181 Gaul. The Etrurians, having the Gauls of N. Italy (Cisalpine Gaul) for their neighbors. were in frequent conflict with them.

184 Port. Manner of movement or walk, carriage. Cf. Henry V. Prol. 6, "assume the port of Mars"; Tennyson's Morte d'Arthur, Epilogue, "like a modern gentlenian of stateliest port." (O. F. port, Lat. portare, to carry; cf. "deportment.")

185 Lucumo (or Laukane). An Etruscan word meaning lord or prince. Each of the twelve cities had its Lucumo.

186 Cilnius of Arretium. The Cilnii were a powerful Etruscan family - Lucumos in the town of Arretium. Maecenas, the wealthy patron of the poet Horace, was one of their descendants. The Etruscan form of the name was Cfenle or Cfelne. The hero mentioned by Macaulay is imaginary, probably suggested by the fact that Silius Italicus, a Latin poet of the first century A. D., had also invented a Čilnius of Arretium and given him a steed.

187 Roan. Horse of a roan color, i. e., red-brown flecked with gray. (O. F. roan, perhaps from Lat. rufus, red.)

188 Of the fourfold shield. Heroes were often known by some distinguishing mark in their appearance, dress, or arms. Cf. Scott's "Belted Will" (Lay of the Last Minstrel, canto v.) Shields were frequently of several thicknesses of materials, a common form being composed of wood or wicker covered with hide and overlaid with metals. The Homeric heroes had sevenfold shields. Thus the shield of Ajax is described in the Iliad as consisting of seven bull-hides, covered in front with a plate of burnished brass.

189 Brand. Sword; so-called from the flash of the blade. (O. E. brand, a burning, from beornan, to burn.)

190 There was a Tolumnius Lar, king of the Veientines, to whom the inhabitants of Fidenæ revolted from Rome in 438 B. C., and who was killed shortly after. Macaulay has borrowed the name to furnish the poem with picturesque detail.

191

Hold. Fortress, position made strong either by nature or by fortifications. Perhaps Cortona may be meant here; see line 39; or possibly Perusia (modern Perugia).

192 Thrasymene (Trasimenus Lacus; modern Lago di Perugia or Traismeno). The largest of the Etruscan lakes; it has low flat banks thickly covered with reeds.

193 Fast by. Very close to. Cf. Ruth, ii. 8, "abide here fast by my maidens"; Milton, Paradise Lost, i. 11. "Siloa's brook that flowed fast by the oracle of God." (O. E. faest, firm, fixed: whence fasten. Cf. "hard by," "hard and fast.")

194 War. Poetically used for "army," just as "battle" is. Cf. Milton, Paradise Lost, xii

213

"On their embattled ranks the waves return,
And overwhelm their war";

and Tennyson, The Two Voices, 155

"What time the foeman's line is broke,

And all the war is roll'd in smoke."

195-199 The order in which the enemy approach the city is taken from Dionysius of Halicarnassus. 'On the left were Titus and Sextus Tarquinius, having about them a band of exiles and the flower of the Gabian youth, besides not a few mercenaries; to the right Mamilius, with the Latins who had seceeded from Rome. Porsena was in the centre of the line of battle."

196 Ivory car. The ancients decorated their cars with much splendor. In the Vatican at Rome there are to be seen cars of marble and ivory. It was from the Etruscans, according to Livy (i. 8), that the Romans adopted the ivory curule chair.

197 Mamilius. See note on line 96.

199

False Sextus. The second son of Tarquin the Proud. See Introductory Note, page 10. After the banishment of the Tarquins from Rome, he is said by some authorities to have retired to Gabii and to have been assassinated there; by others, to have been slain in the battle of Lake Regillus. Cf. Macaulay's Lay on that battle.

200

Both consuls are said by Plutarch to have been severely wounded in the contest tor possession of the Janiculum. Notice how expressive is the change of rhythm here.

211 Darkly. Gloomily, with a frown.

213

217

var.

223

Van. Front ranks. (Short for vanguard, F. avant garde.)

Horatius. Surnamed Cocles, or "the one-eyed," probably from having lost an eye in

Ashes. The Romans and other ancient peoples burnt their dead, the ashes being kept in

sepulchral urns. Hence the word "ashes" has become a common poetical word for mortal remains Cf. Shelley, Adonais, xl. 9, "With sparkless ashes load an unlamented urn."

229 The holy maidens. The Vestal virgins, priestesses of Vesta, a religious order instituted by Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome. Their chief duty was to watch the ever-burning flame on the altar of the goddess Vesta, and to guard the sacred relics.

