Of all the places where the Carnival

Was most facetious in the days of yore (1),
For dance, and song, and serenade, and ball,
And masque, and mime, and mystery, and more
Than I have time to tell now or at all,
Venice, the bell (2) from every city bore,
And at the moment when I fix my story,
That sea-born (3) city was in all its glory.

BYRON.

A GOOD MONARCH.

'Tis true I am a king :

Honour and glory too have been my aim :
But tho' (4) I dare face death and all the dangers
Which furious war wears (5) in its bloody front,
Yet would I choose to fix my fame in peace,
By justice, and by mercy; and to raise
My trophies on the blessings of mankind :
Nor would I buy the empire of the world
With ruin of the people whom I sway (6),
Or forfeit (7) of my honour.

ROWE.

(1) Days of yore, vieux temps.

(2) To bear the bell from ou off, remporter le prix. (3) Sea-born, né de la mer, maritime.

(4) Tho', pour though, quoique.

(5) To wear, porter sur soi.

(6) To sway, dominer, gouverner. (7) Forfeit, perte.

FROM THE GERMAN VERGISS MEIN NICHT.

FROM THE GERMAN

VERGISS MEIN NICHT,

FORGET ME NOT.

When friends who could have loved for ever,
Are doom'd (1) too suddenly to sever,

And see dispers'd the dreams of joy,
Which did their mutual hours employ,
What words can then of consolation tell,
In all the bitter anguish of" farewell "?
Then this, and this alone is sweet,

The parting fond request,—VERGISS MEIN NICHT.
When stands the widow'd (2) bride deploring,
Near the dark wave of Ocean roaring,

Those waves (5) her hero once controll'd,

But now wash o'er his relics cold,

214

What thought can soothe (4) the madness of Despair? What hope beyond (5) the grave still promise fair? Oh! this, that they again shall meet

To part no more and cry--VERGISS MEIN NICHT.

(1) Doomed, destiné, condamné.

(2) Widowed, qui est devenue veuve.

(3) Il faut ou suppléer which, que, ou ramener la phrase à sa construction naturelle, qui est her hero once controlled those waves.

(4) To soothe, adoucir. (5) Beyond, au delà.

A WORTHLESS (1) PERSON CAN CLAIM NO MERIT FROM THE VIRTUES OF HIS ANCESTORS.

Were honour to be scann'd (2) by long descent
From ancestors illustrious, I could vaunt
A lineage of the greatest, and recount,
Among my fathers, names of ancient story,
Heroes and godlike (3) patriots who subdued
The world by arms and virtue.

But that be (4) their own praise :

Nor will I borrow merit from the dead,
Myself an undeserver (5).

ROWE.

ACTIVITY AND SLOTH.

The wise and active conquer difficulties
By daring to attempt them: sloth and folly
Shiver and shrink (6) at sight of toil and hazard,
And make the impossibility they fear.

ROWE.

(1) Worthless, sans mérite.

(2) To scan, examiner. Were honour to be scann'd, pour if honour were to be, etc., si l'honneur était, etc.

(3) Godlike, comme les dieux.

(4) That be, pour let that be, que cela soil.
(5) An undeserver, qui n'a pas de mérite.
(6) To shiver and shrink, trembler et reculer.

PITY.

LOVE.

Yes, love indeed is light from Heaven,
A spark of that immortal fire

With angels shared, by Alla (1) given,
To lift (2) from earth our low desire.
Devotion wafts (3) the mind above,
But heaven itself descends in love;

A feeling (4) from the Godhead (5) caught,
To wean (6) from self each sordid thought;
A ray of him who form'd the whole;

A glory circling round the soul!

BYRON.

PITY.

She press'd his fetter'd (7) fingers to her heart,
And bow'd her head, and turn'd her to depart,
And noiseless (8) as a lovely dream is gone.
And was she here? and is he now alone?
What gem hath drop'd and sparkles o'er his chain?
The tear most sacred, shed for others' pain,

213

(3) To waft, transporter, convoyer légèrement, doucement. (4) A feeling, un sentiment.

(5) The Godhead, l'essence divine, Dieu.

(6) To wean, sevrer.

(7) Fettered, qui est enchaîné, dans les fers.

(8) Noiseless, sans bruit.

The Mind, that broods (2) o'er guilty woes,
Is like the scorpion girt (3) by fire,

In circle narrowing (4) as it glows (5);
The flames around their captive close,
Till inly search'd by thousand throes (6),
And maddening in her ire (7),
One sad and sole relief she knows,
The sting (8) she nourished for her foes,
Whose venom never yet was vain,
Gives but one pang (9) and cures all pain,
And darts into her desperate brain :
So do the dark in soul (10) expire,

Or live like scorpion girt by fire;

So writhes (11) the mind remorse hath riven (12),

(4) To narrow, diminuer, rétrécir.

(5) To glow, brûler, embraser.

(6) Throes, douleurs.

(7) Ire, rage, colère.

(8) The sting, l'aiguillon.

(9) Pang, angoisse, douleur, coup.

(10) The dark in soul, les âmes tristes, sombres. (11) To writhe, faire des contorsions, souffrir. (12) Riven, passé de to rive, déchirer, fendre.