“How like to its lord the inhabitants of the palace! Turn your eyes to the city walls. Surely they at least mutter disapprobation, though fear forbids them speak out? Do they not condemn him in their hearts? No: list the plaudits of the senate, of the lords of Byzantium, of the Grecian citizens of Rome. O people worthy of such a senate, senate worthy of such a consul! To think that all these bear arms and use them not, that manly indignation reminds not of their sex those many whose thighs bear a sword! Has my descendants’ robe of office sunk so low? Is Brutus’ renown thus brought to scorn? “Romulus, forgive thy sire for coming so tardy an avenger of those outraged fasces. Right soon will I make them pay for this joy with liberal tears. Why delayest thou, Bellona, to sound the trumpet of hell and to arm thyself with the scythe wherewith thou mowest the people to the ground? Foment discord, banish pleasures. I am aweary of the devastation of Thrace and Macedon, of vengeance twice wreaked on races already buried. Arouse less accustomed destruction; spread fire and sword beyond the seas, make a beginning of new devastation. Seek not now thy foe on Riphaeus’ heights: what boots it to rouse the storm of war amid Caucasia’s ravines? Ostrogoths and Gruthungi together inhabit the land of Phrygia; ’twill need but a touch * * * * * Page 196 in scelus; ad mores facilis natura reverti. 155 sic eat: in nostro quando iam milite robur torpuit et molli didicit parere magistro, vindicet Arctous violatas advena leges; barbara Romano succurrant arma pudori.” Sic fatus clipeo, quantum vix ipse deorum 160 arbiter infesto cum percutit aegida nimbo, intonuit. responsat Athos Haemusque remugit; ingeminat raucum Rhodope concussa fragorem. cornua cana gelu mirantibus extulit undis Hebrus et exanguem glacie timor adligat Histrum. 165 tunc, adamante gravem nodisque rigentibus hastam, telum ingens nullique deo iaculabile, torsit. fit late ruptis via nubibus; ilia per auras tot freta, tot montes uno contenta volatu transilit et Phrygiae mediis adfigitur arvis. 170 sensit humus; gemuit Nysaeo palmite felix Hermus et aurata Pactolus inhorruit urna totaque summissis fleverunt Dindyma silvis. Nec dea praemissae stridorem segnius hastae consequitur, centumque vias meditata nocendi 175 tandem Tarbigilum (Geticae dux improbus alae[108] hic erat) adgreditur. viso tum forte redibat Eutropio vacuus donis, feritasque dolore creverat et, teneris etiam quae crimina suadet [108] _alae_ Rubenus; MSS. (followed by Birt) have _aulae_. * * * * * Page 197