Ent'ring the Court, with Shouts the Skies they rand,
And flaming Fire brands to the Roofs afcend.
Pyrrhus, among the foremost, deals his Blows, •
And with his Ax repeated Strokes bestows
On the ftrong Doors: then all their Shoulders ply,
'Till from the Pofts the brazen Hinges fly.
He hews apace, the double Bars at length
Yield to his Ax and unrefifted Strength.
A mighty Breach is made: The Rooms conceal'd
Appear, and all the Palace is reveal'd.
The fatal Work inhuman Pyrrhus plies,
And all his Father fparkles in his Eyes.
Nor Bars, nor fighting Guards his Force fuftain,
The Bars are broken, and the Guards are flain.
In rush the Greeks, and all th' Apartments fill;
Thofe few Defendants which they find they kill:
Where'er the rising Fire had left a Space,
They enter, and poffefs the Place.

The fearful Matrons run from Place to Place,
And kifs the Thresholds, and the Posts embrace.
Driv'n like a Flock of Doves along the Sky,
The Images they hug, and to the Altars fly.
But the protecting Gods are deaf to Pray'rs.

Now march the bold Confederates thro' the Plain,
Well hors'd, well clad, a rich and shining Train.
Silent they move; majestically flow,
Like ebbing Nile, or Ganges in his Flow.
The Trojans view the dufty Cloud from far,
And the dark Menace of the diftant War.

They from the Rampire faw it rife, Black'ning the Fields, and thick'ning thro' the Skies. And when the rolling Clouds approach the Walls, They arm, and man the Works, prepare their Spears, And pointed Darts: then thut their Gates; with (Shouts afcend Their Bulwarks, and fecure their Foes attend. For their wife Gen'ral, with foreseeing Care, Had charg'd them not to tempt the doubtful War:

Nor,

Nor, tho' provok'd, in open Fields advance;
But clofe within their Lines attend their Chance.
Unwilling, yet they keep the ftrict Command
And fourly wait in Arms the hostile Band.
The Foe then fac'd the Lines,

Amaz'd to find a daftard Race, that run
Behind the Rampires, and the Battel shun.
All clad in fhining Arms the Works invest:
Each with a radiant Helm, and waving Creft.
The Trojans from above their Foes beheld,
And with arm'd Legions all the Rampires fill'd;
Seiz'd with Affright, their Gates they firft explore :
Join Works to Works with Bridges; Tow'r to Tow'r.
The Soldiers draw their Lots, and as they fall,
"By Turns relieve each other on the Wall.

The Volfcians bear their Shields upon their Head,
And rushing forward, from a moving Shed,
Thefe fill the Ditch, thofe pull the Bulwarks down;
Some raife the Ladders, others fcale the Town.
But where void Spaces on the Walls appear,
Or thin Defence, they pour their Forces there.
With Poles, and miflive Weapons, from afar,
The Trojans keep aloof the rifing War.

They roul down Ribs of Rocks, an unrefifted Weight,
To break the Penthoufe with the pond'rous Blow:
Which yet the patient Volfcians undergo.
But could not bear th' unequal Combat long;
For where the Trojans find the thickeft Throng,
The Ruin falls; their scatter'd Shields give way,
And their crush'd Heads become an eafy Prey.
They fhrink for Fear, abated of their Rage,
Nor longer dare in a blind Fight engage.
Contented now to gaul them from below,
With Darts and Slings, and with the diftant Bow.
They blazing Pines within the Trenches threw,
Broke down the Palifades, the Trenches won,
And loud for Ladders call, to fcale the Town,

The

The Ditch with Faggots fill'd, the daring Foe
Tofs'd Firebrands to the steepy Turrets throw.

There ftood a Tow'r, amazing to the Sight,
Built up of Beams, and of ftupendicus Height;
Art, and the Nature of the Place confpir'd
To furnish all the Strength that War requir'd.
To level this, the bold Italians joyn,

The wary Trojans obviate their Defign:

With weighty Stones o'erwhelm their Troops below,
Shoot thro' the Loopholes, and sharp Jav'lins throw.
Turnus, the Chief, tofs'd from his thund'ring Hand
Against the wooden Walls a flaming Brand :

It fuck, the fiery Plague. The Winds were high;
The Planks were feafon'd, and the Timber dry.
Contagion caught the Pofts: it fpread along,
Scoroh'd, and to Distance drove the scatter'd Throng.
The Trojans fled; the Fire parfu'd amain,
Still gath'ring faft upon the trembling Train;
'Till crowding to the Corners of the Wall,
Down the Defence, and the Defenders fall.
The mighty Flaw makes Heav'n it felf refound,
The dead and dying Trojans ftrew the Ground.
The Tow'r that follow'd on the fallen Crew,
Whelm'd o'er their Heads, and bury'd whom it flew :
Some fuck upon the Darts themselves had fent ;
All the fame equal Ruin underwent.

