XII.

Like as whilome the children of the earth

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 squadrons 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 selfe upreare

Over the world, and lift her loftie face

Against the heaven, that gan her force to feare.

But now these scorned fields bemone her fall,

And gods secure feare not her force at all.

The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5 · 第 87 / 327 题