The line of blazing villages Red in the midnight sky. The Fathers of the City, They sat all night and day, For every hour some horseman came 17. To eastward and to westward Have spread the Tuscan bands; Nor house, nor fence, nor dovecote, In Crustumerium stands. Verbenna down to Ostia Hath wasted all the plain; Astur hath stormed Janiculum, And the stout guards are slain. 18. I wis, in all the Senate, There was no heart so bold, In haste they girded up their gowns, And hied them to the wall. 19. They held a council standing Before the River-gate; Short time was there, ye well may guess, For musing or debate. Out spoke the Consul roundly: "The bridge must straight go down; For, since Janiculum is lost, Nought else can save the town." 20. Just then a scout came flying, On the low hills to westward 21. And nearer fast and nearer Doth the red whirlwind come; And louder still and still more loud, From underneath that rolling cloud, Is heard the trumpet's war-note proud, The trampling, and the hum. And plainly and more plainly Now through the gloom appears, Far to left and far to right, In broken gleams of dark-blue light, The long array of spears. 22. And plainly and more plainly, Of twelve fair cities shine; But the banner of proud Clusium 23. And plainly and more plainly There Cilnius of Arretium On his fleet roan was seen; By reedy Thrasymene. On the house-tops was no woman But spate towards him and hissed; No child but screamed out curses, And shook its little fist. 26. But the Consul's brow was sad, "Their van will be upon us Before the bridge goes down; And if they once may win the bridge, What hope to save the town?" 27. Then out spake brave Horatius, For the ashes of his fathers And the temples of his Gods, 28. "And for the tender mother Who dandled him to rest, And for the wife who nurses And for the holy maidens Who feed the eternal flame, To save them from false Sextus That wrought the deed of shame? 29. "Hew down the bridge, Sir Consul, May well be stopped by three. Now who will stand on either hand, And keep the bridge with me?" 30. Then out spake Spurius Lartius; "I will abide on thy left side, And keep the bridge with thee." 31. "Horatius," quoth the Consul, |