"Fortune, that lays in sport the mighty low, "Of the fair brotherhood who share my grace, "There are who, while to vulgar eyes they seem 45 50 And court me but for gain's, power's, fashion's sake. "To such, though deep their lore, though wide their fame, Shall my great mysteries be all unknown: But thou, through good and evil, praise and blame, 55 "Yes; thou wilt love me with exceeding love; Still smiling, though the tender may reprove, "For That blossoms in the light of Time is bare. 60 "In the dark hour of shame, I deigned to stand Before the frowning peers at Bacon's side: On a far shore I smoothed with tender hand, Through months of pain, the sleepless bed of Hyde°; "I brought the wise and brave of ancient days To cheer the cell where Raleigh° pined alone: I lighted Milton's darkness with the blaze Of the bright ranks that guard the eternal throne. "And even so, my child, it is my pleasure That thou not then alone shouldst feel me nigh, "Not then alone, when myriads, closely pressed "No: when on restless night dawns cheerless morrow, 65 75 80 "Thine, where on mountain waves the snowbirds scream, Where more than Thule's winter barbs the breeze, 86 Where scarce, through lowering clouds, one sickly gleam Lights the drear May-day of Antarctic seas: "Thine, when around thy litter's track all day 9༠ "Thine most, when friends turn pale, when traitors fly, "Amidst the din of all things fell and vile, "Yes: they will pass away; nor deem it strange: 95 100 PARAPHRASE OF A PASSAGE IN THE CHRONICLE OF THE MONK OF ST. GALL 1856 [In the summer of 1856, the author travelled with a friend through Lombardy. As they were on the road between Novara and Milan, they were conversing on the subject of the legends relating to that country. The author remarked to his companion that Mr. Panizzi, in the Essay on the Romantic Narrative Poetry of the Italians, prefixed to his edition of Bojardo, had pointed out an instance of the conversion of ballad poetry into prose narrative which strongly confirmed the theory of Perizonius and Niebuhr, upon which "The Lays of Ancient Rome" are founded; and, after repeating an extract which Mr. Panizzi has given from the chronicle of "The Monk of St. Gall," he proceeded to frame a metrical paraphrase. The note in Mr. Panizzi's work (vol. i. p. 123, note b) is here copied verbatim.] "The monk says that Oger was with Desiderius, King of Lombardy, watching the advance of Charlemagne's army. The king often asked Oger where was Charlemagne. Quando videris, inquit, segetem campis inhorrescere, ferreum Padum et Ticinum marinis fluctibus ferro nigrantibus muros civitatis inundantes, tunc est spes Caroli venientis. His nedum expletis primum ad occasum Circino vel Borea cœpit apparere, quasi nubes tenebrosa, quæ diem clarissimam horrentes convertit in umbras. Sed propiante Imperatore, ex armorum splendore, dies omni nocte tenebrosior oborta est inclusis. Tunc visus est ipse ferrus Carolus ferrea galea cristatus, ferreis manicis armillatus, &c. &c. His igitur, quæ ego balbus et edentulus, non ut debui circuitu tardiore diutius explicare tentavi, veridicus speculator Oggerus celerrimo visu contuitus dixit ad Desiderium: Ecce, habes quem tantopere perquisisti. Et hæc dicens, pene exanimis cecidit. MONACH. SANGAL. de Reb. Bel. Caroli Magni. lib. ii. § xxvi. Is this not evidently taken from poetical effusions?" PARAPHRASE To Oggier spake King Didier": Crops are reaped; and floods are past; Some token show, that we may know Then to the King made answer "When round the Lombard cities FROM A MANUSCRIPT POEM HERE warlike cobblers railed from tops of casks Gnaw their cogg'd dice and curse the lingering prey : 10 15 20 5 10 |