CROWNED AND WEDDED.
243
To serve a newer!—Ay! and Frenchmen cast
A future from them, nobler than her past.
A future from them, nobler than her past.
For, verily, though France augustly rose
With that raised name, and did assume by such
The purple of the world,—none gave so much
As she, in purchase—to speak plain, in loss—
Whose hands, to freedom stretched, dropped paralysed
To wield a sword, or fit an undersized
With that raised name, and did assume by such
The purple of the world,—none gave so much
As she, in purchase—to speak plain, in loss—
Whose hands, to freedom stretched, dropped paralysed
To wield a sword, or fit an undersized
King's crown to a great man's head! And though along
Her Paris' streets, did float on frequent streams
Of triumph, pictured or emmarbled dreams
Dreamt right by genius in a world gone wrong,—
No dream, of all so won, was fair to see
As the lost vision of her liberty.
Her Paris' streets, did float on frequent streams
Of triumph, pictured or emmarbled dreams
Dreamt right by genius in a world gone wrong,—
No dream, of all so won, was fair to see
As the lost vision of her liberty.
Napoleon! 'twas a high name lifted high!
It met at last God's thunder sent to clear
Our compassing and covering atmosphere,
And open a clear sight, beyond the sky,
Of supreme empire! this of Earth's was done—
And kings crept out again to feel the sun!
It met at last God's thunder sent to clear
Our compassing and covering atmosphere,
And open a clear sight, beyond the sky,
Of supreme empire! this of Earth's was done—
And kings crept out again to feel the sun!
The kings crept out—the peoples sate at home,—
And finding the long-invocated peace
A pall embroidered with worn images
Of rights divine, too scant to cover doom
Such as they suffered,—cursed the corn that grew
Rankly, to bitter bread, on Waterloo!
And finding the long-invocated peace
A pall embroidered with worn images
Of rights divine, too scant to cover doom
Such as they suffered,—cursed the corn that grew
Rankly, to bitter bread, on Waterloo!
A deep gloom centered in the deep repose—
The nations stood up mute to count their dead—
And he who owned the Name which vibrated
Through silence,—trusting to his noblest foes
When earth was all too grey for chivalry—
Died of their mercies, mid the desert sea.
The nations stood up mute to count their dead—
And he who owned the Name which vibrated
Through silence,—trusting to his noblest foes
When earth was all too grey for chivalry—
Died of their mercies, mid the desert sea.
O wild St. Helen! very still she kept him
With a green willow for all pyramid,—
With a green willow for all pyramid,—