236 Hold in play. Keep the enemy occupied, engage their attention. So in cricket and football, the ball is "in play" when it is actually being used. (O. E. plega, from plegan, to move briskly.)

237 Yon. Yonder, that over there: a demonstrative adjective, often used in Scotland for that." (O. E. geond.)

237 Strait. Narrow. Cf. St. Matthew, vii. 13. "Enter ye in at the strait gate." (Lat. strictus, drawn together: quite distinct from "straight," which is pp. of O. E. streccan, to stretch.) 241 Spurious Lartius. A Roman of Etruscan descent, the family name, Lartius, being probably connected with Lars, lord or prince.

242 A Ramnian, That is, one of the Ramnes or Ramnenses. The original patrician inhabitants of Rome were divided into three tribes: the Ramnes, the Tities or Titienses, and the Lucres or Lucerenses. The suggestion that each of the three had a share in the honor of this incident is due to Niebuhr, the historian.

245 Herminius. Another imaginary hero.

249 Quoth. Past tense of O. E. cwethan, to say. This is the only part of the verb now used, and that only in poetry, in imitations of old-time prose, and occasionally with a humorous intention.

257 Party. Faction, a party united to work for personal ends or in personal devotions to a leader, and not for the common good.

261, 262 About the time when this ballad was supposed to have been written, the Plebs, or common people, were much embittered against the Patricians because of the unfair distribution among the latter of lands and spoils taken from the enemy. In 391 Camillus, the great general, went into voluntary exile after an accusation of unjust dealing with the spoils of Veii. But in the old days which the Singer praises things were no better. Only a few years after the fight at the bridge the first Secession of the Plebs took place.

267 Tribunes. Magistrates, chosen annually by the Plebs to protect their interests. The persons of the tribunes were inviolate, and they possessed sufficient power to obstruct the whole business of the state. Roman history contains many stories of quarrels fostered by the tribunes. Read Coriolanus and Julius Cæsar.

267 Beard. Set at defiance with daring and insolence. The "beard" was an emblem of dignity. The idea of "bearding" is "to pluck the beard."

268 Grind. Crush, oppress. Cf. "grinding toil," "grinding poverty." The metaphor is obvious.

269 We: That is, the people generally.

269 Wax. Grow, become. (O. E. weaxan: cf. modern Germ. wechsen. The word occurs very frequently in the Bible.)

269 Faction See note on line 257.

274 Harness. Armor. Cf. 1 Kings, xxii. 34, "smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness." The word occurs in Shakespeare and Milton with this meaning, and in Tennyson. (O. F. harneis, from a Celtic root.)

277 Mixed. Past participle attributive to "Fathers."

277 Commons. The Plebs, Plebes, or Plebiei, who first appeared as a distinct class of citizens, as opposed to the Patricians, in the reign of Tulius Hostilius. It was only after hard struggles that they secured personal freedom and a share in the government.

278 Crow. A bar of iron bent at one end like a crow's beak. Cf. Comedy of Errors, iii. 1. 80 "Well, I'll break in; go borrow me a crow." Now usually called "crow-bar.'

280 Props. The bridge (see note on line 151) was built on piles or props (sublica): hence its name, Pons Sublicius.

282 Right. Very, most. Cf. "right honorable."

282

To behold. This must be called in English a "complementary infinitive": it is equivalent to the Latin supine in -u.

284 Surges. Waves. (Lat. surgere, to rise: cf. "re-surrection.")

287 Glee. Spirited music. (O. E. gleo, music, sport.)

"Who spread

289 Advanced. Held forward, in readiness for attack. Cf. Pope, Iliad, xi. 721, their bucklers and advance their spears." There is a military command, "advance arms.

289 Ensigns spread. Flags unfurled. The Roman standard was not a flag, but a pole surmounted by a brazen eagle.

295 Vanguard. See note on line 213.

296 Spurring. That is, spurring their horses to a gailop.

301 Tifernum. In the upper valley of the Tiber, about 20 miles from Arretium, on the confines of Etruria and Umbria.

303, 304 Notice the terseness of poetry. Write in a prose sentence all that is implied in these two lines.

304 Ilva (Elba). An island off the coast of Etruria, opposite Populonium. It was famous for its iron mines, the abundance of the metal giving rise to the notion that it grew again as fast as it was extracted. The metal was easily worked, as it was not sunk deeply, and was rather quarried than mined. Macaulay's expression, "sickened in Ilva's mines," must be read, therefore, in another light than that of modern mining experiences. The island is now famous as the place of Napoleon's first exile in 1814.

