Her that did match the whole earths puis

faunce, And did her courage to the heavens advaunce.

VII.

85

Ye facred ruines, and ye tragick fights,
Which onely doo the name of Rome retaine,
Olde moniments, which of fo famous fprights
The honour yet in alhes doo maintaine ;
Triumphant arcks, spyres, neighbours to the

skie;

you to fee doth th' heaven it selfe appall; 90 Alas, by little ye to nothing flie, The peoples fable, and the spoyle of all ! And though your frames do for a time make

That you

warre

marre.

Gainst Time, yet Time in time shall ruinate
Your workes and names,

and
your last reliques

95 My fad desires, rest therefore moderate !

For if that Time make ende of things so sure,
It als will end the paine which I endure.

VIII.
Through armes and vafsals Rome the world

fubdu'd, That one would weene that one fole Cities

strength Both land and sea in roundnes had survew'd, To be the measure of her bredth and length: This peoples vertue yet fo fruitfull was

100

Of vertuous nephewes, that posteritie,
Striving in power their grandfathers to passe, 105,
The lowest earth ioin'd to the heaven hie;
To th’end that, having all parts in their power,
Nought from the Romane Empire might be

quight;
And that though Time doth Commonwealths

devowre, Yet no time should fo low embase their hight, 110 That her head earth'd in her foundations

deep Should not her name and endles honour keep.

IX.

115

Ye cruell starres, and eke ye gods unkinde,
Heaven envious, and bitter stepdame Nature!
Be it by fortune, or by course of kinde,
That ye doo weld th'affaires of earthlie creature;
Why have your hands long fithence traveiled
To frame this world, that doth endure so long?
Or why were not these Romane palaces
Made of some matter no lesse firme and strong ?
I say not, as the common voyce doth fay, 121
That all things which beneath the Moone hare

being
Are temporall, and subiect to decay :
But I say rather, though not all agreeing

125

With fome that weene the contrarie in

thought, That all this Whole fhall one day come to nought.

X. As that brave sonne of Aefon, which by charmes Atcheiv'd the Golden Fleece in Colchid land, Out of the earth engendred men of armes Of dragons teeth, sowne in the sacred fand; 130 So this brave Towne, that in her youthlie daies An hydra was of warriours glorious, Did fill with her renowned nurslings praise The firie sunnes both one and other hous: But they at last, there being then not living 135 An Hercules fo ranke seed to represse, Emongst themselves with cruell furie striving, Mow'd downe themselves with Naughter mer

cileffe; Renewing in themselves that rage unkinde, , Which whilom did those earthborn brethren blinde.

XI.
Mars, shaming to have given fo great head
To his off-spring, that mortall puiffaunce,
Puft

up with pride of Romane hardie-head,
Seem'd above heavens powre it felfe to advaunce;
Cooling againe his former kindled heate,
With which he had those Romane fpirits fild,
Did blowe new fire, and with enflamed breath,

140

145

?

Into the Gothicke colde, hot rage

inftild: Then

gan that Nation, th' earths new Giant

brood, To dart abroad the thunderbolts.of warre, 150 And, beating downe these walls with furious

mood
Into her mothers bosome, all did marre ;

To th’end that none, all were it Iove his fire,
Should boast himselfe of the Románe Empire.

XII.
Like as whilome the children of the Earth 155
Heapt hils on hils to scale the starrie skie,
And fight against the gods of heavenly berth,
Whiles Iove at them his thunderbolts let flie;
All suddenly with lightning overthrowne,
The furious fquadrons downe to ground did fall,
That th’ Earth under her childrens weight did

grone, And th' Heavens in glorie triumpht over all : So did that haughtie front, which heaped was On these Seven Romane Hils, it felfe

upreare Over the world, and lift her loftie face Against the heaven, that gan her furce to feare.

But now these fcorned fields bemone her fall,
And gods secure feare not her force at all.

161

165

XIII.

Nor the swift furie of the flames aspiring,
Nor the deep wounds of victours raging blade, 170
Nor ruthleffe fpoyle of souldiers blood-desiring,

182

The which so oft thee, Rome, their conquest

made; Ne stroke on stroke of fortune variable, Ne rust of age hating continuance, Nor wrath of gods, nor spight of men unstable, Nor thou oppos'd against thine owne puiffance ; Nor th' horrible uprore of windes high blowing, Nor swelling streames of that god fnakie-paced, Which hath so often with his overflowing Thee drenched, have thy pride so much abaced;

But that this nothing which they have thee left, Makes the world wonder what they from thee reft.

XIV. As men in Summer fearles passe the foord, Which is in Winter lord of all the plaine, Andwith his tumbling streames doth beare aboord The ploughmans hope and thepheards labour

vaine : And as the coward beasts use to despise The noble Lion after his lives end, Whetting their teeth, and with vaine foolhardise Daring the foe that cannot him defend : And as at Troy most dastards of the Greekes Did brave about the corpes of Hector colde: So those, which whilome wont with pallid cheekes The Romane triumphs glorie to behold,

186

190