THE RUINS OF ROME. And still on that evening, when pleasure fills up 891 My soul, happy friends! shall be with you that night; Let fate do her worst; there are relics of joy, T. MOORE. LXXXV. THE RUINS OF ROME. O, ROME! my country! city of the soul! What are our woes and sufferance? Come and see A world is at our feet, as fragile as our clay. The Ni'o-be of nations! there she stands Of their heroic dwellers: dost thou flow, Rise, with thy yellow waves, and mantle her distress! The Goth, the Christian, Time, War, Flood, and Fire, Have dealt upon the seven-hilled city's pride; They saw her glories star by star expire, And, up the steep, barbarian monarchs ride Where the car climbed the capitol; far and wide Chaos of ruins! who shall trace the void? O'er the dim fragments cast a lunar light, Alas! the lofty city! and alas! The trebly hundred triumphs! and the day Alas, for Earth, for never shall we see That brightness in her eye she bore when Rome was free! BYRON. LXXXVI. TASSO'S CORONATION.† FOR TWO SPEAKERS. The tone of the First is loud, animated, and exultant; that of the Second, mournful and measured. FIRST SPEAKER. A TRUMPET'S note is in the sky, in the glorious Roman sky, SECOND SPEAKER. Yet his chariot lingers, FIRST SPEAKER. A thousand thousand laurel-boughs are waving wide and far, flowers, To scatter o'er his path of fame bright hues in gem-like showers. *Cicero, whose first names were Marcus Tullius, is thus sometimes called in English. Tasso died at Rome (1595) on the day before that appointed for his coronation in the capitol. TASSO'S CORONATION. 393 SECOND SPEAKER. Peace! within his chamber Low the mighty lies; With a cloud of dreams on his noble brow, FIRST SPEAKER. Sing, sing for him, the lord of song, for him, whose rushing strain In mastery o'er the spirit sweeps, like a strong wind o'er the main ! Whose voice lives deep in burning hearts, for ever there to dwell, As full-toned oracles are shrined in a temple's holiest cell. The sun, the sun of Italy is pouring o'er his way, Where the old three hundred triumphs moved, a flood of golden day; Streaming through every haughty arch of the Cæsar's past renown: Bring forth, in that exulting light, the conqueror for his crown! SECOND SPEAKER. Shut the proud bright sunshine From the fading sight! There needs no ray by the bed of death, Save the holy taper's light. FIRST SPEAKER. The wreath is twined, the way is strown, the lordly train are met, The streets are hung with coronals - why stays the minstrel yet? SECOND SPEAKER. Silence! forth we bring him, In his last array; From love and grief the freed, the flown Way for the bier-make way! MRS. HEMANS. LXXXVIL-THE WAR-SONG OF DINAS VAUR. THE mountain sheep are sweeter, We met a host, and quelled it; We forced a strong position, And killed the men who held it. On Dyfed's richest valley, Where herds of kine were browsing, We made a mighty sally To furnish our carousing. Fierce warriors rushed to meet us; We met them and o'erthrew them; But we conquered them and slew them. As we drove our prize at leisure, And e'er our force we led off, We there in strife bewildering We glutted with our foemen; The spearmen and the bowmen. We brought away from battle And much the land bemoaned them Three thousand head of cattle, And the head of him who owned them: Ednyfed, King of Dyfed, His head was borne before us, His wine and beasts supplied our feasts; His overthrow, our chorus. ANON. THE BRIDAL OF MALAHIDE. LXXXVIII. THE BRIDAL OF MALAHIDE 395 THE joy-bells are ringing in gay Malahide, The fresh wind is singing along the sea-side; The maids are assembling with garlands of flowers, Before the high altar young Maud stands arrayed.!? The words are repeated, the bridal is done, Hark! 'mid the gay clangor that compassed their car,* As wakes the good shepherd, the watchful and bold, While the new-married lady looks fainting and pale. "Son, husband, and brother, arise to the strife, The shields, how they rattle! the spears, how they shine! The eve is declining in lone Malahide : The maidens are twining gay wreaths for the bride; At the fifth stanza the speaker's delivery should become louder and more rapid. The young chieftain's summons (seventh stanza) should be loud, bold, and stirring. There is opportunity for several effective changes of intonation in this piece. |