CAMPO MARZIO. BEHOLD by Tiber's flood, where modern Rome Couches beneath the ruins: there of old With arms and trophies gleamed the field of Mars: There to their daily sports the noble youth Rushed emulous; to fling the pointed lance; To vault the steed; or with the kindling wheel In dusty whirlwinds sweep the trembling goal; Or, wrestling, cope with adverse swelling breasts, Strong, grappling arms, closed heads, and distant feet; Or clash the lifted gauntlets: there they formed Their ardent virtues: lo, the bossy piles, The proud triumphal arches; all their wars, Their conquests, honors, in the sculptures live. John Dyer. Rome, Hills of. HILLS OF ROME. HE, whose high top above the starres did sore, SHE One foote on Thetis, th' other on the Morning, One hand on Scythia, th' other on the More, Both heaven and earth in roundnesse compassing; Iove fearing, least if she should greater growe, The Giants old should once againe uprise, Her whelm'd with hills, these Seven Hils, which be nowe Tombes of her greatnes which did threate the skies: Upon her stomacke laid Mount Quirinal, And Cælian on the right: but both her feete Joachim du Bellay. Tr. Edmund Spenser. look MOUNT AVENTINE. FIRST upon yon craggy pile, on stones Suspended; scattered far and wide, the rocks Are strewn; how lonely and deserted stands That mountain-fortress; with what ruin wild The cliffs are dragged and toppled from above! That was the cave hewn in a vast recess Where dwelt the terrible half-human form Of Cacus; where no sunbeams found their way; And ever with fresh slaughter smoked the ground. On the proud portals fixed hung heads of men, Pallid and ghastly in their clotted gore. This monster's sire was Vulcan; his the flames And smoke that issued from his mouth. His boast Was in his mighty bulk. But time at length Brought aid long wished, and the advent of a god. Alcides came, the great avenger, proud From triple Geryon's slaughter and his spoils, And hither drove his captured bulls, which filled Or crime; took from their stalls four comely bulls, And, lest their hoof-prints should betray the theft, And filled the woods and hills with their complaints. Virgil. Tr. C. P. Cranch. THE CAPITOL: TASSO'S CORONATION. TASSO died at Rome on the day before that appointed for his coronation in the Capitol. A TRUMPET'S note is in the sky, in the glorious Whose dome hath rung, so many an age, to the voice A thousand, thousand laurel-boughs are waving wide and far, To shed out their triumphal gleams around his rolling car; A thousand haunts of olden gods have given their wealth of flowers, To scatter o'er his path of fame bright hues in gemlike showers. Peace! Within his chamber Low the mighty lies, With a cloud of dreams on his noble brow, Sing, sing for him, the lord of song, — for him, whose rushing strain In mastery o'er the spirit sweeps, like a strong wind o'er the main ! Whose voice lives deep in burning hearts, forever there to dwell, As full-toned oracles are shrined in a temple's holiest cell. Yes! for him, the victor, The sun, the sun of Italy is pouring o'er his way, Where the old three hundred triumphs moved, a flood of golden day; Streaming through every haughty arch of the Cæsars' past renown, Bring forth, in that exulting light, the conqueror for his crown! Shut the proud, bright sunshine From the fading sight! There needs no ray by the bed of death, The wreath is twined, the way is strewn, the lordly train are met, The streets are hung with coronals, — why stays the minstrel yet? Shout! as an army shouts in joy around a royal chief, Bring forth the bard of chivalry, the bard of love and grief! Silence! forth we bring him, In his last array; From love and grief the freed, the flown, – Way for the bier! - make way! MONTE CAVALLO. Felicia Hemans. YE, too, marvellous twain, that erect on the Monte Cavallo Stand by your rearing steeds in the grace of your motionless movement, Stand with your upstretched arms and tranquil regardant faces, |