ページの画像
PDF
ePub

5

10

Or Tivoli said to him,
Scarce did the memories wake

Of the far-off years and dim,
For he stood by Avernus' shore,

But he dreamed of a Northern glen,
And he murmured, over and o'er,

"For Charlie and his men:'

[ocr errors]

And his feet, to death that went,
Crept forth to St. Peter's shrine,
And the latest Minstrel bent

O'er the last of the Stuart line.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

the fate of thy line: Charles came of an ill-starred race, as a study of English history shows. - heavy with wine: the young prince became dissipated in later years. - to the gods: referring to the old saying: Those whom the gods love die young. Keppoch: McDonald of Keppoch, a Highland chief who died on the field of Culloden while Lochiel was vainly trying to rally his men with the inspiring music of the pipes. White Rose: an emblem adopted by the Jacobites (followers of James). — thy father: James III, often called the Old Pretender." - thy marble pile : the monument erected in St. Peter's at Rome by George III. — secular : belonging to many ages and generations. a pilgrim: Walter Scott who, toward the close of his life, when his mind was clouded, visited the tomb of the Stuarts. — Lucrine lake: Lake Lucerne, Switzerland. of Italy. Here Cassius lived. — Aver nus: a river of Italy. strel: one of Scott's poems was called "The Lay of the Last Minstrel."

66

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

-Tiv'oli: a city

-the latest Min

[graphic]

UNA AND THE LION

· EDMUND SPENSER

EDMUND SPENSER (1552-1599) was one of the great English poets. A critic once said of him, "His style is all fairyland."

NOTE.

"The Faerie Queene" is a metrical romance. This selection, telling of Una's wanderings in search of the Red Cross Knight and of her meeting with the Lion who afterwards attended her, is written in the 5 English of Spenser's day.

One day nigh wearie of the yrkesome way,
From her unhastie beast she did alight,
And on the grasse her dainty limbs did lay
In secret shadow, far from all men's sight:
From her faire head her fillet she undight,
And laid her stole aside. Her angel's face
As the great eye of heaven shynèd bright,
And made a sunshine in the shadie place;
Did never mortall eye behold such heavenly grace.

It fortunèd out of the thickest wood
A ramping Lyon rushèd suddainly,
Hunting full greedy after salvage blood;
Soone as the royall virgin he did spy,
With gaping mouth at her ran greedily,

To have at once devoured her tender corse:
But to the prey when as he drew more ny,

[blocks in formation]

5

His bloudie rage asswagèd with remorse,
And with the sight amazed, forgat his furious force.

In stead thereof he kist her wearie feet,
And lickt her lilly hands with fawning tong,

As he her wrongèd innocence did weet.

O how can beautie maister the most strong,
And simple truth subdue avenging wrong!
Whose yielded pride and proud submission,
Still dreading death, when she had markèd long,
10 Her hart 'gan melt in great compassion,
And drizling teares did shed for pure affection.

117

15

The Lyon would not leave her desolate,
But with her went along, as a strong gard

Of her chast person, and a faithfull mate

Of her sad troubles and misfortunes hard:

Still when she slept, he kept both watch and ward,
And when she wakt, he waited diligent,

With humble service to her will prepared: From her faire eyes he took commandement, 20 And ever by her lookes conceivèd her intent.

U'na: the personification of Truth in Spenser's allegory.—the Red Cross Knight: St. George, the patron saint of England, who undertakes to slay the dragon and liberate Una's parents. — yrkesome: irksome. unhastie beast: Una rides on a white ass. -fillet: a band for the hair. -undight: took off. — stole: a long, loose garment. - fortunèd: happened. ramping: leaping. corse body.as: as if.. weet: know. submission, compassion, and affection: four syllables each.—marked: noted, watched.—chast: pure.—commandement (four syllables): directions, orders.

A TRIBUTE TO GROTIUS

ANDREW D. WHITE

ANDREW D. WHITE (1832

) is a distinguished American who holds high rank as a scholar and a diplomat.

NOTE. At the time of the Peace Conference held at The Hague in 1899, a monument was dedicated in the city of Delft to Hugo Grotius, a great Dutch scholar (1583-1645). Grotius was the author of "The Rights of 5 War and Peace," a book which marked the beginning of international law.

This is the ancient and honored city of Delft. From its haven, not distant, sailed the "Mayflower" bearing the Pilgrim Fathers who, in a time of obstinate and bitter persecution, brought to the American continent the germs 10 of that toleration which had been especially developed among them during their stay in the Netherlands, and of which Grotius was an apostle. In this town Grotius was born; in this temple he worshiped; this pavement he trod when a child; often were these scenes revisited by him 15 in his boyhood; at his death his mortal body was placed in this hallowed ground. Time and place, then, would both seem to make this tribute fitting.

From this tomb of Grotius I seem to hear a voice which says to us as the delegates of the nations: "Go 20 on with your mighty work: avoid, as you would avoid the germs of pestilence, those exhalations of international hatred which take shape in monstrous fallacies and morbid fictions regarding alleged antagonistic interests. Guard

well the treasures of civilization with which each of you is intrusted; but bear in mind that you hold a mandate from humanity. Go on with your work. Pseudo-philosophers will prophesy malignantly against you; pessi5 mists will laugh you to scorn; cynics will sneer at you; zealots will abuse you for what you have not done; sublimely unpractical thinkers will revile you for what you have done; ephemeral critics will ridicule you as dupes; enthusiasts, blind to the difficulties in your 10 path and to everything outside their little circumscribed fields, will denounce you as traitors to humanity. Heed them not go on with your work. Heed not the clamor of zealots, or cynics, or pessimists, or pseudo-philosophers, or enthusiasts, or fault-finders. Go on with the work of 15 strengthening peace and humanizing war: give greater scope and strength to provisions which will make war less cruel: perfect those laws of war which diminish the unmerited sufferings of populations: and, above all, give to the world at least a beginning of an effective, practi20 cable scheme of Arbitration."

RABBI BEN EZRA

ROBERT BROWNING

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,

The last of life, for which the first was made:

« 前へ次へ »