364
VIRGIL's
Æn. II.
And gilded Roofs come tumbling from on high,
The marks of State, and ancient Royalty.
The Guards below, fix'd in the Pass, attend
The Charge undaunted, and the Gate defend.
Renew'd in Courage with recover'd Breath, 615
A second time we ran to tempt our Death:
To clear the Palace from the Foe, succeed.
The weary living, and revenge the dead.
A Postern-door, yet unobserv'd and free,
Join'd by the length of a blind Gallery, 620
To the King's Closet led; a way well known
To Hector's Wife, while Priam held the Throne:
Through which the brought Astyanax, unseen,
To chear his Grandsire, and his Grandsire's Queen.
Thro' this we pass, and mount the Tow'r, from whence
With unavailing Arms the Trojans make defence. 626
From this the trembling King had oft descry'd
The Grecian Camp, and saw their Navy ride.
Beams from its lofty height with Swords we hew;
Then wrenching with our hands, th' Assault renew. 630
And where the Rasters on the Columns meet,
We push them headlong with our Arms and Feet:
The Lightning flies not swifter than the Fall;
Nor Thunder louder than the ruin'd Wall:
Down goes the top at once; the Greeks beneath 635
Are piecemeal torn, or pounded into Death.
Yet more succeed, and more to death are sent;
We cease not from above, nor they below relent.
The marks of State, and ancient Royalty.
The Guards below, fix'd in the Pass, attend
The Charge undaunted, and the Gate defend.
Renew'd in Courage with recover'd Breath, 615
A second time we ran to tempt our Death:
To clear the Palace from the Foe, succeed.
The weary living, and revenge the dead.
A Postern-door, yet unobserv'd and free,
Join'd by the length of a blind Gallery, 620
To the King's Closet led; a way well known
To Hector's Wife, while Priam held the Throne:
Through which the brought Astyanax, unseen,
To chear his Grandsire, and his Grandsire's Queen.
Thro' this we pass, and mount the Tow'r, from whence
With unavailing Arms the Trojans make defence. 626
From this the trembling King had oft descry'd
The Grecian Camp, and saw their Navy ride.
Beams from its lofty height with Swords we hew;
Then wrenching with our hands, th' Assault renew. 630
And where the Rasters on the Columns meet,
We push them headlong with our Arms and Feet:
The Lightning flies not swifter than the Fall;
Nor Thunder louder than the ruin'd Wall:
Down goes the top at once; the Greeks beneath 635
Are piecemeal torn, or pounded into Death.
Yet more succeed, and more to death are sent;
We cease not from above, nor they below relent.
