Lays of Ancient Rome

Name: Lays of Ancient Rome
Author: Macaulay, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron

Macaulay, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron

Rome -- History -- Poetry

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 bloody passage 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 Titus 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 Titus gave tall Cæso
          A death wound in the face;
     Tall Cæso 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 Titus groaned with rage and grief,
          And at Valerius made.
     Valerius struck at Titus,
          And lopped off half his crest;
     But Titus 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 Titus dragged him by the foot
          And Aulus by the head.
     "On, Latines, on!" quoth Titus,
          "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

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Lays of Ancient Rome

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