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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, 170
The long array of helmets bright,
The long array of spears.

And plainly and more plainly,
Above that glimmering line,
Now might ye see the banners

Of twelve fair cities shine;
But the banner of proud Clusium
Was highest of them all,
The terror of the Umbrian,

The terror of the Gaul.

And plainly and more plainly
Now might the burghers know,

By port and vest, by horse and crest,
Each warlike Lucumo.1

There Cilnius of Arretium

On his fleet roan was seen;
And Astur of the fourfold shield,

"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?"

Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the Gate:
"To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers
And the temples of his Gods,

"And for the tender mother
Who dandled him to rest,
And for the wife who nurses
His baby at her breast,
And for the holy maidens

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Who feed the eternal flame, To save them from false Sextus That wrought the deed of shame?

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Girt with the brand2 none else may wield,
Tolumnius with the belt of gold,
And dark Verbenna from the hold
By reedy Thrasymene.

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"Hew down the bridge, Sir Consul,
With all the speed ye may;
I, with two more to help me,
Will hold the foe in play.
In yon straits path a thousand

May well be stopped by three.
Now who will stand on either hand,
And keep the bridge with me?"
Then out spake Spurius Lartius;
A Ramnian proud was he:
"Lo, I will stand at thy right hand,
And keep the bridge with thee."
And out spake strong Herminius;
Of Titian blood was he:

"I will abide on thy left side,
And keep the bridge with thee."

"Horatius," quoth the Consul,

"As thou sayest, so let it be." And straight against that great array Forth went the dauntless Three. For Romans in Rome's quarrel

Spared neither land nor gold,

Nor son nor wife, nor limb nor life, In the brave days of old.

Then none was for party;

Then all were for the state;

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Then the great man helped the poor, 260 And the poor man loved the great: Then lands were fairly portioned;

Then spoils were fairly sold;

The Romans were like brothers
In the brave days of old.

3 strait. Narrow

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And heavy with his armour,

And spent with changing blows; And oft they thought him sinking, But still again he rose.

Never, I ween, did swimmer,
In such an evil case,

Struggle through such a raging flood 520
Safe to the landing-place;

But his limbs were borne up bravely
By the brave heart within,
And our good father Tiber 1
Bore bravely up his chin.

"Curse on him!" quoth false Sextus;
"Will not the villain drown?

But for this stay, ere close of day

We should have sacked the town!" "Heaven help him!" quoth Lars Porsena, "And bring him safe to shore: For such a gallant feat of arms Was never seen before."

And now he feels the bottom;
Now on dry earth he stands;
Now round him throng the Fathers
To press his gory hands;

And now, with shouts and clapping,
And noise of weeping loud,
He enters through the River Gate,
Borne by the joyous crowd.

They gave him of the corn-land,
That was of public right,

As much as two strong oxen
Could plough from morn till night;
And they made a molten image,
And set it up on high,

And there it stands unto this day
To witness if I lie.

It stands in the Comitium,2

Plain for all folk to see; Horatius in his harness, Haltings upon one knee: And underneath is written, In letters all of gold, How valiantly he kept the bridge In the brave days of old.

And still his name sounds stirring Unto the men of Rome,

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As the trumpet-blast that cries to them To charge the Volscian home;

I The god of the river.

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2 Comilium. A space fronting the senate-house

in the Forum.

3 Limping.

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