| James and Mary Ford, eds. Every Day in the Year. 1902. | | | | July 15 | | Napoleon’s Farewell | | By Lord Byron (1788–1824) |
| | | | After the battle of Waterloo Napoleon repaired to Paris but finally surrendered to the British Admiral Hotham at Rochefort, July 15, 1815. |
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FAREWELL to the Land, where the gloom of my glory | |
| Arose and o’ershadow’d the earth with her name— | |
| She abandons me now—but the page of her story, | |
| The brightest or blackest, is fill’d with my fame. | |
| I have warr’d with a world which vanquish’d me only | 5 |
| When the meteor of conquest allured me too far; | |
| I have coped with the nations which dread me thus lonely, | |
| The last single Captive to millions in war. | |
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| Farewell to thee, France! when thy diadem crown’d me, | |
| I made thee the gem and the wonder of earth,— | 10 |
| But thy weakness decrees I should leave as I found thee, | |
| Decay’d in thy glory, and sunk in thy worth. | |
| Oh! for the veteran hearts that were wasted | |
| In strife with the storm, when their battles were won— | |
| Then the Eagle, whose gaze in that moment was blasted, | 15 |
| Had still soar’d with eyes fix’d on victory’s sun! | |
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| Farewell to thee, France!—but when Liberty rallies | |
| Once more in thy regions, remember me then— | |
| The violet still grows in the depth of thy valleys; | |
| Though withered, thy tears will unfold it again— | 20 |
| Yet, yet I may baffle the hosts that surround us, | |
| And yet may thy heart leap awake to my voice— | |
| There are links which must break in the chain that has bound us, | |
| Then turn thee and call on the Chief of thy choice! | | | |
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