Ipfa Chaús Noctifque antiquæ exterrita regna. Continuò decies fpectantur Mille per umbras Attolli bellorum Infignia, multiplicesque Undatim jactare faces; unà horrida Silva Haftarum exfurgit, fcutis diro ordine Scuta, Et galeæ galeis confertæ. It protinùs æquis Agminibus condensa Phalanx; dum plurima buxo Tibia multifori, & modulamine fistula lento Molle fonans, greffufque regit fingitque canendo. Carmine non alio bellantes Dorica Mufa
Impulit Heroas, quos non furor egit inamis, Sed vis firma Animi, fed Virtus ardua, lethi Indignata metum turpisque ignara repulsæ.
Nec tamen haud poterant blandâ dulcedine Cantus Triftitiam fedare, & fternere leniter atros Curarum fluctus, gelidos arcere timores,
Atque Homines Superofque modis mollire canoris. His intenta filent, & procedentia lentis
Ten thousand Banners rife into the Air, With orient Colours waving with them rose A Foreft huge of Spears; and thronging Helms Appear'd, and ferried Shields in thick array, Of depth immeasurable: anon they move In perfect Phalanx, to the Dorian mood Of Flutes, and foft Recorders; fuch as rais'd To height of nobleft temper Heroes old Arming to Battle; and instead of rage
Deliberate valour breath'd, firm, and unmov'd With dread of death to flight, or foul retreat; Nor wanting pow'r to mitigate and fwage, With folemn touches, troubled thoughts, and chafe Anguish, and doubt, and fear, and forrow, and
From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they Breathing united force with fixed thought Mov'd on in filence to foft Pipes, that charm'd
Paffibus ardorem unanimem fimul omnia fpirant
Agmina; difficiles ambufto in littore greffus
Tum vaftâ fronte Cohortes
Explicita medio fe, formidabile vifu!
Extendunt latè campo radiantibus armis, Ceu bellis affuetæ Acies; clypeifque minaces Erectifque haftis magni mandata tyranni Expectant. Media Ille fagaci lumine velox Agmina pervadit; florentes ære catervas Directis rite ordinibus, celfiffima Divûm Corpora, fpirantesque videt cœleftia vultus. Ut numeros tandem recolit, Cor inde feroci Distentum faftu tumet, immenfifque fuperbit Viribus. Humano neque enim confluxit ab ortu Bellica Vis, Huic quæ poffet collata videri Pygmæas fuperare manus gruibufque popellum Infeftum; Phlegræ quanquam immaniffima Proles Addantur populis, qui bella fub Ilo alto
Their painful steps o'er the burnt foil and now Advanc'd in view, they ftand, a horrid Front Of dreadful length and dazling Arms, in guife Of Warriors old with order'd Spear and Shield, Awaiting what command their mighty Chief Had to impose: He thro' the armed Files Darts his experienc'd eye, and foon traverse The whole Battalion views, their order due, Their vifages and ftature as of Gods;
Their number laft he fums. And now his heart Diftends with pride, and hard'ning in his ftrength Glories: for never fince created Man Met fuch imbodied force, as nam'd with these Could merit more than that small Infantry Warr'd on by Cranes; tho' all the Giant brood Of Phlegra with th' Heroic Race were join'd, That fought at Thebes and Ilium, on each fide Mix'd with auxiliar Gods; and what refounds
Geffere, aut Thebis, certantum utrinque Deorum Ducta inimicitiis: non fi jungantur Utheri Progeniem comitata Cohors, quos fabula narrat Antiqua, Armoricique Equites, Equitefque Britanni. Adde & Chrifticolas, lunatifve agmina fignis, Quotquot in Albano, vel in Afp'ro Monte feroces Commisere haftas; quot mifit in arma Trapezus Læta Virûm; quot Gens Maurufia, quotque Damafcus, Quofque Utica immani victrix certamine Magnum Effudit Carolum contra Procerefque frequentes.
