The Tuscans raised a joyful cry
To see the red blood flow.

XLV
He reeled, and on Herminius

He leaned one breathing-space;
Then, like a wild cat mad with wounds,

Sprang right at Astur's face.
Through teeth, and skull, and helmet

So fierce a thrust he sped,
The good sword stood a hand-breadth out

Behind the Tuscan's head.
XLVI

And the great Lord of Luna
Fell at that deadly stroke,

As falls on Mount Alvernus
A thundersmitten oak:

Far o'er the crashing forest
The giant arms lie spread;

And the pale augurs, muttering low,
Gaze on the blasted head.

XLVII
On Astur's throat Horatius

Right firmly pressed his heel,
And thrice and four times tugged amain,

Ere he wrenched out the steel.
``And see,'' he cried, ``the welcome,

Fair guests, that waits you here!
What noble Lucomo comes next

To taste our Roman cheer?''
XLVIII

But at his haughty challange
A sullen murmur ran,

Mingled of wrath, and shame, and dread,
Along that glittering van.

There lacked not men of prowess,
Nor men of lordly race;

For all Etruria's noblest
Were round the fatal place.

XLIX
But all Etruria's noblest

Felt their hearts sink to see
On the earth the bloody corpses,

In the path the dauntless Three:
And, from the ghastly entrance

Where those bold Romans stood,
All shrank, like boys who unaware,

Ranging the woods to start a hare,
Come to the mouth of the dark lair

Where, growling low, a fierce old bear
Lies amidst bones and blood.

L
Was none who would be foremost

To lead such dire attack;
But those behind cried, ``Forward!''

And those before cried, ``Back!''
And backward now and forward

Wavers the deep array;
And on the tossing sea of steel

To and frow the standards reel;
And the victorious trumpet-peal

Dies fitfully away.
LI

Yet one man for one moment
Strode out before the crowd;

Well known was he to all the Three,
And they gave him greeting loud.

``Now welcome, welcome, Sextus!
Now welcome to thy home!

Why dost thou stay, and turn away?
Here lies the road to Rome.''

LII
Thrice looked he at the city;

Thrice looked he at the dead;
And thrice came on in fury,

And thrice turned back in dread:
And, white with fear and hatred,

Scowled at the narrow way
Where, wallowing in a pool of blood,

The bravest Tuscans lay.
LIII

But meanwhile axe and lever
Have manfully been plied;

And now the bridge hangs tottering
Above the boiling tide.

``Come back, come back, Horatius!''
Loud cried the Fathers all.

``Back, Lartius! back, Herminius!
Back, ere the ruin fall!''

LIV
Back darted Spurius Lartius;

Herminius darted back:
And, as they passed, beneath their feet

They felt the timbers crack.
But when they turned their faces,

And on the farther shore
Saw brave Horatius stand alone,

They would have crossed once more.
LV

But with a crash like thunder
Fell every loosened beam,

And, like a dam, the mighty wreck
Lay right athwart the stream:

And a long shout of triumph
Rose from the walls of Rome,

As to the highest turret-tops
Was splashed the yellow foam.

LVI
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.

LVII
Alone stood brave Horatius,

But constant still in mind;
Thrice 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.''
LVIII

Round turned he, as not deigning
Those craven ranks to see;

Nought spake he to Lars Porsena,
To Sextus nought spake he;

But he saw on Palatinus
The white porch of his home;

And he spake to the noble river
That rolls by the towers of Rome.

LVIX
``Oh, 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.
LX

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 scarceforbear to cheer.

LXI
But fiercely ran the current,

Swollen high by months of rain:
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.
LXII

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

Struggle through such a raging flood
Safe to the landing place:

But his limbs were borne up bravely
By the brave heart within,

And our good father Tiber
Bare bravely up his chin.

LXIII
``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.''
LXIV

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.

LXV
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 is stands unto this day

To witness if I lie.
LXVI

It stands in the Comitium

• fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)
• thrust [θrʌst] v.&n.猛推；冲；刺；挤进 (初中英语单词)
• deadly [´dedli] a.致命的 ad.死一般地 (初中英语单词)
• thunder [´θʌndə] n.雷 vi.打雷 vt.吼出 (初中英语单词)
• throat [θrəut] n.咽喉；嗓子；出入口 (初中英语单词)
• firmly [´fə:mli] ad.坚固地，稳定地 (初中英语单词)
• bloody [´blʌdi] a.(流)血的；血腥的 (初中英语单词)
• backward [´bækwəd] ad.向后 a.向后的 (初中英语单词)
• welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)
• meanwhile [´mi:n´wail] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)
• furious [´fjuəriəs] a.狂怒的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)
• constant [´kɔnstənt] a.坚定的；坚贞的 (初中英语单词)
• charge [tʃɑ:dʒ] v.收费；冲锋 n.费用 (初中英语单词)
• harness [´hɑ:nis] vt.上马具 n.马具 (初中英语单词)
• scarce [skeəs, skers] a.缺乏的；稀有的 (初中英语单词)
• fiercely [´fiəsli] ad.凶猛地，残忍地 (初中英语单词)
• gallant [´gælənt, gə´lænt] a.英勇的；华丽的 (初中英语单词)
• witness [´witnis] n.见证人 vt.目击 (初中英语单词)
• joyful [´dʒɔifəl] a.高兴的，充满快乐的 (高中英语单词)
• haughty [´hɔ:ti] a.傲慢的，高傲的 (高中英语单词)
• sullen [´sʌlən] a.不高兴的 (高中英语单词)
• ghastly [´gɑ:stli] a.苍白的；可怕的 (高中英语单词)
• victorious [vik´tɔ:riəs] a.得胜的，胜利的 (高中英语单词)
• mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)
• headlong [´hedlɔŋ] ad.&a.轻率地(的) (高中英语单词)
• bravely [´breivli] ad.勇敢地；毅然 (高中英语单词)
• throng [θrɔŋ] n.群众 v.拥挤；群集 (高中英语单词)
• joyous [´dʒɔiəs] a.充满快乐的 (高中英语单词)
• plough [plau] n.耕地 v.犁 (高中英语单词)
• thrice [θrais] ad.三倍地；三次 (英语四级单词)
• amidst [ə´midst] prep.=amid (英语四级单词)
• bridge [bridʒ] n.桥(梁)；鼻梁；桥牌 (英语四级单词)
• nought [nɔ:t] n.=naught (英语四级单词)
• forbear [fɔ:´beə, fə-] v.容忍；克制 n.祖先 (英语四级单词)
• villain [´vilən] n.坏人；恶棍；反面角色 (英语四级单词)
• molten [´məultən] melt的过去分词 (英语四级单词)
• smitten [´smitn] smite的过去分词 (英语六级单词)
• lordly [´lɔ:dli] a.高贵的；高傲的 (英语六级单词)
• dauntless [´dɔ:ntlis] a.无畏的；不屈不挠的 (英语六级单词)
• shrank [ʃræŋk] shrink的过去式 (英语六级单词)
• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)
• landing [´lændiŋ] n.登陆；降落；楼梯平台 (英语六级单词)
• weeping [´wi:piŋ] a.&n.哭泣(的) (英语六级单词)