Book 14
The two gate posts with sprinkling of the fyry water smoakt.
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Wherby the gate beehyghted to the Sabines quyght was choakt
With rysing of this fountaine straunge, untill that Marsis knyght
Had armed him. Then Romulus did boldly offer fyght.
The Romane ground with Sabines and with Romanes bothe were spred.
And with the blood of fathrinlawes which wicked swoord had shed
Flowde mixt the blood of sonneinlawes. Howbee't it seemed best
To bothe the partyes at the length from battell for to rest,
And not to fyght to uttrance: and that Tacye should becoome
Copartner with king Romulus of sovereintye in Rome.
Within a whyle king Tacye dyde: and bothe the Sabines and
The Romanes under Romulus in equall ryght did stand.
The God of battell putting off his glittring helmet then,
With such like woordes as theis bespake the syre of Goddes and men:
The tyme, father (in as much as now the Romane state
Is wexen strong uppon the good foundation layd alate,
Depending on the stay of one) is comme for thee to make
Thy promis good which thou of mee and of thy graundchyld spake:
Which was to take him from the earth and in the heaven him stay.
Thou once (I markt thy gracious woordes and bare them well away)
Before a great assembly of the Goddes didst to mee say
There shalbee one whom thou shalt rayse above the starry skye.
Now let thy saying take effect. Jove graunting by and by
The ayre was hid with darksom clowdes, and thunder foorth did fly,
And lyghtning made the world agast. Which Mars perceyving to
Bee luckye tokens for himself his enterpryse to do,
Did take his rist uppon his speare and boldly lept into
His bloodye charyot. And he lent his horses with his whippe
A yirking lash, and through the ayre full smoothely downe did slippe.
And staying on the woody toppe of mountayne Palatine,
He tooke away king Romulus whoo there did then defyne
The pryvate caces of his folk unseemly for a king.
And as a leaden pellet broade enforced from a sling
Is woont to dye amid the skye: even so his mortall flesh
Sank from him downe the suttle ayre. In sted wherof a fresh
And goodly shape more stately and more meete for sacred shryne
Succeeded, like our Quirin that in stately robe dooth shyne.
Hersilia for her feere as lost, of moorning made none end,
Untill Queene Juno did commaund dame Iris to discend
Uppon the Raynebowe downe, and thus her message for to doo:
