Then shepherds took the badge of royalty,
And the stout labourer the sword did wield:
The Consuls' power was annually revealed,
Till six month terms won greater majesty,
Which, made perpetual, accrued such power
That the Eagle seized the hour:
But Heaven, opposing such aggrandisement,
Handed that power to Peter's successor,
Who, called a shepherd, fated to reign there,
Shows that all returns to its commencement.
And the stout labourer the sword did wield:
The Consuls' power was annually revealed,
Till six month terms won greater majesty,
Which, made perpetual, accrued such power
That the Eagle seized the hour:
But Heaven, opposing such aggrandisement,
Handed that power to Peter's successor,
Who, called a shepherd, fated to reign there,
Shows that all returns to its commencement.
Du Bellay - The Ruins of Rome
