But she, that rose the tallest of them all

And fairest, laid his head upon her lap,

And loosed the shatter'd casque, and chafed his hands,

And call'd him by his name, complaining loud

And dropping bitter tears against his brow
Striped with dark blood: for all his face was white
And colourless, and like the wither'd moon
Smote by the fresh beam of the springing east;
And all his greaves and cuisses dash'd with drops
Of onset; and the light and lustrous curls-
That made his forehead like a rising sun
High from the daïs throne-were parch'd with dust;
Or clotted into points and hanging loose,
Mix'd with the knightly growth that fringed his lips.
So like a shatter'd column lay the King;
Not like that Arthur, who, with lance at rest,
From spur to plume a star of tournament,
Shot through the lists at Camelot, and charged
Before the eyes of ladies and of kings.

TENNYSON.

ἣ δέ τε τῶν ἄλλων ὑπερέσχε μέγ ̓ ἔξοχ ̓ ἀρίστη εἶδός τε μέγεθός τε, κάρη ἐπὶ κόλπον ἐφεῖσα ἤμεν ἀπὸ κροτάφων κυνέην θραυσθεῖσαν ἔλυσεν ἠδὲ κατέψηξεν χεῖρας χερὶ, καί σφ ̓ ἐκάλεσσεν ἐξονομακλήδην, μέγα τε στενάχουσ' ἐγεγώνει, ἐν δ ̓ οἱ ἐπισμυγερὸν κόρσης κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσα, ἣ δὴ φυράθη μέλανι βρότῳ· ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὄψις λευκὴ, χροίης νόσφι, μαρανθεῖσ ̓ ὥστε σελήνη, ἥνπερ ὑπ ̓ ἠοῖον φαέθων ἀκτῖσιν ἔβαλλεν ἠέλιος πρώταις, ὅτε τ ̓ οὐρανὸν ἀμφιβεβήκει καὶ δ ̓ οἱ κνημῖδας μηρώ τε βεβλήκεσαν ἀμφὶς δεινῆς ὑσμίνης ῥαθάμιγγες, ὕπερθε δ' ἔθειραι ξανθαὶ, λεπταλέαι, τῶν τ' αἴγλη δαίετο λαμπρὴ, κράτα πιφαυσκομένῳ Ὑπερίονι αἵπερ ἐΐσκον ὑψόσ ̓ ἀφ ̓ ὑψίστοιο θρόνου μετὰ δαιτυμόνεσσιν, ἀζαλέαι δὴ ταίγε κακῇ σκέλλοντο κονίῃ, ἠὲ μάλ ̓ ἀμφοτέρωθι πεφυρμέναι ἄλλυδις ἄλλῃ μὰψ αὕτως κατέχυντ ̓, ἐσθλῷ μιχθεῖσαι ἰούλῳ, χείλεσιν ὃς προσφὺς ἐπενήνοθεν ἀμφοτέροισιν. ὡς ἄρα τοῖον ἄναξ τεθραυσμένη ἠΰτε κίων κεῖτο μέγας μεγαλωστί· ὁ δ ̓ οὐκ ἰνδάλλετο τοῖος, οἷος ἐνὶ Καμελώτῃ ἐϋκτιμένῳ πτολιέθρῳ, ὄβριμον ἔγχος ἔχων, αἰεὶ βαλέοντι ἐοικὼς, ἐς λόφον ἐκ πτέρνης ἄκρης ἐναλίγκιος ἄστρῳ, πασσυδίῃ θεῖον κατ ̓ ἀγῶν' οἴμησεν ἀΐξας ἄντα διοτρεφέων βασιλήων ἠδὲ γυναικῶν.

R. B., 1854.

PARADISE LOST

BOOK VI.

So saying, a noble stroke he lifted high,
Which hung not, but so swift with tempest fell
On the proud crest of Satan, that no sight,
Nor motion of swift thought, less could his shield
Such ruin intercept: Ten paces huge

He back recoil'd; the tenth on bended knee
His massy spear upstaid; as if on earth
Winds underground, or waters forcing way,
Sidelong had push'd a mountain from his seat,
Half sunk with all his pines. Amazement seized
The rebel Thrones, but greater rage to see
Thus foil'd their mightiest; ours joy fill'd, and shout,
Presage of victory, and fierce desire

Of battle: Whereat Michael bid sound

The Archangel trumpet; through the vast of Heaven

It sounded, and the faithful armies rung

Hosanna to the Highest: Nor stood at gaze
The adverse legions, nor less hideous join'd
The horrid shock.

LATIN HEXAMETERS.

"Save his who made, what beauty and what power
Were ever like to Satan's?"

BYRON.

SIC ait, et sublatum alte consurgit in ensem,
Nec dextram fallit sed turbine pertulit ictum
In Satanis galeam gladius, cristisque superbis
Incidit: haud oculi properam valuere ruinam
Præcipere, haud animi motus, nedum horrida terga
Ingentis clipei. Labat ille, decemque repulsus
Dat retro passus-duplicato poplite tandem
Sustinet hasta ingens-ceu subterranea forte
Flamina ventorum, vel aquæ violentia vastum
A latere inpellunt montem, ruit ille recumbens
Præcipitesque trahit pinos, lapsoque resedit
Vertice: tunc omnes pariter stupor occupat hostes,
Ira simul, pulsum tali certamine summum

Ut videre ducem-nobis inmixta tumultu
Lætitia exoritur certi præsaga triumphi;

Poscere bellum omnes: Michael dare bellica jussit
Signa tubam Divûm-magnum per inane feroci
Illa sono cecinit: fidæ adstrepuere catervæ

66

'Salve, summe Pater "-nec tum sine viribus hostes Constiterunt: nec non ad pugnam horrentibus armis Concurrere pares.

Now storming fury rose, And clamour, such as heard in Heaven till now Was never; arms on armour clashing bray'd Horrible discord, and the madding wheels Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise Of conflict; over head the dismal hiss Of fiery darts in flaming volleys flew, And flying vaulted either host with fire. So under fiery cope together rush'd Both battles main, with ruinous assault And inextinguishable rage. All Heaven Resounded; and had earth been then, all earth Had to her centre shook. What wonder? when Millions of fierce encountering Angels fought On either side, the least of whom could wield These elements, and arm him with the force Of all their regions.

How much more of power

Army against army numberless to raise
Dreadful combustion warring, and disturb,
Though not destroy, their happy native seat;
Had not the Eternal King Omnipotent,

From his stronghold of Heaven, high overruled
And limited their might.

*

*

No thought of flight,

None of retreat, no unbecoming deed