First Titus gave tall Cæso
A death wound in the face;
Tall Cæso was the bravest man
Of the brave Fabian race:
Aulus slew Rex of Gabii,
The priest of Juno's shrine:
Valerius smote down Julius,
Of Rome's great Julian line;
Julius, who left his mansion
High on the Velian hill,

And through all turns of weal and wo
Followed proud Tarquin still.
Now right across proud Tarquin
A corpse was Julius laid:"

And Titus groaned with rage and grief,

And at Valerius made.

Valerius struck at Titus,

And lopped off half his crest;

But Titus stabbed Valerius
A span deep in the breast.
Like a mast snapped by the tempest,
Valerius reeled and fell.

Ah! wo is me for the good house
That loves the people well!
Then shouted loud the Latines;
And with one rush they bore
The struggling Romans backward
Three lances' length and more:
And up they took proud Tarquin,
And laid him on a shield,
And four strong yeomen bare him,
Still senseless, from the field.

18.

But fiercer grew the fighting
Around Valerius dead;

For Titus dragged him by the foot,
And Aulus by the head.
"On, Latines, on !" quoth Titus,
แ "See how the rebels fly!"

"Romans, stand firm !" quoth Aulus, "And win this fight or die!

Then tenfold round the body
The roar of battle rose,
Like the roar of a burning forest,
When a strong northwind blows.
Now 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.

20.

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?"

21.

Then answered Caius Cossus :
"I see an evil sight;

The banner of proud Tusculum
Comes from the Latian right,

I see the plumed 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."

22.

"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 him come amain."

23.

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 from 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 Lavinians fell

Beneath the edge of the true sword
That kept the bridge so well.
24.

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

To help our central battle,

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."

25.

Herminius beat his bosom,

But never a word he spake: He clapped his hands 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.

Herminius smote Mamilius

Through breastplate and through breast, And fast flowed out the purple blood Over the purple vest.

Mamilius smote Herminius

Through headpiece 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.

29.

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-streaming,

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 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.