By port and vest, by horse and crest,

Each warlike Lucomo.

There Cilnius of Arretium

On his fleet roan was seen;

And Astur of the four-fold shield,

Girt with the brand none else may wield,

Tolumnius with the belt of gold,

And dark Verbenna from the hold

By reedy Thrasymene.

XXIV.

Fast by the royal standard,

O'erlooking all the war,

Lars Porsena of Clusium

Sat in his ivory car.

By the right wheel rode Mamilius,
Prince of the Latian name;

And by the left false Sextus,

That wrought the deed of shame.

XXV.

But when the face of Sextus

Was seen among the foes,

A yell that rent the firmament
From all the town arose.

On the house-tops was no woman
But spat towards him and hissed;
No child but screamed out curses,

And shook its little fist.

XXVI.

But the Consul's brow was sad,

And the Consul's speech was low, And darkly looked he at the wall,

And darkly at the foe. "Their van will be upon us

Before the bridge goes down;

And if they once may win the bridge, What hope to save the town?”

XXVII.

Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the gate:

"To every man upon this earth

Death cometh soon or late.

XXVIII.

"And for the tender mother

Who dandled him to rest,

And for the wife who nurses

His baby at her breast,

And for the holy maidens

Who feed the eternal flame,

To save them from false Sextus

That wrought the deed of shame?

XXIX.

"Hew down the bridge, Sir Consul, With all the speed ye may;

I, with two more to help me,
Will hold the foe in play.

In yon strait path a thousand

May well be stopped by three.

Now who will stand on either hand,

And keep the bridge with me?"

XXX.

Then cut spake Spurius Lartius;

A Ramnian proud was he:

"Lo, I will stand at thy right hand,

And keep the bridge with thee." And out spake strong Herminius;

Of Titian blood was he:

"I will abide on thy left side,

And keep the bridge with thee."

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XXXI.

Horatius," quoth the Consul,

"As thou sayest, so let it be."