But hardly grace to keep them! Rome, that flows With citizens and captives,[633] and would hold 510 The world, were it together, is by cowards Left as a prey, now CÊsar doth approach. When Romans are besieged by foreign foes, With slender trench they escape night-stratagems, And sudden rampire rais'd of turf snatched up, Would make them sleep securely in their tents. Thou, Rome, at name of war runn'st from thyself, And wilt not trust thy city-walls one night: Well might these fear, when Pompey feared and fled. Now evermore, lest some one hope might ease 520 The commons' jangling minds, apparent signs arose, Strange sights appeared; the angry threatening gods Filled both the earth and seas with prodigies. Great store of strange and unknown stars were seen Wandering about the north, and rings of fire Fly in the air, and dreadful bearded stars, And comets that presage the fall of kingdoms; The flattering[634] sky glittered in often flames, And sundry fiery meteors blazed in heaven, Now spear-like long, now like a spreading torch; 530 Lightning in silence stole forth without clouds, And, from the northern climate snatching fire, Blasted the Capitol; the lesser stars, Which wont to run their course through empty night, At noon-day mustered; Phoebe, having filled Her meeting horns to match her brother's light, Struck with th' earth's sudden shadow, waxËd pale; Titan himself, throned in the midst of heaven, His burning chariot plunged in sable clouds, And whelmed the world in darkness, making men 540 Despair of day; as did Thyestes' town, MycenÊ, Phoebus flying through the east. Fierce Mulciber unbarrËd ∆tna's gate, Which flamËd not on high, but headlong pitched Her burning head on bending Hespery. Coal-black Charybdis whirled a sea of blood. Fierce mastives howled. The vestal fires went out; The flame in Alba, consecrate to Jove, Parted in twain, and with a double point Rose, like the Theban brothers' funeral fire. 550 The earth went off her hinges; and the Alps Shook the old snow from off their trembling laps.[635] The ocean swelled as high as Spanish Calpe Or Atlas' head. Their saints and household-gods Sweat tears, to show the travails of their city: Crowns fell from holy statues. Ominous birds Defiled the day; and wild beasts were seen,[636] Leaving the woods, lodge in the streets of Rome. Cattle were seen that muttered human speech; Prodigious births with more and ugly joints 560 Than nature gives, whose sight appals the mother; And dismal prophecies were spread abroad: And they, whom fierce Bellona's fury moves To wound their arms, sing vengeance; Cybel's[637] priests,