DÎS ALITER VISUM;

OR,

LE BYRON DE NOS JOURS.

1.

STOP, let me have the truth of that!
Is that all true? I say, the day

Ten years ago when both of us

Met on a morning, friends as thus

We meet this evening, friends or what?

Did you

2.

because I took your arm

And sillily smiled, "A mass of brass

That sea looks, blazing underneath!"

Did you

3.

consider "Now makes twice

That I have seen her, walked and talked With this poor, pretty, thoughtful thing,

Whose worth I weigh: she tries to sing; Draws, hopes in time the eye grows nice;

4.

"Reads verse and thinks she understands ; Loves all, at any rate, that's great,

Good, beautiful; but much as we

Down at the Bath-house love the sea,

Who breathe its salt and bruise its sands:

5.

"While... do but follow the fishing-gull

That flaps and floats from wave to cave! There's the sea-lover, fair my friend!

What then? Be patient, mark and mend!

Had you

the making of your scull?"

6.

And did you, when we faced the church

With spire and sad slate roof, aloof From human fellowship so far,

Where a few graveyard crosses are, And garlands for the swallows' perch,

7.

Did you determine, as we stepped

O'er the lone stone fence, "Let me get Her for myself, and what's the earth

With all its art, verse, music, worth Compared with love, found, gained, and kept?

8.

"Schumann's our music-maker now;

Has his march-movement youth and mouth? Ingres 's the modern man that paints; Which will lean on me, of his saints?

Heine for songs; for kisses, how?"

9.

And did you, when we entered, reached

The votive frigate, soft aloft Riding on air this hundred years,

Safe-smiling at old hopes and fears,— Did you draw profit while she preached?

10.

Resolving "Fools we wise men grow!
Yes, I could easily blurt out curt

Some question that might find reply

As prompt in her stopped lips, dropped eye,

And rush of red to cheek and brow:

11.

"Thus were a match made, sure and fast,

'Mid the blue weed-flowers round the mound Where, issuing, we shall stand and stay For one more look at Baths and bay, Sands, sea-gulls, and the old church last

12.

"A match 'twixt me, bent, wigged, and lamed, Famous, however, for verse and worse,

Sure of the Fortieth spare Arm-chair

When gout and glory seat me there,
So, one whose love-freaks pass unblamed,-

13.

"And this young beauty, round and sound As a mountain-apple, youth and truth

With loves and doves, at all events

With money in the Three per Cents; Whose choice of me would seem profound:

14.

"She might take me as I take her.

Perfect the hour would pass, alas!

Climb high, love high, what matter? Still,
Feet, feelings, must descend the hill:

An hour's perfection can't recur.

15.

"Then follows Paris and full time

For both to reason: 'Thus with us!' She 'll sigh, 'Thus girls give body and soul At first word, think they gain the goal, When 't is the starting-place they climb!

16.

"My friend makes verse and gets renown;
Have they all fifty years, his peers?
He knows the world, firm, quiet, and gay;
Boys will become as much one day:

They 're fools; he cheats, with beard less brown.

17.

"For boys say, Love me or I die!
He did not say, The truth is, youth

I want, who am old and know too much;
I'd catch youth: lend me sight and touch!
Drop heart's blood where life's wheels grate dry!

18.

"While I should make rejoinder'

(then

It was, no doubt, you ceased that least

Light pressure of my arm in yours) "I can conceive of cheaper cures

For a yawning-fit o'er books and men.