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three or four hundred years before the Christian era； may be supposed to
have known； and who are in no wise above the passions and prejudices of
their age and nation。 To these imaginary poets must be ascribed some
blunders which are so obvious that is unnecessary to point them out。 The
real blunder would have been to represent these old poets as deeply versed
in general history； and studious of chronological accuracy。 To them must
also be attributed the illiberal sneers at the Greeks； the furious party spirit；
the contempt for the arts of peace； the love of war for its own sake； the
ungenerous exultation over the vanquished； which the reader will
sometimes observe。 To portray a Roman of the age of Camillus or Curius
as superior to national antipathies； as mourning over the devastation and
slaughter by which empire and triumphs were to be won； as looking on
human suffering with the sympathy of Howard； or as treating conquered
enemies with the delicacy of the Black Prince； would be to violate all
dramatic propriety。 The old Romans had some great virtues； fortitude；
temperance； veracity； spirit to resist oppression； respect for legitimate
authority； fidelity in the observing of contracts； disinterestedness； ardent
patriotism； but Christian charity and chivalrous generosity were alike
unknown to them。
It would have been obviously improper to mimic the manner of any
particular age or country。 Something has been borrowed； however； from
our own old ballads； and more from Sir Walter Scott； the great restorer of
our ballad…poetry。 To the Iliad still greater obligations are due； and those
obligations have been contracted with the less hesitation； because there is
reason to believe that some of the old Latin minstrels really had recourse
to that inexhaustible store of poetical images。
It would have been easy to swell this little volume to a very
considerable bulk； by appending notes filled with quotations； but to a
learned reader such notes are not necessary； for an unlearned reader they
would have little interest； and the judgment passed both by the learned and
by the unlearned on a work of the imagination will always depend much
more on the general character and spirit of such a work than on minute
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Lays of Ancient Rome
details。
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Lays of Ancient Rome
Horatius
There can be little doubt that among those parts of early Roman
history which had a poetical origin was the legend of Horatius Cocles。 We
have several versions of the story； and these versions differ from each
other in points of no small importance。 Polybius； there is reason to believe；
heard the tale recited over the remains of some Consul or Pr 鎡 or
descended from the old Horatian patricians； for he introduces it as a
specimen of the narratives with which the Romans were in the habit of
embellishing their funeral oratory。 It is remarkable that； according to him；
Horatius defended the bridge alone； and perished in the waters。 According
to the chronicles which Livy and Dionysius followed； Horatius had two
companions； swam safe to shore； and was loaded with honors and rewards。
These discrepancies are easily explained。 Our own literature； indeed；
will furnish an exact parallel to what may have taken place at Rome。 It is
highly probably that the memory of the war of Porsena was preserved by
compositions much resembling the two ballads which stand first in the
Relics of Ancient English Poetry。 In both those ballads the English；
commanded by the Percy； fight with the Scots； commanded by the
Douglas。 In one of the ballads the Douglas is killed by a nameless English
archer； and the Percy by a Scottish spearman； in the other； the Percy slays
the Douglas in single combat； and is himself made prisoner。 In the former；
Sir Hugh Montgomery is shot through the heart by a Northumbrian
bowman； in the latter he is taken and exchanged for the Percy。 Yet both the
ballads relate to the same event； and that event which probably took place
within the memory of persons who were alive when both the ballads were
made。 One of the Minstrels says：
‘‘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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Lays of Ancient Rome
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 as