The Siege of Valencia; The Last Constantine: with Other Poems/The View from Castri

by Felicia Hemans

For other versions of this work, see On the View of Delphi.

THE VIEW FROM CASTRI.

FROM A PAINTING BY WILLIAMS.

There have been bright and glorious pageants here,
Where now grey stones and moss-grown columns lie;
There have been words, which earth grew pale to hear,
Breath'd from the cavern's misty chambers nigh:
There have been voices, through the sunny sky,
And the pine-woods, their choral hymn-notes sending,
And reeds and lyres, their Dorian melody,
With incense-clouds around the temple blending,

And throngs, with laurel-boughs, before the altar bending.

There have been treasures of the seas and isles
Brought to the day-god's now forsaken throne;
Thunders have peal'd along the rock-defiles,
When the far-echoing battle-horn made known
That foes were on their way!—the deep-wind's moan
Hath chill'd th' invader's heart with secret fear,

⁠And from the Sybil-grottoes, wild and lone,

Storms have gone forth, which, in their fierce career,

From his bold hand have struck the banner and the spear.

The shrine hath sunk!—but thou unchanged art there!
Mount of the voice and vision, robed with dreams!
Unchanged, and rushing through the radiant air,
With thy dark-waving pines, and flashing streams,
And all thy founts of song! their bright course teems
With inspiration yet; and each dim haze,
Or golden cloud which floats around thee, seems
As with its mantle, veiling from our gaze

The mysteries of the past, the gods of elder days!

Away, vain phantasies!—doth less of power
Dwell round thy summit, or thy cliff's invest,
Though in deep stillness now, the ruin's flower
Wave o'er the pillars mouldering on thy breast?
—Lift through the free blue heavens thine arrowy crest!
Let the great rocks their solitude regain!
No Delphian lyres now break thy noontide rest
With their full chords:—but silent be the strain!

Thou hast a mightier voice to speak th' Eternal's reign*^[1]!

1. * This, with the preceding, and several of the following pieces, have appeared in the Edinburgh Magazine.