Lays of Ancient Rome

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

Macaulay, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron

Rome -- History -- Poetry

But, like a graven image,
          Black Auster kept his place,
     And ever wistfully he looked
          Into his master's face.
     The raven-mane that daily,
          With pats and fond caresses,
     The young Herminia washed and combed,
          And twined in even tresses,
     And decked with colored ribbons
          From her own gay attire,
     Hung sadly o'er her father's corpse
          In carnage and in mire.
     Forth with a shout sprang Titus,
          And seized black Auster's rein.
     Then Aulus sware a fearful oath,
          And ran at him amain.
     "The furies of thy brother
          With me and mine abide,
     If one of your accursed house
          Upon black Auster ride!"
     As on a Alpine watch-tower
          From heaven comes down the flame,
     Full on the neck of Titus
          The blade of Aulus came:
     And out the red blood spouted,
          In a wide arch and tall,
     As spouts a fountain in the court
          Of some rich Capuan's hall.
     The knees of all the Latines
          Were loosened with dismay,
     When dead, on dead Herminius,
          The bravest Tarquin lay.

               XXXI

     And Aulus the Dictator
          Stroked Auster's raven mane,
     With heed he looked unto the girths,
          With heed unto the rein.
     "Now bear me well, black Auster,
          Into yon thick array;
     And thou and I will have revenge
          For thy good lord this day."

               XXXII

     So spake he; and was buckling
          Tighter black Auster's band,
     When he was aware of a princely pair
          That rode at his right hand.
     So like they were, no mortal
          Might one from other know:
     White as snow their armor was:
          Their steeds were white as snow.
     Never on earthly anvil
          Did such rare armor gleam;
     And never did such gallant steeds
          Drink of an earthly stream.

               XXXIII

     And all who saw them trembled,
          And pale grew every cheek;
     And Aulus the Dictator
          Scarce gathered voice to speak.
     "Say by what name men call you?
          What city is your home?
     And wherefore ride ye in such guise
          Before the ranks of Rome?"

               XXXIV

     "By many names men call us;
          In many lands we dwell:
     Well Samothracia knows us;
          Cyrene knows us well.
     Our house in gay Tarentum
          Is hung each morn with flowers:
     High o'er the masts of Syracuse
          Our marble portal towers;
     But by the proud Eurotas
          Is our dear native home;
     And for the right we come to fight
          Before the ranks of Rome."

               XXXV

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

Lays of Ancient Rome

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