And decked with coloured ribands
From her own gay attire,

Hung sadly o'er her father's corpse
In carnage and in mire.

Forth with a shout sprang Titus,

And seized black Auster's rein.
Then Aulus sware a fearful oath,
And ran at him amain.
"The furies of thy brother
With me and mine abide,

If one of your accursed house
Upon black Auster ride!"

As on an Alpine watch-tower

From heaven comes down the flame,

Full on the neck of Titus

The blade of Aulus came:

And out the red blood spouted,
In a wide arch and tall,

As spouts a fountain in the court
Of some rich Capuan's hall.
The knees of all the Latines

Were loosened with dismay,
When dead, on dead Herminius,

The bravest Tarquin lay.

XXXI.

And Aulus the Dictator

Stroked Auster's raven mane,

With heed he looked unto the girths,

With heed unto the rein.

"Now bear me well, black Auster,

Into yon thick array;

And thou and I will have revenge
For thy good lord this day.'

XXXII.

So spake he; and was buckling
Tighter black Auster's band,

When he was aware of a princely pair
That rode at his right hand.

So like they were, no mortal
Might one from other know:

White as snow their armour was:

Their steeds were white as snow.

Never on earthly anvil

Did such rare armour gleam; And never did such gallant steeds

Drink of an earthly stream.

66

XXXIV.

By many names men call us ;

In many lands we dwell:
Well Samothracia knows us;

Cyrene knows us well.

Our house in gay Tarentum

Is hung each morn with flowers:

High o'er the masts of Syracuse

Our marble portal towers;

But by the proud Eurotas

Is our dear native home;

And for the right we come to fight
Before the ranks of Rome."