A DEAD CITY OF THE RENAISSANCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 793, 16 April 1910, Page 9

A DEAD CITY OF THE RENAISSANCE.

; ffhe silence of long -centuries of-sleep : Broods -with closed eyes aud lips that may not sing, • . - And lizards through its quiet byways ' creep—., ■ '. The city, beautiful at evening.- ■ Wo';', glorious ladies}: walk there at the noon, ■, ■ ■ ■ The cold sea beats and murmurs at ' its gate, . : y • It is most wonderful beneath' the. moon, r /■ And in the, haggard morning desolate.

Thnre is no sentinel about,the wall, .- . -The great gates,.broken in the flying ". • '. press; ■'-■ •.,'.-.■ ~ -i' , ,-A';'/- , -i^sry: ; Hang loose and rust; ,when ! J .shadows fall, ■ - lil>, ■*'«■"• : The pale Madonna without hands to ■ .. ; bless. ,- : ■*.../, .,. ■".'•. ';■■..• " ; " •'■■''■ \ y iWhp no. more guards the/city of her ■;' name J '■''." '-':■'■' ■"■ "•."!■'"""'"•■>■'-,;■. Since the dark niglit, a thousand 'times j\ recalled, ' ■" . . ■-."•. JWhen dream-like- from the kills i the ". ;! alarm came, '.... ... . . . And'the. great altar lost : its emerald;. In every palace, empty of delight, ; .-. : The jealous mosses canker-on the walls, The solemn moonlight every silver night .: Starkly on. each forsaken'bastion falls. . The lute-strings have-been , , silent many a year, ' ■'■'■-, ■ > There-is no sound of. music in the .';■ street— •"•:■' -' ■ .When.the noontide grew clamorous with '.'fear, , —;. :'■■<• :'/":'■ And suddenly were stayed, the .dancing : '-■" ..•■ : fe&; , r - :'■■■'.■.-■ ";.-i ;, ' ~ - ;,.-:;>; -~ Bed strife Maid all , ' the 'pleasures deso- ,'■- 'late,; .- ■ ... ■■/ ■■■■..: ■ ,And singing poets sought the armourer; \ Ladies, with fingers white and delicate, . Laid. by their 'gold and scarlet and ; miniver. _ / ' 'And no more lovers starry-eyed k for love Watched the 6un set in rose' and amethyst .., ■ . -.' ■ Beyond- , the. sea; buf- clarions shrilled ■ '■ - "above, -. . '-. •" . , i And ' iron ; clamoured abont them as ■ : they kissed. . " , , • ... The dreaming midnight set a sliimb'rous ,' . ...hush: ....... , . ■ •..-.. Upon the slain men sleeping in ' the street; . V . . : : Over tfieir heads the grass grew thick : " '■• and'lush, ' . -.. ..:. . .'•' ' : The wild red poppies'covered up their ;feet. ■ ,:,- -, '•,;.■ -. -, ■-.; ■- ■ The painted glories molder from the '~ ;■ • walls; . , . ■'• '.':■■ .-■:■'• '"■: -'■ curiously carven for "de- , . ...light,. '-.- ■ ■- ■■;:. t -. -. The silver dust obscures; at intervals, Bats, like l the shadow of death, obscure the night.. : .I■■■_ -"E.T:,^ : in :"jae Academy." ; ' ' '■ '.■--■ "-,■ •■' 4 -™^''.' ; . Now I have reached'the higher level, t Which from afar'l oft'have seen; : It seemed to - wait for my arrival ■ > . , While still' I walked through ■' valleys ; ■ green. ■ : < ''.-",. ' . How bleak it looked, and how forsaken, : Rising above in thin, cold air, . And yet,"now that my feet stand on it, - It is no longer quite so bare. / . Tis true, t/o finches chant" their matins Through forest depths, as in the plains; .■ . . In this remote and nniet. region * 1 he. circling mountain .eagle reigns".' , The meadow's wonderland of' blossom ■! : Lies deep below, afar, afar;' . . But at my.feet, among the bo-ulders, The gentian shines, a sappliire star. ■

( The heat and burden of the noon-day \. Are now behind me, and below, Here on the heights cool breezes flutter, The sunlight has a.purer glow. ■.. . • And, looking back, I see the highway On which I walked v;ith dragging feet; I roam.its length again rejoicing' On wings of fancy, strong and fleet.

■The roar and tumult of the lowlands Fall only faintly on my ear. ■ - i , Above the mists the world's true trea- ■■■'.- : sures, . Changeless and beautiful, appear. Upon'the wind come words of comfort Which Nature spoke in'Childhood's'day, , . The blue sky shows, in radinnt vision, Immortal stars upon their, way. J i- ■ -The deathly iold that seemed to shiver Around this hill,'it is not here; Instead, a sense as of the presence Of friends and kinsmen, near and dear; ' . I would not change it for the vassals Of kings, when forth in statothey go, i . The love which still walks: close beside ■" me, . . , ■:.-■ The friendship tried in weal' and woo. And with the stars high up still shining: '.. All unafraid, I lift mine eyes •■.' ' Unto. • the hills' undying glory ■ Rising snow-crowned into the skies. I, too, when wandering day's are over, Shall, to their whiteness go for rest. . . Andnow. to tho last inn beckons I turn-my face with joyful zest. —"H.F." 'in the ".Westminster Gazette," ; ; . from the German.