306 Vassal. A follower and dependant who held his lands on condition of doing military service.

307

Power Forces: cf. King John, iv. 2. 129, "Under whose conduct came those powers

of France.'

309 Nequinum. Called, after its conquest by the Romans, Narnia (modern Narni), was a city of Umbria, on the left bank of the river Nar, about 8 miles above its junction with the Tiber. It was situated on a lofty hill half-surrounded by the waters of the Nar.

310 Nar (modern Nera). A tributary of the Tiber, rising among the Apennines. It is remarkable for its white sulphurous waters, which are alluded to by Vergil (e. g. Æneid, vii. 517, sulpurea Nar albus aqua,' ," "the Nar white with sulphurous water'), Pliny, and other classic

writers.

314 Clove. Split: past tense of "cleave": "cleft" is another past tense. (O. E. cleofan, to split.)

314 To the teeth. That is, the sword cut right through the head.

319 Falerii. A city in the interior of Etruria, a few miles west of the Tiber and north of Mount Soracte.

321

Urgo. Or Gorgon (Gorgona). A small island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, between the coast of Etruria and Corsica, and about 20 miles from the mainland.

322 Rover. Robber, pirate. (O. E. reafere, one who wanders in search of plunder; cf. Cooper's tale, Red Rover.) The Etruscan pirates were dreaded all along the Mediterranean coasts. 323 Volsinium. Or Volsinii (Bolsena). A leading town of Etruria, on a small lake bearing its name (Lacus Volsiniensis.)

324 Volsinium was particularly favored in the matter of prodigies. Its territory was ravaged by a monster called Volta, its heroes appear to have been able to call down fire from heaven, and supernatural occurrences were frequent.

326 Cosa. Or Cossa (Ansedonia). On the sea-coast, near the southernmost of the two necks of land connecting Monte Argentaro with the mainland. The situation is marshy.

327 Wasted. The nominative is "that," i. e. the boar.

328 Albinia. A district about the mouth of a river of the same name, and still called Albegna. flowing into the sea a few miles N. of M. Argentaro.

333 Fell. Cruel.

334 Aghast and pale. Attributive to "crowd."

337 Campania. A province of Central Italy, south of Latium, between the mountains of Samnium and the Tyrrhenian Sea. The greater part is a plain of great beauty and fertility.

337. Hinds. Peanuts. (O. E. hine.)

344 Six spears' lengths. About 40 feet.

346 For a space. For a short time. Cf. Spenser Faerie Queene, II. vi. 33

"to me this grace

Both yield, to stay your strife a space."

(Lat. spatium, from a root meaning "to draw out.")

348 The cry is. There is a shout of.

350 Luna. See note on line 62.

352 Ample. Large, bulky. (Lat. amplus.)

354 Shakes. Brandishes in defiance.

357 Serene and high. Calm and proud.

360 The she-wolf's litter. Said in scorn of the Roman people. Romulus and Remus, the reputed founders of Rome, are said to have been set adrift on the Anio in their cradle, and to have been borne down by that stream into the Tiber, which overflowed its banks and stranded them at the foot of the Palatine. A she-wolf bore them to her den, and suckled them until the king's shepherd, Faustulus, found them and took them to his house.

361 At bay. Hunted animals are said to stand "at bay" when they are compelled, by exhaustion or some obstacle, to turn and face their pursuers. (F. etre aux abois, to be at the baying, i. e. of the dogs: U. F. abai, barking.)

365 To the height. To the full extent of his reach. 369 Deftly. Skilfully. (O. E. daeft.)

373
To see.
374 Reeled.
375 Breat!

A gerundial use of the infinitive
Staggered.

-"at seeing,"

99.66

as they saw."

pace. Just enough time to take breath.

379 Sped. Finished, accomplished. (O. E. spedan, to prosper.)

384 Mount Alvernus (Monte Alverno, modern Alvernia, La Vernia or Vernia), a hill of Etruria; the "rugged rock between the sources of the Tiber and Arno" of Dante's Paradiso.

388 Augurs. Diviners who observed lightning, the flight of birds, the feeding of chickens, the cries of beasts, the spilling of salt, sneezing, etc., in order to draw from them omens as to the future.

389 Blasted head. That is, the head of the oak. The comparison of a stricken warrior to a falling oak occurs in Homer and Virgil.

394-397 These of course are ironical taunts.

397 Cheer. Hospitality. Cf. Tennyson, Lady of Shalott, iv. 48 –

("Cheer," from Gk. kara, head, through O. F. cheer, originally meant "face": then "feeling" s shown by the face: then "pleasant" or "happy" feeling: and so anything that produced this "cheerfulness," such as pleasant food.'

