Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Swift at the word the dreadful sisters flew,

Where the nine portals of the drear abode

Arise, and, seated on her ebon throne,

The gloomy goddess reigns in dreadful pomp,
And gluts her cruel ears with cries and groans.
She hears with joy, if joy in hell can be.

The dog of darkness spreads his fangs, sets wide
His jaws, distilling foam and human blood,
And hopes the prey. The furies howl applause.
Wak'd by the circling hours, the rosy dawn

Beam'd from the glowing east. Now hell unfolds
Her gates, and, riding on the storm, rush forth
The dreadful sisters. As they move, the air

Is darken'd, and the conscious earth beneath
Shakes to its centre. Now upon the banks

Of Sture, they cease their flight, and lift their voice.
Rous'd by the thrilling sound, both armies start
From sleep, and on the echoing plain pour forth

c. He fed upon the lives of those who perished by violence.

Their myriads. Helms on helms, and shields on shields, In long succession. Throng'd with glitt'ring spears

The plain appears to move. As when the gale,

When now rich Autumn's hand has ting'd the fields
Through all their wide extent with golden hues,

Sweeps o'er the rip'ning grain; now here now there
Impell'd, as Zephyrus or Notus breathes,

Waves quick the yielding corn; here driven on heaps The creaking blades encounter, and behind

A void appears, which soon the breeze supplies.

Now tumult rises; now the sound is heard
Of dreadful preparation; ringing shrill

The clatt'ring armour; the fierce soldiers shout;
The leaders loud command; the trumpets' clang
Pierces the troubled air; the scythed car
Rolls o'er the plain in thunder; far and wide
To right, to left, the growing ranks extend;
And now appears in all its dreadful pomp
The regulated war. An awful pause
Ensues: terrific silence! Ev'ry breast

Glowing with martial fury pants for battle.
Frowning they stand, impatient for the signal,
Like hounds, whom, vers'd in every silvan art,
Some huntsman to the furzy brake conducts,
The haunt well known of their accustom'd game:
Now at the covert's verge, their glowing eyes
Flash lightnings, and their bristling hair erect
Speaks their tumultuous joy: their lashing tails
Beat on their panting sides: they tread in air,
And now prepare to spring; but aw'd, repress
Their fury, on their master's eye intent

Gazing, and waiting his commanding voice.

Before Cornubia's ranks Belinus moves,

And every chief incites to noble deeds.
"Warriors,, be mindful of your ancient fame.

Rouse all your strength, and waken all your fires.
Brave is the foe. To all your triumphs past,
On Gallia's plains, and proud Iberia's shore,
To vanquish'd Greece, and that gigantic race
Foil'd in the conflict, while they boast in vain

Their prowess more than human, this blest morn,

By heav'n with each auspicious omen grac'd,

Shall add a nobler conquest." Silent all

Attend their bosoms glow with generous rage.

:

With equal ardour in refulgent arms

Loëgria's heroes drest their manly limbs.
There Turon shook his formidable lance:

There Ilus frown'd: there Galgacus appear'd,
Proud of unnumber'd trophies: there the shield
Of noble Uther on th' astonish'd foe

Portentous gleam'd: there great Assaracus

Surveys with practis'd eye the marshall'd files.
Above the rest, with manly grace adorn'd,

The monarch tow'rs, and from his glitt'ring car
With eyes on fire, and thund'ring voice, awakes
The ling'ring war, and pours in every breast
The rage of fight, and proud contempt of death.
"Warriors, at length the day ye wish'd appears.
Lo! sheath'd in arms, Cornubia's hostile pow'rs!
Lives there, whose soul, to shameful fear resign'd,

Shrinks from the glorious dangers of the war,

And doubts to mingle where the battle burns?

Hear, Jove, and Pallas! by this hand he dies.
But whom fame's immortal glories fire,

ye

Now prove your might, and emulate your king."
Then from his car, upon the sounding plain

Sprung the brave chief, and rush'd against the foe.

As the red meteor in the troubled air

Appears, the dread forerunner of the storm;

Such from his arms the dismal splendors glar'd.

And as across the blue expanse of heav'n

A star swift shooting darts its lengthen'd light;

Such was his course, as, gathering strength to throw,

The hero shook aloft his fatal spear.

Now wing'd with death, he speeds the rapid dart,

The point lies buried in Bleduno's breast.

Prone on the ground the grasping warrior falls,

1

And grasps with strong convulsive pangs the dust.

Cornubia mourns her slaughter'd chief. At once
A thousand jav'lins from a thousand hands

« ZurückWeiter »