Silent they iffue through the gloomy night,
And with broad shields restrain the beamy light:
Sudden the blaze on every fide began,
And o'er the Latian works refiftless ran;
Catching, and driving with the wind it grows,
Fierce through the shade the burning deluge glows;
Nor earth, nor greener planks its force delay,
Swift o'er the hiffing beams it rolls away :
Embrown'd with fmoke the wavy flames afcend,
Shiver'd with heat the crackling quarries rend;
Till with a roar at last, the mighty mound,
Towers, engines, all, come thundering to the ground
Wide-spread the difcontinuous ruins lie,
And vaft confufion fills the gazer's eye.
Vanquish'd by land, the Romans feek the main,
And prove the fortune of the watery plain :
Their navy, rudely built, and rigg'd in haste,
Down through the rapid Rhone defcending past. 760
No golden gods protect the shining prow,
Nor filken ftreamers lightly dancing flow;
But rough in ftable floorings lies the wood,
As in the native forest once it stood.
Rearing above the reft her towery head,
Brutus' tall ship the floating squadron led,
To fea foon wafted by the hafty tide,
Right to the Stoechades their course they guide.
Refolv'd to urge their fate, with equal cares,
Maffilia for the naval war prepares ;
All hands the city for the task requires,
And arms her ftriplings young, and hoary fires.
The brother's hand the brother's heart fhall wound,
And universal slaughter rage around.
If civil wars muft wafte this hapless town,
No hands fhall bring that ruin but our own.
Thus faid the Grecian meffengers.
A gathering cloud involv'd the Roman's brow;
Much grief, much wrath, his troubled vifage spoke;
Then into thefe difdainful words he broke :
This trufting in our speedy march to Spain,
Thefe hopes, this Grecian confidence is vain;
Whate'er we purpose, leifure will be found
To lay Maffilia level with the ground:
This bears, my valiant friends, a found of joy;
Our useless arms, at length, fhall find employ.
Winds lofe their force, that unresisted fly,
And flames, unfed by fuel, fink and die.
Our courage thus would foften in repofe,
But fortune and rebellion yield us foes.
Yet mark! what love their friendly speech expreft!
Unarm'd and fingle, Cæfar is their gueft.
Thus, firft they dare to stop me on my way,
Then feek with fawning treafon to betray.
Anon, they pray that civil rage may ceafe:
But war fhall fcourge them for those hopes of peace ;
And make them know the prefent times afford,
At least while Cæfar lives, no fafety like the fword.
He faid; and to the city bent his way:
The city, fearless all, before him lay,
With armed hands her battlements were crown'd,
And lufty youth the bulwarks mann'd around,
Near to the walls, a rifing mountain's head Flat with a little level plain is spread:
Upon this height the wary chief defigns.
His camp to ftrengthen with surrounding lines.
Lofty alike, and with a warlike mien,
Maffilia's neighbouring citadel is feen ;
An humble valley fills the space between.
Straight he decrees the middle vale to fill,
And run a mole athwart from hill to hill,
But first a lengthening work extends its way,
Where open to the land this city lay,
And from the camp projecting joins the fea.
Low finks the ditch, the turfy breast-works rise,
And cut the captive town from all supplies:
While, gazing from their towers, the Greeks bemoan
The meads, the fields, and fountains once their own.
Well have they thus acquir'd the noblest name,
And confecrated these their walls to fame.
Fearlefs of Cæfar and his arms they ftood,,
Nor drove before the headlong rufhing flood:
And while he fwept whole nations in a day,
Maffilia bade th' impatient victor stay,
And clogg'd his rapid conqueft with delay.
Fortune a mafter for the world prepar'd,
And these th' approaching slavery retard.
Ye times to come record the warrior's praife,
Who lengthen'd-out expiring freedom's days.
Now while with toil unweary'd rofe the mound,
The founding ax invades the groves around;
Light earth and shrubs the middle banks fupply'd,
But firmer beams muft fortify the fide
Veffels of every fort and size she fits,
And speedy to the briny deep commits
The crazy hulk, that, worn with winds and tides,
Safe in the dock, and long neglected, rides,
She planks anew, and calks her leaky fides.
Now rofe the morning, and the golden fun
With beams refracted on the ocean fhone;
Clear was the sky, the waves from murmur cease. 780
And every ruder wind was hush'd in peace;
Smooth lay the glaffy furface of the main,
And offer'd to the war its ample plain :
When to the destin'd stations all repair;
Here Cæfar's powers, the youth of Phocis there.
Their brawny arms are bar'd, their oars they dip,
Swift o'er the water glides the nimble ship;
Feels the ftrong blow the well-compacted oak,
And trembling fprings at each repeated stroke.
Crooked in front the Latian navy stood,
And wound a bending crefcent o'er the flood.
With four full banks of oars advancing high,
On either wing the larger veffels ply,
While in the centre fafe the leffer galliots lie.
Brutus the firft, with eminent command,
In the tall admiral is feen to ftand;
Six rows of lengthening pines the billows sweep,
And heave the burden o'er the groaning deep.
Now prow to prow advance each hostile fleet,
And want but one concurring stroke to meet,
When peals of shouts and mingling clamours roar,
And drown the brazen trump, and plunging oar.
The brushing pine the frothy surface plies,
While on their banks the lusty rowers rife :
Each brings the stroke back on his ample chest,
Then firm upon his feat he lights repreft.
With clashing beaks the launching vessels meet,
And from the mutual fhock alike retreat.
Thick clouds of flying fhafts the welkin hide,
Then fall, and floating strow the ocean wide.
At length the stretching wings their order leave,
And in the line the mingling foe receive:
Then might be feen, how, dash'd from fide to fide,
Before the stemming vessel drove the tide ;
Still as each keel her foamy furrow plows,
Now back, now forth, the furge obedient flows.
Thus warring winds alternate rule maintain,
And this, and that way, roll the yielding main.
Maffilia's navy, nimble, clean, and light,
With best advantage feek or fhun the fight;
With ready ease all anfwer to command,
Obey the helm, and feel the pilot's hand.
Not fo the Romans; cumbrous hulks they lay,
And flow and heavy hung upon the fea;
Yet ftrong, and for the clofer combat good,
They yield firm footing on th' unstable flood.
Thus Brutus faw, and to the mafter cries,
(The master in the lofty poop he fpies,
Where streaming the Prætorian enfign flies,)
Still wilt thou bear away, ftill fhift thy place,
And turn the battle to a wanton chace?
Is this a time to play fo mean a part,
To tack, to veer, and boast thy trifling art?
Bring to. The war fhall hand to hand be try'd;
Oppose thou to the foe our ample fide,
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