The Works of Lord Byron Volume V Part 127

_Caes._ And mine?

_Bourb._ To follow glory with the Bourbon.

Good night!

_Arn._ (_to_ CaeSAR). Prepare our armour for the a.s.sault, And wait within my tent.

[_Exeunt_ BOURBON, ARNOLD, PHILIBERT, _etc._

_Caes._ (_solus_). Within thy tent! 310 Think'st thou that I pa.s.s from thee with my presence?

Or that this crooked coffer, which contained Thy principle of life, is aught to me Except a mask? And these are men, forsooth!

Heroes and chiefs, the flower of Adam's b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!

This is the consequence of giving matter The power of thought. It is a stubborn substance, And thinks chaotically, as it acts, Ever relapsing into its first elements.

Well! I must play with these poor puppets: 'tis 320 The Spirit's pastime in his idler hours.

When I grow weary of it, I have business Amongst the stars, which these poor creatures deem Were made for them to look at. 'Twere a jest now To bring one down amongst them, and set fire Unto their anthill: how the pismires then Would scamper o'er the scalding soil, and, ceasing From tearing down each other's nests, pipe forth One universal orison! ha! ha! [_Exit_ CaeSAR.

PART II.

SCENE I.--_Before the walls of Rome.--The a.s.sault: the Army in motion, with ladders to scale the walls_;[238]

BOURBON _with a white scarf over his armour, foremost_.

_Chorus of Spirits in the air_.

I.

'Tis the morn, but dim and dark.[do]

Whither flies the silent lark?

Whither shrinks the clouded sun?

Is the day indeed begun?

Nature's eye is melancholy O'er the city high and holy: But without there is a din Should arouse the saints within, And revive the heroic ashes Round which yellow Tiber dashes. 10 Oh, ye seven hills! awaken, Ere your very base be shaken!

II.

Hearken to the steady stamp!

Mars is in their every tramp!

Not a step is out of tune, As the tides obey the moon!

On they march, though to self-slaughter, Regular as rolling water, Whose high-waves o'ersweep the border Of huge moles, but keep their order, 20 Breaking only rank by rank.

Hearken to the armour's clank!

Look down o'er each frowning warrior, How he glares upon the barrier: Look on each step of each ladder, As the stripes that streak an adder.

III.

Look upon the bristling wall, Manned without an interval!

Round and round, and tier on tier, Cannon's black mouth, shining spear, 30 Lit match, bell-mouthed Musquetoon, Gaping to be murderous soon; All the warlike gear of old, Mixed with what we now behold, In this strife 'twixt old and new, Gather like a locusts' crew.

Shade of Remus! 'tis a time Awful as thy brother's crime!

Christians war against Christ's shrine:-- Must its lot be like to thine? 40

IV.

Near--and near--and nearer still, As the Earthquake saps the hill, First with trembling, hollow motion, Like a scarce awakened ocean, Then with stronger shock and louder, Till the rocks are crushed to powder,-- Onward sweeps the rolling host!

Heroes of the immortal boast!

Mighty Chiefs! eternal shadows!

First flowers of the b.l.o.o.d.y meadows 50 Which encompa.s.s Rome, the mother Of a people without brother!

Will you sleep when nations' quarrels Plough the root up of your laurels?

Ye who weep o'er Carthage burning, Weep not--_strike_! for Rome is mourning![239]

V.

Onward sweep the varied nations!

Famine long hath dealt their rations.

To the wall, with hate and hunger, Numerous as wolves, and stronger, 60 On they sweep. Oh, glorious City!

Must thou be a theme for pity?

Fight, like your first sire, each Roman!

Alaric was a gentle foeman, Matched with Bourbon's black banditti!

Rouse thee, thou eternal City; Rouse thee! Rather give the torch With thine own hand to thy porch,[dp]

Than behold such hosts pollute Your worst dwelling with their foot. 70

VI.

Ah! behold yon bleeding spectre!

Ilion's children find no Hector; Priam's offspring loved their brother; Rome's great sire forgot his mother, When he slew his gallant twin, With inexpiable sin.

See the giant shadow stride O'er the ramparts high and wide!

When the first o'erleapt thy wall, Its foundation mourned thy fall. 80 Now, though towering like a Babel, Who to stop his steps are able?

Stalking o'er thy highest dome, Remus claims his vengeance, Rome!

VII.

Now they reach thee in their anger: Fire and smoke and h.e.l.lish clangour Are around thee, thou world's wonder!

Death is in thy walls and under.

Now the meeting steel first clashes, Downward then the ladder crashes, 90 With its iron load all gleaming, Lying at its foot blaspheming!

Up again! for every warrior Slain, another climbs the barrier.

Thicker grows the strife: thy ditches Europe's mingling gore enriches.

Rome! although thy wall may perish, Such manure thy fields will cherish, Making gay the harvest-home; But thy hearths, alas! oh, Rome!-- 100 Yet be Rome amidst thine anguish, Fight as thou wast wont to vanquish!

VIII.

Yet once more, ye old Penates!

Let not your quenched hearts be Ates!

Yet again, ye shadowy Heroes, Yield not to these stranger Neros!

Though the son who slew his mother Shed Rome's blood, he was your brother: 'Twas the Roman curbed the Roman;-- Brennus was a baffled foeman. 110 Yet again, ye saints and martyrs, Rise! for yours are holier charters!

Mighty G.o.ds of temples falling, Yet in ruin still appalling!

Mightier Founders of those altars, True and Christian,--strike the a.s.saulters!

Tiber! Tiber! let thy torrent Show even Nature's self abhorrent.

Let each breathing heart dilated Turn, as doth the lion baited! 120 Rome be crashed to one wide tomb, But be still the Roman's Rome![240]

[BOURBON, ARNOLD, CaeSAR, _and others, arrive at the foot of the wall_. ARNOLD _is about to plant his ladder_.