“Here manie other like heroës bee, Equall in honour to the former crue, Whom ye in goodly seates may placed see, 595 Descended all from Rome by linage due; From Rome, that holds the world in sovereigntie, And doth all nations unto her subdue: Here Fabii and Decii doo dwell, Horatii that in vertue did excell. 600 “And here the antique fame of stout Camill Doth ever live; and constant Curtius, Who, stifly bent his vowed life to spill For countreyes health, a gulph most hideous Amidst the towne with his owne corps did fill, 605 T’appease the Powers; and prudent Mutius, Who in his flesh endur’d the scorching flame, To daunt his foe by ensample of the same. “And here wise Curius, companion Of noble vertues, lives in endles rest; 610 And stout Flaminius, whose devotion Taught him the fires scorn’d furie to detest; And here the praise of either Scipion Abides in highest place above the best, To whom the ruin’d walls of Carthage vow’d, 615 Trembling their forces, sound their praises lowd. “Live they for ever through their lasting praise! But I, poore wretch, am forced to retourne To the sad lakes that Phoebus sunnie rayes Doo never see, where soules doo alwaies mourne; 620 And by the wayling shores to waste my dayes, Where Phlegeton with quenchles flames doth burne; By which iust Minos righteous soules doth sever From wicked ones, to live in blisse for ever. “Me therefore thus the cruell fiends of hell, 625 Girt with long snakes and thousand yron chaynes, Through doome of that their cruell iudge compell, With bitter torture and impatient paines, Cause of my death and iust complaint to tell. For thou art he whom my poore ghost complaines 630 To be the author of her ill unwares, That careles hear’st my intollerable cares. “Them therefore as bequeathing to the winde, I now depart, returning to thee never, And leave this lamentable plaint behinde. 635 But doo thou haunt the soft downe-rolling river, And wilde greene woods and fruitful pastures minde, And let the flitting aire my vaine words sever.” Thus having said, he heavily departed With piteous crie that anie would have smarted. 640 Now, when the sloathfull fit of lifes sweete rest Had left the heavie Shepheard, wondrous cares His inly grieved minde full sore opprest; That balefull sorrow he no longer beares For that Gnats death, which deeply was imprest, 645 But bends what ever power his aged yeares Him lent, yet being such as through their might He lately slue his dreadfull foe in fight.