Undaunted they no Danger shan ;
From Wall to Wall the Shouts and Clamours run.
They bend their Bows, they whirl their Slingsaround:
Heaps of spent Arrows fall, and ftrew the Ground;
And Helms, and Shields, and rattling Arms refound.
The Combat thickens, like the Storm that flies
From Weftward, when the fhow'ry Kids arife.
And now the Trojan Troops.

Prefuming on their Strength, the Gates unbar,
And of their own Accord invite the War.

Arm'd on the right, and on the left they ftand,
And flank the Paffage.

In flows a Tide of Latians, when they fee
The Gate fet open and the Paffage free.
But foon repuls'd they fly,

Or in the well-defended Pafs they dye.
Now fcarce the dawning Day began to fpring;
When confus'd and high,

Dryd. Virg.

}

Ev'n from the Heav'n was heard a shouting Cry,
For Mars was early up, and rous'd the Sky.
The Gods came downward to behold the Wars,
Sharpning their Sights, and leaning from their Stars:
The Neighing of the gen'rous Horfe was heard,
For Battel by the bufy Groom prepar'd.
Ruftling of Harnefs, Rattling of the Shield,
Clatt'ring of Armour furbish'd for the Field:
The greedy Sight might there devour the Gold
Of glitt'ring Arms, too dazling to behold;
And polish'd Steel, that caft the View aside,
And crefted Motions with their plumy Pride.
Knights, with a long Retinue of their Squires
In gaudy Liv'ries march, and quaint Attires:
One lac'd the Helm, another held the Lance,
A third the fhining Buckler did advance :
The Courfer paw'd the Ground with restlefs Feet,
And fnorting foam'd, and champ'd the golden Bit.
The Smiths and Armourers on Palfreys ride,

Files in their Hands, and Hammers at their Side:
And Nails for loofen'd Spears, and Thongs for
(Shields provide.
(Dryd. Pal. & Arc.

1

All in a Moment rofe

A Foreft huge of Spears; and thronging Helms
Appear'd, and ferri'd Shields, in thick Array,
Of Depth immeafurable; ftrait out-flew

Millions of flaming Swords; the sudden Blaze
Far round illumin'd Hell. They fierce with grafped

(Arms

Mi't.

Clafh'd on their founding Shields the Din of War,
Hurling Defiance tow'rds the Vault of Heav'n.

It was the Time

When creeping Murmur, and the poring Dark
Fill the wide Veffel of the Universe:

From Camp to Camp, thro' the foul Womb of Night,
The Hum of either Army ftilly founds.

Fire anfwers Fire, and thro' their paly Flames
Each Battel fees the other's umber'd Face..

Steed threatens Steed in high and boastful Neighs,
Piercing the Nights dull Ear; and from the Tents
The Armourers accomplishing the Knights,

With bufy Hammers clofing Rivets up,
Give dreadful Note of Preparation.

Shak. Hen. 5.

The Fight grows Hot, the whole War's now at work, And the goar'd Battel bleeds in ev'ry Vein.

(Shak, K. Lear. Then planting at the Walls a fcaling Ladder,

I mounted fpight of Show'rs of Stones, Bars, Arrows,
And all the Lumber which they thunder'd down.
I left the Walls to fly among my Foes,

And, like a baited Lyon, dy'd my felf

All over with the Blood of thofe bold Hunters; 'Till fpent with Toil, I battled on my Knees, Pluck'd forth the Darts that made my Shield a Forest, Aud hurl'd them back with most unconquer'd Fury. (Lee's Alex.

WATER.

Like as a water streame, whoes fwelling Sourse Shall drive a Mill, within ftrong bankes is pent, And long reftrained of his ready course;

So foon as paffage is unto him lent,

Breakes forth, and makes his way more violent. Spen.

WAVES.

So fwelling Surges with a thund'ring Roar, Driv'n on each other's Backs, infult the Shore ; Bound o'er the Rocks, incroach upon the Land, And far upon the Beach eject the Sand:

Then