5 
fie tet 
_ The shield display’d. 
28 
eas banish’d see inane s cause the Tuscan 
r 
wa laid distressful siege to Rome. 
To arms her gen’rous sons indignant rush 
In freedom’s holy « cause. The artist God 
‘Well had the prince’s rage, and threat’ning 
mien 
Pourtray’d; while Cocles dares the bridge de- 
; stroy, 
And liberated Clelia tempts the stream. 
Manlius aloft, the Capitol his care, 
Siood near Jove’s temple; last resort of 
Rome. 
Here from the gilded porch the silver bird 
Proclaim’d dioud the Gauls’ obscure ap- 
proach. 
They climbing silent up the thorny pass 
Had reach’d the brow, befriended by the 
night, 
And now the conquer’d fortress seemed their 
own. 
Their saffron hair, and garments strip’d with 
gold, 
Around their milk- 
white necks 
The goldennecklace hung. Marching secure 
Behind an ample shield, an Alpine spear 
Proudly they brandish high in either hand. 
Hard bye, the dancing Salii seem’d io 
move 
And naked priests of Pan, with Fiamens 
"grave, 
Whose heads a fieece begirds, and on whose 
arms 
Th’ ancillia. shone, from realms immortal 
dropt. 
Thro’ the throng’d streets the modest matrons 
pass’d, 
And in soft cars their pomp mysterious held. 
Far hence remov’d, th’ infernal regions gap’d, 
The seats profound of Tartarus’ God. Here 
crimes . 
Aveng’d in hell the wondrous shield ex- 
pos’d. 
And Catiline, from nodding cliff on high 
Suspended, felt the ruthless Furies’ ire. 
Apart the just possess’d their peaceful seat, - 
While Cato gave the blest assembly law. 
The sea with golden surface raging wide 
Lifted its hoary billows near: and round 
The dolphins silv’ry hordes with sweepy 
tails 
Skim o’er the liquid plain, or cleave the flaod. 
In ceatre of the shield the brazen fleets 
‘Were seen in battle near the Actian point : 
‘There might the eye regard with dread array 
Lzucate glowing, and the golden waves 
Refulgent heave their troubled heads in air: 
‘And Cesar, on the crowded poop sublime, 
(While senate, people, gods attend his 
course,) 
Leading his country to the figiit ; 3 his brows 
August beam sacred fires;. whilst o’er his 
"head 
The Julian star its happy influence pourse 
Virgil’s Description of the Shield of A:neas. 
fFeb. 1, 
There, favor’d by the winds, and heav’n be- 
nign, 
Agrippa fiercely braves th’ embattled foe ; 
The warrior’s temples shone with naval 
crown, 
Tllustrious mark of glory won in fight. 
Next with barbarian troops, and motley 
arms, 
Victorious Anthony embodied brings 
The Eastern world, and ali the distant 
tribes 
Of Egypt, Asia, and the farthest tracks 
Of Bactrian hills; and with them, (shame of 
~ Rome!) 
His Pharian bride.—-The fleets contending 
meet, 
Beneath the plying oars, and clashing beaks. 
The chafing billows foam. So huge their 
bulk, 
To fancy’s eye it seem’d uprooted swam 
Th’ enormous Cyclades; or conflict dire 
Mountains with mountains wag’d—so violent 
The frequent shocks of tower’d ships, and 
men ! 
Around the blaze of tow, and hiss of darts 
Incessant spread. With recent gore diss 
tain’d, 
The wide domains of frighted Neptune blush, 
Amid these horrid scenes, with timbrels 
loud t 
The queen excites her drooping host to arms, 
Unconscious of tne asps, that hiss behind. = 
Anubis and ten thousand monster-gods 
With Neptune, Pallas, and the Cyprian 
queen, 
Wage war impetuous, 
vine, 
Enraged Marsin beaming armour raves, 
And Furies fell, dire ministers of woe, 
And frantic Discord in her tatter’d robe, 
And wild Bellona with her blood- stain "d 
scourge. 
This Actian Phebus saw, and from the sky 
Bent his unerring bow, dispensing death. 
In panic, haste th’ Eg gyptian bands appal’dy 
With frighted Arab, and Sabzan, flee c 
The queen herself with pails unfurl’d waa 
seen 
To ask the passing Zephyr’s friendly aid ; 
And as they blew, she gave the silken cord. 
Her, "mid the slaughter, pale from conscious 
grief 
OF life’ s sad period borne by troubled waves, 
And Tapygian lasts, the artist drew. 
While the’ swoln Nile, mourning her Van~ 
guish’d sons, 
Receives them in her bosom, and unfolds 
Her azure mantle to the vine host, — 
That seek retreat in all her streams profound. 
Meantime, great Cesar to his countrys’ gods 
Three hundred fanes, thro’ Rome’s immense 
extent, Li 
Rears gratéful in successive triumphs borne 
Her ended walls around, whilst loud ap- 
plause, 
And festive Joys ; thro? all her streets resound. 
Matrons " 
*Midst the fight die 
