| |
| SAY they, a famous seaport town? | |
| One took abroad I bid thee cast, | |
| Then tell me if thou canst descry | |
| A dwelling here, or there a mast. | |
| |
| Of all its old magnificence | 5 |
| Stands one poor skeleton of brick, | |
| With grass are sown the hidden streets, | |
| The palace ploughed in furrows thick. | |
| |
| And this, the temple of a god, | |
| The body of a mighty thought! | 10 |
| Here vowed the heart, elate with hope | |
| When priests the struggling victim brought,— | |
| |
| Hearts like these hearts of ours; that drink | |
| Existence, as an endless cup, | |
| And smile to hear of an abyss | 15 |
| Where life and strength are swallowed up. | |
| |
| These men our brothers were, but built | |
| Of sturdier frame and mind than we; | |
| Tamed by their will, the unruly flood | |
| Led their proud galleys to the sea. | 20 |
| |
| Walk further, let my guidance show | |
| One crumbling tower of Trajan’s port. | |
| Strange that Christ’s vicar, God-inspired, | |
| Has never had as wise a thought. * * * * * | |
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