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(From The Life and Death of Jason, Book VI)
SO, with the wind behind them, and the oars | |
| Still hard at work, they went betwixt the shores | |
| Against the ebb, and now full oft espied | |
| Trim homesteads here and there on either side, | |
| And fair kine grazing, and much woolly sheep, | 5 |
| And skin-clad shepherds, roused from midday sleep, | |
| Gazing upon them with scared wondering eyes. | |
| So now they deemed they might be near their prize; | |
| And at the least knew that some town was nigh, | |
| And thought to hear new tidings presently, | 10 |
| Which happed indeed, for on the turn of tide, | |
| At ending of a long reach, they espied | |
| A city wondrous fair, which seemed indeed | |
| To bar the river’s course; but, taking heed, | |
| And drawing nigher, soon found out the case, | 15 |
| That on an island builded was the place, | |
| The more part of it; but four bridges fair, | |
| Set thick with goodly houses everywhere, | |
| Crossed two and two on each side to the land, | |
| Whereon was built, with walls on either hand, | 20 |
| A towered outwork, lest that war should fall | |
| Upon the land, and midmost of each wall | |
| A noble gate; moreover, did they note | |
| About the wharves full many a ship and boat. | |
| And they beheld the sunlight glistering | 25 |
| On arms of men and many a warlike thing, | |
| As nigher to the city they were borne, | |
| And heard at last some huge, deep booming hoarse | |
| Sound from a tower o’er the watery way, | |
| Whose last loud note was taken up straightway | 30 |
| By many another farther and more near. | |
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