“Father!” a youthful hero said, bending his lofty brow“On the world wide I must go forth–then bless me, bless me, now!And, ere I shall return oh say, what goal must I have won–What is the aim, the prize, that most thou wishest for thy son?” Proudly the father gazed upon his bearing brave and high,The […]

A glorious pageant filled the church of the proud old city of Rheims,One such as poet artists choose to form their loftiest themes:There France beheld her proudest sons grouped in a glittering ring,To place the crown upon the brow of their now triumphant king. The full, rich tones of music swelled out on the perfumed […]

‘Tis midnight, and solemn darkness broodsIn a lonely, sacred fane–The church of Our Lady of Montserrat,So famous throughout all Spain;For countless were the pilgrim hostsWho knelt at that sacred shrineWith aching hearts, that came to seekRelief and grace divine. Pure as the light of the evening starShines the lamp’s pale, solemn ray,That burns through midnight’s […]

“Open the coffin and shroud untilI look on the dead againEre we place her in Grenada’s vaults,Where sleep the Monarchs of Spain;For unto King Charles must I swearThat I myself have seenThe regal brow of the royal corpse,Our loved, lamented Queen.” The speaker was Borgia, Gaudia’s Duke,A noble and gallant knight,Whose step was welcome in […]

Upon his sculptured judgment throne the Roman Ruler sate;His glittering minions stood around in all their gorgeous state;But proud as were the noble names that flashed upon each shield–Names known in lofty council halls as well as tented field–None dared approach to break the spell of deep and silent gloomThat hover’d o’er his haughty brow, […]

With buoyant heart he left his home for that bright wond’rous landWhere gold ore gleams in countless mines, and gold dust strews the sand;And youth’s dear ties were riven all, for as wild, as vain, a dreamAs the meteor false that leads astray the traveller with its gleam. Vainly his father frowned dissent, his mother, […]

‘Tis no wild and wond’rous legend, but a simple pious taleOf a gentle shepherd maiden, dwelling in Italian vale,Near where Arno’s glittering waters like the sunbeams flash and playAs they mirror back the vineyards through which they take their way. She was in the rosy dawning of girlhood fair and bright,And, like morning’s smiles and […]

Throughout the country for many a mileThere is not a nobler, statelier pileThan ivy crowned Rathmore Hall;And the giant oaks that shadow the wold,Though hollowed by time, are not as oldAs its Norman turrets tall. Let us follow that stream of sunset red,Crimsoning the portal overhead,Stealing through curtaining lace,Where sits in a spacious and lofty […]

“O maiden, peerless, come dwell with me,And bright shall I render thy destiny:Thou shalt leave thy cot by the green hillside,To dwell in a palace home of pride,Where crowding menials, with lowly mien,Shall attend each wish of their lovely queen.” “Ah! stranger my cot by the green hillsideHath more charms for me than thy halls […]

In a fair and sunny forest gladeO’erarched with chesnuts old,Through which the radiant sunbeams madeA network of bright gold,A girl smiled softly to herself,And dreamed the hours away;Lulled by the sound of the murmuring brookWith the summer winds at play. Jewels gleamed not in the tresses fairThat fell in shining showers,Naught decked that brow of […]

“Thou hast been to the forest, thou sorrowing maiden,Where Summer reigns Queen in her fairest array,Where the green earth with sunshine and fragrance is laden,And birds make sweet music throughout the long day.Each step thou hast taken has been over flowers,Of forms full of beauty–of perfumes most rare,Why comest thou home, then, with footsteps so […]

“Wo worth the chase. Wo worth the day,That cost thy life, my gallant grey!”–Scott The Hunter stooped o’er his dying steedWith sad dejected mien,And softly stroked its glossy neck,Lustrous as silken sheen;With iron will and nerve of steel,And pale lips tight compressed,He kept the tears from eyes that longWere strange to such a guest. Thou’rt […]

The day was o’er, and in their tent the weaned victors met,In wine and social gaiety the carnage to forget.The merry laugh and sparkling jest, the pleasant tale were there–Each heart was free and gladsome then, each brow devoid of care. Yet one was absent from the board who ever was the firstIn every joyous, […]

Warriors true, ’tis no false gloryFor which now you peril life,–For no worthless aim unholy,Do ye plunge into the strife;No unstable, fleeting visionBright before your gaze hath shone,No day dream of wild ambition,Now your footsteps urges on: But a cause both great and glorious,Worthy of a Christian’s might,One which yet shall be victorious,–‘Tis the cause […]

Say, art thou angry? words unkindHave fallen upon thine ear,Thy spirit hath been wounded tooBy mocking jest or sneer,But mind it not–relax at onceThine o’ercast and troubled brow–What will be taunt or jest to theeIn a few short years from now? Or, perhaps thou mayst be piningBeneath some bitter grief,From whose pangs in vain thou […]

[The Battle of Inkerman: Won by the “Allies” during the Crimean war though with great losses in killed and wounded.] Rejoice! the fearful day is o’erFor the victors and the slain;Our cannon proclaim from shore to shore,The Allies have won again!Let our joy bells ring out music clear,The gayest they’ve ever pealed;Let bonfires flames the […]

Around the castle turrets fiercely moaned the autumn blast,And within the old lords daughter seemed dying, dying fast;While o’er her couch in frenzied grief the stricken father bent,And in deep sobs and stifled moans his anguish wild found vent. “Oh cheer thee up, my daughter dear, my Maude, he softly said,As tremblingly he strove to […]

Of many gifts bestowed on earthTo cheer a lonely hour,Oh is there one of equal worthWith music’s magic power?‘Twill charm each angry thought to rest,‘Twill gloomy care dispel,And ever we its power can test,–All nature breathes its spell. There’s music in the sighing toneOf the soft, southern breezeThat whispers thro’ the flowers lone,And bends the […]

‘Mid silken cushions, richly wrought, a young Greek girl reclined,And fairer form the harem’s walls had ne’er before enshrined;‘Mid all the young and lovely ones who round her clustered there,With glowing cheeks and sparkling eyes, she shone supremely fair. ‘Tis true that orbs as dark as hers in melting softness shone,And lips whose coral hue […]

Bright glittering lights are gleaming in yonder mansion proud,And within its walls are gathered a gemmed and jewelled crowd;Robes of airy gauze and satin, diamonds and rubies bright,Rich festoons of glowing flowers–truly ’tis a wondrous sight. Time and care and gold were lavished that it might be, every way,The success of all the season–brilliant fashionable […]