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‘‘Old men that knowen the grounde well yenoughe Call it
the battell of Otterburn： At Otterburn began this spurne
Upon a monnyn day。 Ther was the dougghte Doglas slean：
The Perse never went away。''
The other poet sums up the event in the following lines：
‘‘Thys fraye bygan at Otterborne Bytwene the nyghte and
the day： Ther the Doglas lost hys lyfe； And the Percy was
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lede away。''
It is by no means unlikely that there were two old Roman lays about
the defence of the bridge； and that； while the story which Livy has
transmitted to us was preferred by the multitude； the other； which ascribed
the whole glory to Horatius alone； may have been the favorite with the
Horatian house。 The following ballad is supposed to have been made
about a hundred and twenty years after the war which it celebrates； and
just before the taking of Rome by the Gauls。 The author seems to have
been an honest citizen； proud of the military glory of his country； sick of
the disputes of factions； and much given to pining after good old times
which had never really existed。 The allusion； however； to the partial
manner in which the public lands were allotted could proceed only from a
plebeian； and the allusion to the fraudulent sale of spoils marks the date of
the poem； and shows that the poet shared in the general discontent with
which the proceedings of Camullus； after the taking of Veii； were
regarded。
The penultimate syllable of the name Porsena has been shortened in
spite of the authority of Niebuhr； who pronounces； without assigning any
ground for his opinion； that Martial was guilty of a decided blunder in the
line；
‘‘Hanc spectare manum Porsena non potuit。''
It is not easy to understand how any modern scholar； whatever his
attainments may be；and those of Niebuhr were undoubtedly immense；
can venture to pronounce that Martial did not know the quantity of a word
which he must have uttered； and heard uttered； a hundred times before he
left school。 Niebuhr seems also to have forgotten that Martial has fellow
culprits to keep him in countenance。 Horace has committed the same
decided blunder； for he give us； as a pure iambic line；
‘‘Minacis aut Etrusca Porsen* dextram；''
Silius Italicus has repeatedly offended in the same way； as when he
ways； ‘‘Clusinum vulgus； cum； Porsena magne； jubebas。'' A modern
writer may be content to err in such company。
Niebuhr's supposition that each of the three defenders of the bridge
was the representative of one of the three patrician tribes is both ingenious
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and probable； and has been adopted in the following poem。
Horatius
A Lay Made About the Year Of The City CCCLX
I
Lars Porsena of Closium By the Nine Gods he swore That the
great house of Tarquin Should suffer wrong no more。 By the Nine
Gods he swore it； And named a trysting day； And bade his
messengers ride forth； East and west and south and north； To
summon his array。
II
East and west and south and north The messengers ride fast；
And tower and town and cottage Have heard the trumpet's blast。
Shame on the false Etruscan Who lingers in his home； When
Porsena of Clusium Is on the march for Rome。
III
The horsemen and the footmen Are pouring in amain From
many a stately market…place； From many a fruitful plain； From
many a lonely hamlet； Which； hid by beech and pine； Like an
eagle's nest； hangs on the crest Of purple Apennine；
IV
From lordly Volaterr*； Where scowls the far…famed hold Piled
by the hands of giants For godlike kings of old； From seagirt
Populonia； Whose sentinels descry Sardinia's snowy mountain…tops
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Fringing the southern sky；
V
From the proud mart of Pis*； Queen of the western waves；
Where ride Massilia's triremes Heavy with fair…haired slaves； From
where sweet Clanis wanders Through corn and vines and flowers；
From where Cortona lifts to heaven Her diadem of towers。
VI
Tall are the oaks whose acorns Drop in dark Auser's rill； Fat are
the stags that champ the boughs Of the Ciminian hill； Beyond all
streams Clitumnus Is to the herdsman dear； Best of all pools the
fowler loves The great Volsinian mere。
VII
But now no stroke of woodman Is heard by Auser's rill； No
hunter tracks the stag's green path Up the Ciminian hill； Unwatched
along Clitumnus Grazes the milk…white steer； Unharmed the water
fowl may dip In the Volsminian mere。
VIII
The harvests of Arretium； This year； old men shall reap； This
year； young boys in Umbro Shall plunge the struggling sheep； And
in the vats of Luna； This year； the must shall foam Round the white
feet of laughing girls Whose sires have marched to Rome。
IX
There be thirty chosen prophets； The wisest of the land； Who
alway by Lars Porsena Both morn and evening stand： Evening and
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morn the Thirty Have turned the verses o'er； Traced from the right
on linen white By mighty seers of yore。
X
And with one voice the Thirty Have their glad answer given：
‘‘Go forth； go forth； Lars Porsena； Go forth； beloved of Heaven； Go；
and return in glory To Clusium's royal dome； And hang round
Nurscia's altars The golden shields of Rome。''
XI
And now hath every city Sent up her tale of men； The foot are
fourscore thousand； The horse are thousands ten。 Before the gates
of Sutrium Is met the great array。 A proud man was Lars Porsena
Upon the trysting day。
XII
For all the Etruscan armies Were ranged beneath h