V. Meanwhile the axe and lever Have manfully been plied, And now the bridge hangs tottering "Back, Lartius! back, Herminius! VI. Back darted Spurius Lartius; And, as they passed, beneath their feet And on the further shore Saw brave Horatius stand alone, They would have crossed once more. But, with a crash like thunder, Fell every loosened beam, And, like a dam, the mighty wreck As to the highest turret-tops VII. Alone stood brave Horatius, But constant still in mind: With a smile on his pale face; "Now yield thee to our grace." * The Roman Senators were called Fathers, or Conscript Fathers. In the Etruscan language Lars meant "mighty chief," or lord. VIII. Round turned he, as not deigning Those craven ranks to see; The white porch of his home; To whom the Romans pray! IX. 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, X. 'Out 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." VIII. Round turned he, as not deigning The white porch of his home; To whom the Romans pray! IX. 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, X. 'Out 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 DECLARATION INDEPENDENCE Borne by the joyous crowd. LORD MACAULAY (1800-1860). SELECT ETYMOLOGIES.-Constant: L. con'stans, p. p. of con'sto, I stand firm: v. DESTITUTE. . .. Consul: L.; fr. con'sulo, consul'tum, to consider, to take counsel; h., consult, counsel. ... Lever: L. lev'o, I raise: v. RELIEF.... Palace: L. palatium; fr. Palatium (Mount Palatine), one of the seven hills on which Rome was built, and on which stood the house of Augustus Cæsar. . . . Ruin: L. rui'na; fr. ru'o, ru'tum, to fall with violence. Silent: L. sil'ens, p. p. of sil'eo, I am silent. . . . Triumph : L. triumphus; fr. the G. thriam'bos, a procession in honor of Bacchus.... Turret: L. tur'ris, a tower.... Villain: L. L. villa'nus; fr. L. villa, a country-house, a villa; h., village. A villain was originally a feudal tenant of low degree. ... XXXVIII.-DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, July 4, 1776. |