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lays of ancient rome(古罗马方位)-第13章

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backward;   and   now   forward;            Rocked   furiously   the   fray;   Till   none 

could see Valerius;            And none wist where he lay。 For shivered arms 

and ensigns            Were heaped there in a mound; And corpses stiff; and 

dying   men           That   writhed   and   gnawed   the   ground;   And   wounded 

horses   kicking;          And   snorting   purple   foam:   Right   well   did   such   a 

couch befit           A Consular of Rome。 



                                            XX 



    But north looked the Dictator;                North looked he long and hard; 

And spake to Caius Cossus;                 The Captain of his Guard; ‘‘Caius; of 

all   the  Romans           Thou     hast  the  keenest   sight;  Say;   what   through 

yonder storm of dust             Comes from the Latian right;'' 



                                           XXI 



     Then answered Caius Cossus:                 ‘‘I see an evil sight; The banner 



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of proud Tusculum              Comes from the Latian right; I see the plum 閐 

horsemen;            And     far  before   the  rest  I  see  the  dark…gray   charger; 

I see the purple vest; I see the golden helmet               That shines far off like 

flame; So ever rides Mamilius;               Prince of the Latian name。'' 



                                           XXII 



     ‘‘Now hearken; Caius Cossus:                Spring on thy horse's back; Ride 

as   the   wolves   of Apennine           Were   all   upon   thy  track;   Haste  to   our 

southward      battle:           And     never   draw    thy   rein  Until   thou   find 

Herminius;            And bid hime come amain。'' 



                                          XXIII 



     So Aulus spake; and turned him                Again to that fierce strife; And 

Caius Cossus mounted;                And rode for death and life。 Loud clanged 

beneath     his  horse…hoofs          The    helmets    of  the  dead;   And   many    a 

curdling pool of blood             Splashed him heel to head。 So came he far to 

southward;            Where fought the Roman host; Against the banners of 

the   marsh          And   banners   of   the   coast。   Like   corn   before   the   sickle 

The stout Laninians fell; Beneath the edge of the true sword                      That 

kept the bridge so well。 



                                          XXIV 



     ‘‘Herminius! Aulus greets thee;               He bids thee come with speed; 

To help our central bettle;            For sore is there our need; There wars the 

youngest     Tarquin;          And    there   the  Crest  of  Flame;    The   Tusculan 

Mamilius;            Prince of the Latian name。 Valerius hath fallen fighting 

In front of our array; And Aulus of the seventy fields                 Alone upholds 

the day。'' 



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                                         XXV 



    Herminius      beat  his  bosom:         But    never   a  word   he  spake。  He 

clapped his hand on Auster's mane;              He gave the reins a shake。 Away; 

away; went Auster;            Like an arrow from the bow: Black Auster was 

the fleetest steed         From Aufidus to Po。 



                                         XXVI 



    Right   glad   were   all   the   Romans       Who;   in   that   hour   of   dread; 

Against   great   odds   bare   up   the   war     Around   Valerius   dead;   When 

from the south the cheering             Rose with a mighty swell; ‘‘Herminius 

comes; Herminius;             Who kept the bridge so well!'' 



                                        XXVII 



    Mamilius      spied   Herminius;             And    dashed    across   the  way。 

‘‘Herminius! I have sought thee               Through many a bloody day。 One 

of us two; Herminius;             Shall never more go home。 I will lay on for 

Tusculum;           And lay thou on for Rome! 



                                        XXVIII 



    All round them paused the battle;              While met in mortal fray The 

Roman   and   the   Tusculan;          The   horses   black   and   gray。   Herminius 

smote Mamilius             Through breast…plate and through breast; And fast 

flowed out the purple blood              Over the purple vest。 Mamilius smote 

Herminius           Through head…piece and through head; And side by side 

those chiefs of pride;          Together fell down dead。 Down fell they dead 

together          In a great lake of gore; And still stood all who saw them 

fall        While men might count a score。 



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                                            XXIX 



     Fast; fast; with heels wild spurning;               The dark…gray charger fled: 

He   burst   through   ranks   of   fighting   men;         He   sprang   o'er   heaps   of 

dead。 His bridle far out…streming;                His flanks all blood and foam; He 

sought   the   southern   mountains;             The   mountains   of   his   home。   The 

pass was steep   and rugged;                The wolves they  howled and   whined; 

But   he   ran   like   a   whirlwind   up   the   pass;     And   he   left   the   wolves 

behind。 Through many a startled hamlet                     Thundered his flying feet; 

He   rushed   through   the   gate   of   Tusculum;           He   rushed   up   the   long 

white street; He rushed by tower and temple;                     And paused not from 

his race Till he stood before his master's door                  In the stately market… 

place。 And   straightway   round   him   gathered               A  pale   and   trembling 

crowd; And   when   they   knew   him;   cries   of   rage            Brake   forth;   and 

wailing loud: And women rent their tresses                     For their great prince's 

fall; And   old   men   girt   on   their   old   swords;       And   went   to   man   the 

wall。 



                                            XXX 



     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。 



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                                         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 
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