XXXIV.

RICHARD I.

REDOUBTED King, of courage leonine,
I mark thee, Richard! urgent to equip
Thy warlike person with the staff and scrip;
I watch thee sailing o'er the midland brine;
In conquered Cyprus see thy Bride decline
Her blushing cheek, love-vows upon her lip,
And see love-emblems streaming from thy ship,
As thence she holds her way to Palestine.
My Song (a fearless Homager) would attend
Thy thundering battle-axe as it cleaves the press
Of war, but duty summons her away
To tell, how finding in the rash distress

Of those enthusiast powers a constant Friend,
Through giddier heights hath clomb the Papal sway.

XXXV.

AN INTERDICT.

REALMS quake by turns: proud Arbitress of grace, The Church, by mandate shadowing forth the power She arrogates o'er heaven's eternal door,

Closes the gates of every sacred place.

Straight from the sun and tainted air's embrace
All sacred things are covered: cheerful morn
Grows sad as night-no seemly garb is worn,
Nor is a face allowed to meet a face

With natural smile of greeting. Bells are dumb;
Ditches are graves-funereal rights denied ;
And in the Church-yard he must take his Bride
Who dares be wedded! Fancies thickly come
Into the pensive heart ill fortified,

And comfortless despairs the soul benumb.

XXXVI.

PAPAL ABUSES.

As with the stream our voyage we pursue,
The gross materials of this world present
A marvellous study of wild accident;
Uncouth proximities of old and new;
And bold transfigurations, more untrue
(As might be deemed) to disciplined intent
Than aught the sky's fantastic element,
When most fantastic, offers to the view.
Saw we not Henry scourged at Becket's shrine?
Lo! John self-stripped of his insignia;-crown,
Sceptre and mantle, sword and ring, laid down
At a proud Legate's feet! The spears that line
Baronial Halls, the opprobrious insult feel;
And angry Ocean roars a vain appeal.

XXXVII.

SCENE IN VENICE.

BLACK Demons hovering o'er his mitred head, To Cæsar's Successor the Pontiff spake ; "Ere I absolve thee, stoop! that on thy neck "Levelled with Earth this foot of mine may tread." Then, he who to the Altar had been led,

He, whose strong arm the Orient could not check, He, who had held the Soldan at his beck,

Stooped, of all glory disinherited,

And even the common dignity of man!

Amazement strikes the crowd; — while many turn

Their eyes away in sorrow, others burn

With scorn, invoking a vindictive ban

From outraged Nature; but the sense of most

In abject sympathy with power is lost.

XXXVIII.

PAPAL DOMINION.

UNLESS to Peter's Chair the viewless wind
Must come and ask permission when to blow,
What further empire would it have? for now
A ghostly Domination, unconfined

As that by dreaming Bards to Love assigned,
Sits there in sober truth to raise the low,

Perplex the wise, the strong to overthrowThrough earth and heaven to bind and to unbind! Resist

the thunder quails thee! —crouch-rebuff

Shall be thy recompense! from land to land
The ancient thrones of Christendom are stuff

For occupation of a magic wand,

And 'tis the Pope that wields it,

Or smooth his front, our world is

whether rough

in his hand!