Hos vicere adeo, & quæ vis mortalibus usquam est, Cœleftes Anima; at tacitâ formidine fanctum Induperatorem obfervant: Ille arduus omnes Sublimi gestu exfuperans ftat mole superbâ, Celfa velut Turris: nondum decefferat omnis Oris honos; formæ manet ufque prioris Imago Nubila, & ingentes cœlefti in fronte ruinæ. Ceu Sol Eoo nebulofum luftrat ab axe
In Fable or Romance of Uther's Son, Begirt with British and Armoric Knights; And all who fince, Baptiz'd or Infidel, Joufted in Afpramont, or Montalban, Damafco, or Morocco, or Trebifond; Or whom Biferta fent from Afric Shore, When Charlemain with all his Peerage fell By Fontarabbia. Thus far thefe beyond Compare of mortal prowess, yet observ'd
Their dread Commander: He, above the reft In fhape and gefture proudly eminent, Stood like a Tow'r: his Form had yet not loft All her Original brightnefs, nor appear'd Lefs than Arch-Angel ruin'd, and th' excefs Of Glory obfcur'd: as when the Sun new-ris'n Looks thro' the Horizontal mifty Air Shorn of his Beams; or from behind the Moon, In dim Eclipfe, disastrous Twilight sheds
Aera, præcifus radios; vel conditus idem Post Lunæ faciem, trepidoque crepuscula mundo Dira ferens, hoftes & bella futura tyrannis Nuntiat: ante alios pariter fpectabilis omnes, Sed læfo fulgore minor, fefe extulit ingens Dux Superûm: vultus horrendo fulminis igne Sulcatos late perarârat multa Cicatrix;
Cura genis fedit marcentibus: at juga frontis Ufque ferox tenuit Virtus, faftuque fevero Vindictam meditata Superbia. Tum face sævâ Lumina torva rotans volvit, fed & ipfa fubinde Suffufas ægri nebulas teftata doloris,
Ut Socios fcelerum, quidvis fe hortante magistro Aggreffos, longâ multatos clade tuetur; Ut recolit, cœli jubar immortale bibentes Tot quondam Heroas penitùs cecidiffe beatis Ipfius ob noxam foliis: miferefcitur ultrò Conftantes animos, poftquam defloruit omnis
On half the Nations, and with fear of Change Perplexes Monarchs: Darken'd fo, yet fhone Above them all th' Arch-Angel. But his Face Deep fears of Thunder had intrench'd, and Care Sat on his faded cheek, but under Brows Of dauntlefs Courage, and confid❜rate Pride Waiting revenge. Cruel his eye, but caft Signs of remorse and paffion, to behold
The fellows of his crime, the followers rather,
(Far other once beheld in blifs!) condemn'd For ever now to have their lot in pain; Millions of Spirits, for his fault amerc'd Of Heav'n, and from Eternal Splendors flung For his revolt; yet faithful how they stood, Their Glory wither'd: as when Heaven's Fire Hath fcath'd the Foreft Oaks, or Mountain Pines, With finged top their ftately growth, tho' bare, Stands on the blafted Heath. He now prepar'd
Gloria: ceu quondam nemorum quæ maxima frondet Æfculus, aut montana Abies, vi fulminis icta
Membra levat fpoliata comis; ambusta per arva Effert se nudi Majeftas ardua Trunci.
Rege locuturo cupidæ coeuntibus alis
Accurrunt duplicatæ Acies, clauduntque coronâ Intentos Proceres: Ter fari orditur; obortæ Ter lacrimæ, quales cœleftia lumina fundunt, Prorumpunt, faftu multùm obluctante feroci; Tandem inter gemitum Verbis via facta frequentem: O fortes Animarum Acies, virtute potentes Et numeris, quibus Omnipotens certaverit unus ! Nec fine honore fuit certaminis exitus hujus, Sit licet infelix: fedes quod acerba vicefque
Sed quæ vis præfcia, rerum
Eventus fervans varios, monuiffe valebat
Tot celfas bellantûm Animas, tot fortia Divûm Pectora victrici quondam ceffura lacerto?
Poft ipfas quis enim clades tanta Agmina, quorum
To fpeak; whereat their doubled Ranks they bend From wing to wing, and half inclose him round With all his Peers: Attention held them mute. Thrice he affay'd, and thrice in spight of Scorn, Tears, fuch as Angels weep, burft forth; at laft Words interwove with fighs found out their way. O Myriads of immortal Spirits! O Pow'rs
Matchlefs, but with th' Almighty! and that ftrife Was not inglorious, tho' th' event was dire, As this place teftifies, and this dire change, Hateful to utter: but what pow'r of mind, Foreseeing, or prefaging, from the Depth Of knowledge paft or prefent, could have fear'd, How fuch united force of Gods, how fuch
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