Prowess. Valor, bravery. (O. F. prou, brave: Mod. F. preux; Bayard was

402 chevalier.")

407 Hearts. Symbolical of "courage."

412 Unaware. The usual form is "unawares," adverbial genitive.

་་ un preux

414 Lair. Haunt, resting-place, place where an animal lies. (O. E. leger, bed; liegan, to lie. In Scotland "lair" is used for a grave.)

417 Was none. There was none.

426 Fitfully. At intervals; now rising, now falling. Cf. "by fits and starts," and Tennyson, Aylmer's Field, "coming fitfully like broken music."

435 Thrice. A very common number in the poets, especially in epics, typifying completeness. Cf. Vergil, Æneid, vi. 700, where Æneas "thrice" in vain tries to embrace the shade of Anchises. Milton's Paradise Lost, i. 619, where Satan in trying to address the fallen angels is "thrice" interrupted by tears; Tennyson's Passing of Arthur, where Arthur sends Sir Bedivere "thrice" to cast "the brand Excalibur" into the lake. So in tournaments the challenge was given and the trumpet sounded "thrice"; and nowadays, in starting a race it is one, two, three and away!" 441 Wallowing. Lit. "rolling." (O. E. wealwian, to roll.)

443 Lever. Anything used for the purpose of lifting or prising, such as a crow-bar. (Lat levare, to raise.)

443 Plied. Kept at work. (F. plier, Lat. plicare, to fold, bend.)

450 The ruin fall. The bridge fall in ruins. The word "ruin" is used proleptically. (Lat. ruina, lit. "a rushing down"; Lucretius writes of a “ruin" of hail.) A striking use of the word intransitively occurs in Shelley's Alastor ·

"rejoicing in the fearful war Of wave ruining on wave."

Less unusual instances might be quoted from Milton and Tennyson. 458 Would have crossed. Were in the mind to cross.

462 Athwart. Across. The a- is a preposition: see note on "amain," line 19.

467-475 This passage is worth noting as containing a simile transformed into a metaphor. The clause "like a horse feels the rein" contains the simile; then the terms which apply strictly to the horse, the thing to which the comparison is made, are applied metaphorically to the river, the thing compared.

The process of teaching a horse to obey the rein is called

The metaphor is Homeric. The river Scamander (Iliad, xxi, cf. Scott's Lay, i. 303 —

"Each wave was crested with tawny foam,

Like the mane of a chestnut steed."

Why is "tawny" especially appropriate here?'

473 Career. The technical term for a horse's charge. (O. F. carriere, car-road; Lat. carrus a car.) Cf. Scott's Lay, iv. 567

"Such combat should be made on horse,
On foaming steed, in full career."

474 Battlement. Strictly a fortified wall. It is doubtful whether the word is applicable to the Sublician bridge.

474 Pier. Pile, support. (O. F. piere, Lat. petra, a stone.)

477

Constant. Unmoved. Cf. Julius Cæsar, iii. 1. 60, "I am constant as the northern star." 482 Yield thee. Reflexive: "surrender," "give yourself up.'

483 Grace. Favor, mercy. (Lat. gratia: cf. French demander grace, to beg pardon; par grace, for mercy's sake.) "Throw yourself on our mercy."

484 Deigning. Condescending, thinking worthy of himself. (Lat. dignari, to think worthy.) 485 Craven. Cowardly. (The derivation is unknown.)

488 Palatinus. One of the seven hills on which Rome was built; said to have been the site of the original city of Romulus. It was on the left bank of the river between the Capitoline and Aventine hills, and immediately opposite the Janiculum. During the republic it was the place of residence of most of the important citizens, and later the residence of the Emperors was also there: hence "palace."

492

Father Tiber. The Tiber received its name from a king of Alba, Tiberinus or Thybris, who was drowned in its waters and became the river-god. He was regularly invoked by the augurs in their prayers. The river is often called "father Tiber" in Latin authors: cf. the "father Thames" of English poets.

494, 495 This is a paraphrase of Livy's words: "Tiberine pater' inquit 'te sancte precor, haec arma et hunc militem propitio flumine accipias!""

502 In dumb surprise. Struck speechless with astonishment.

506 Crest. Plume of the helmet. (Lat. crista, a tuft on the head of animals, especially the comb of a cock.)

507 Rapturous. Full of delight (Lat. rapere, to carry away; cf. "to be carried away by one's feelings.")