And like a horse unbroken, When first he feels the rein, The furious river struggled hard, And tossed his tawny mane, And burst the curb, and bounded, Rejoicing to be free; And whirling, down in fierce career, Battlement, and plank, and pier, Rushed headlong to the sea. Alone stood brave Horatius, - But constant still in mindThrice thirty thousand foes before, And the broad flood behind. "Down with him!" cried false Sextus, With a smile on his pale face; "Now yield thee," cried Lars Porsena, "Now yield thee to our grace!" Round turned he, as not deigning The white porch of his home; That rolls by the towers of Rome: "O Tiber! father Tiber! To whom the Romans pray, A Roman's life, a Roman's arms, Take thou in charge this day!" So he spake, and, speaking, sheathed The good sword by his side, And, with his harness on his back, Plunged headlong in the tide. No sound of joy or sorrow Was heard from either bank, But friends and foes in dumb surprise, With parted lips and straining eyes, Stood gazing where he sank; And when above the surges They saw his crest appear, All Rome sent forth a rapturous cry, And even the ranks of Tuscany Could scarce forbear to cheer. But fiercely ran the current, Swollen high by months of rain; THE DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB. And fast his blood was flowing; And he was sore in pain, And heavy with his armor, 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, But his limbs were borne up bravely By the brave heart within, And our good father Tiber Bare bravely up his chin. "Curse on him!" quoth false Sextus, 66 '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; And now, with shouts and clapping, They gave him of the corn-land, 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 It stands in the comitium, Horatius in his harness, In letters all of gold, How valiantly he kept the bridge In the brave days of old. And still his name sounds stirring As the trumpet-blast that cries to them For boys with hearts as bold And in the nights of winter, When the cold north winds blow, When the oldest cask is opened, Around the firebrands close; When the goodman mends his armor, How well Horatius kept the bridge 353 LORD MACAULAY. The Destruction of Sennacherib. THE Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold; And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea, When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee. Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green, That host with their banners at sunset were seen; Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath flown, That host on the morrow lay withered and strown. |