She, to her chamber gone, a ditty fair Sang, of delicious love and honeyed dart ; He with light steps went up a western hill, And bade the sun farewell, and joy'd his fill. 80 XI. All close they met again, before the dusk Had taken from the stars its pleasant veil; Unknown of any, free from whispering tale. 85 XII. Were they unhappy then? - It cannot be Too much of pity after they are dead, Too many doleful stories do we see, Whose matter in bright gold were best be read; Except in such a page where Theseus' spouse, Over the pathless waves towards him bows. XIII. But, for the general award of love, The little sweet doth kill much bitterness; Though Dido silent is in under-grove, And Isabella's was a great distress, Though young Lorenzo in warm Indian clove Was not embalm'd, this truth is not the less Even bees, the little almsmen of spring-bowers, Know there is richest juice in poison-flowers. 00 95 100 XIV. With her two brothers this fair lady dwelt, And for them many a weary hand did swelt And many once proud-quivered loins did melt To take the rich-ored driftings of the flood. 105 IIO XV. For them the Ceylon diver held his breath, 115 A thousand men in troubles wide and dark : XVI. Why were they proud? Because their marble founts Why were they proud? again we ask aloud, Why in the name of Glory were they proud? XVII. Yet were these Florentines as self-retired I 20 125 130 The hawks of ship-mast forests the untired 135 XVIII. How was it these same ledger-men could spy How could they find out in Lorenzo's eye A straying from his toil? Hot Egypt's pest Into their vision covetous and sly! How could these money-bags see east and west? Yet so they did and every dealer fair Must see behind, as doth the hunted hare. XIX. O eloquent and famed Boccaccio! Of thee we now should ask forgiving boon, And of thy spicy myrtles as they blow, 145 And of thy roses amorous of the moon, And of thy lilies, that do paler grow Now they can no more hear thy ghittern's tune, 150 For venturing syllables that ill beseem The quiet glooms of such a piteous theme. XX. Grant thou a pardon here, and then the tale Shall move on soberly, as it is meet; There is no other crime, no mad assail 155 To make old prose in modern rhyme more sweet : But it is done - succeed the verse or fail To honour thee, and thy gone spirit greet; To stead thee as a verse in English tongue, 160 XXI. These brethren having found by many signs Should in their sister's love be blithe and glad, XXII. And many a jealous conference had they, 165 170 To make the youngster for his crime atone; And at the last, these men of cruel clay Cut Mercy with a sharp knife to the bone; For they resolved in some forest dim 175 To kill Lorenzo, and there bury him. XXIII. So on a pleasant morning, as he leant Into the sunrise, o'er the balustrade Of the garden-terrace, towards him they bent Their footing through the dews; and to him said, 180 "You seem there in the quiet of content, Lorenzo, and we are most loth to invade Calm speculation; but if you are wise, XXIV. "To-day we purpose, ay, this hour we mount To spur three leagues towards the Apennine; Come down, we pray thee, ere the hot sun count His dewy rosary on the eglantine." 185 Lorenzo, courteously as he was wont, Bow'd a fair greeting to these serpents' whine; 190 And went in haste, to get in readiness, With belt, and spur, and bracing huntsman's dress. XXV. And as he to the court-yard pass'd along, Each third step did he pause, and listen'd oft If he could hear his lady's matin-song, Or the light whisper of her footstep soft; And as he thus over his passion hung, He heard a laugh full musical aloft; When, looking up, he saw her features bright 195 200 XXVI. "Love, Isabel!" said he, "I was in pain Lest I should miss to bid thee a good morrow: Ah! what if I should lose thee, when so fain I am to stifle all the heavy sorrow Of a poor three hours' absence? but we 'll gain 205 Out of the amorous dark what day doth borrow. "Good-bye! I'll soon be back.". "Good-bye!" said she :— And as he went she chanted merrily. XXVII. So the two brothers and their murdered man Rode past fair Florence, to where Arno's stream 210 215 |