Page:The Queens Court Manuscript with Other Ancient Bohemian Poems, 1852, Cambridge edition.djvu/47

And now towards God’s Mother’s hill
They backwards force their way.
“Up, brethren, up!” doth Vneslaw cry,
While on his silver shield
His sword he strikes, and o’er his head
The banner high doth wield.
All courage take, and all themselves
Upon the Tatars throw,
And in one body, as when flame
From the black earth doth flow,
So from th’ outnumb’ring Tatar host
Towards the hill they go.
With backward steps the hill they climb,
And ’neath its woody crown
Extend themselves, while underneath
A sharp peak pointeth down.
And right and left themselves with shields
They cover for the fight,
And on each other’s shoulders lay
The spears so sharp and bright.
On shoulder of the front-rank man
The second laid his spear,
And those of the third rank in turn
Upon the second were.
And down upon the Tatar hordes
Rain arrows from the hill;—

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