...lop light Of hoary willow bark they build, which bent On hides of oxen, bears the weight of man And swims the torrent. Thus on sluggish Po Venetians float; and on th' encircling sea Are borne Britannia 's nations; and when Nile Fills all the land, are Memphis' thirsty reeds Shaped into fragile boats that swim his waves. The further bank thus gained, they haste to curve The fallen forest, and to ...