Book 1.
An Heroick Poem.
9
As that great Soul of Honor, Blush'd to see
His Armes did it subdue, e'r Brittany:
And more its Mistress, Proud Rome Conquer'd too,
Made next his Slave, that first the World made so;
Dares then despised Ennius hope to Live,
And this Isle Lawes, from Roman Conquest Give?
Or with his Armes, here Glory to Maintain,
The smallest Relicks, Cæsars Sword did gain?
What though Alvatrix, with his Gaules dos joyn
T' Assist their Eagles, our Prov'd Armes decline?
Effeminate Creatures, form'd by Clothes, and Words,
But soon will Fly, the Language of our Swords.
Or does Alvatrix, hope thus to Improve
His late Addresses, for Bonduca's Love?
Or thinks, her Virtues e'r can shaken be,
Though Rome to him, should Pander Victory?
But we delay our Active Armes too long,
Time calls, our warlike troops in Camps should throng;
His Armes did it subdue, e'r Brittany:
And more its Mistress, Proud Rome Conquer'd too,
Made next his Slave, that first the World made so;
Dares then despised Ennius hope to Live,
And this Isle Lawes, from Roman Conquest Give?
Or with his Armes, here Glory to Maintain,
The smallest Relicks, Cæsars Sword did gain?
What though Alvatrix, with his Gaules dos joyn
T' Assist their Eagles, our Prov'd Armes decline?
Effeminate Creatures, form'd by Clothes, and Words,
But soon will Fly, the Language of our Swords.
Or does Alvatrix, hope thus to Improve
His late Addresses, for Bonduca's Love?
Or thinks, her Virtues e'r can shaken be,
Though Rome to him, should Pander Victory?
But we delay our Active Armes too long,
Time calls, our warlike troops in Camps should throng;
With
