In the stately market-place.

And straightway round him gathered A pale and trembling crowd, And when they knew him, cries of rage Brake forth, and wailing loud: And women rent their tresses For their great prince's fall; And old men girt on their old swords, And went to man the wall.