University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
The Poetical Works of Aubrey De Vere

De Vere, Aubrey (1814-1902)

collapse sectionI. 
VOL. I. THE SEARCH AFTER PROSERPINE
expand section 
[section]
expand section 
RECOLLECTIONS OF GREECE,
expand section 
[section]
expand section 
KING HENRY THE SECOND AT THE TOMB OF KING ARTHUR,
expand section 
SONNETS.
expand section 
MISCELLANEOUS POEMS.
expand section 
SONNETS.
expand section 
THE YEAR OF SORROW AND OTHER POEMS.
collapse section 
SONNETS WRITTEN IN TRAVEL.
 I. 
I. GIOTTO'S CAMPANILE AT FLORENCE.
 II. 
II. OLD PICTURES AT FLORENCE.
 III. 
III. ON A PICTURE BY COREGGIO AT PARMA.
 IV. 
IV. COREGGIO'S CUPOLAS AT PARMA.
 V. 
V. TO ITALY.
 VI. 
VI. GENOA.
 VII. 
VII. A PICTURE BY ANDREA DEL SARTO, IN THE CATHEDRAL OF PISA.
 VIII. 
VIII. THE RENAISSANCE, AND SAVONAROLA.—1.
 IX. 
IX. THE RENAISSANCE, AND SAVONAROLA.—2.
 X. 
X. FRESCOES BY MASACCIO, AT FLORENCE.
 XI. 
XI. SAINTS BY PIETRO PERUGINO.
 XII. 
XII. PICTURE OF A SAINT.
 XIII. 
XIII. A NIGHT ON THE GENOESE RIVIERA.
 XIV. 
XIV. BOCCACCIO AND CERTALDO.
 XV. 
XV. THE CAMPO SANTO AT PISA.—1.
 XVI. 
XVI. THE CAMPO SANTO AT PISA.—2.
 XVII. 
XVII. TASSO'S HOUSE AT SORRENTO.
 XVIII. 
XVIII. CASTELAMARE.
 XIX. 
XIX. A MORNING AT SALERNO.
 XX. 
XX. TO NAPLES.
 XXI. 
XXI. THE SIBYL'S CAVE AT CUMA.
 XXII. 
XXII. THE RUINS OF CORNELIA'S HOUSE AT BAIA.
 XXIII. 
XXIII. VENICE BY DAY.
 XXIV. 
XXIV. VENICE IN THE EVENING.
 XXV. 
XXV. LEONARDO'S ‘LAST SUPPER’ AT MILAN.
 XXVI. 
XXVI. THE CHURCH OF ST. AMBROSE AT MILAN.
 XXVII. 
XXVII. THE STATUE OF ST. CARLO BORROMEO AT ARONA.
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII. THE MILANESE SCHOOL.
 XXIX. 
XXIX. THE CATHEDRAL OF MILAN.
 XXX. 
XXX. BYZANTINE MOSAICS AT RAVENNA.
 XXXI. 
XXXI. TO A MOUNTAIN IN SWITZERLAND.—1.
 XXXII. 
XXXII. TO A MOUNTAIN IN SWITZERLAND.—2.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII. TO A MOUNTAIN IN SWITZERLAND.—3.
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV. THE CHAPEL OF TELL ON THE LAKE LUCERNE.
 XXXV. 
XXXV. THE LAKE OF LUCERNE.
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI.
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII. THE MOUNTAIN MUSE.
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII. THE BLUE GENTIAN.
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX. THE MOUNTAIN LANGUAGE.
 XL. 
XL. A TYROLESE VILLAGE.
expand section 
[section]
expand section 
MISCELLANEOUS SONNETS.
expand sectionII. 
VOL. II.
expand sectionIII. 
VOL. III.
expand sectionIV. 
VOL. IV.
expand sectionV. 
VOL. V.
expand sectionVI. 
VOL. VI. LEGENDS AND RECORDS OF THE CHURCH AND THE EMPIRE

collapse section Collapse All | Expand All expand section
previous section The Poetical Works of Aubrey De Vere
next section
The man they scoffed replied not:
Lonely he mused on Rome's far destiny
By him since youth foreseen:
Foreseen it long he had, but not designed it;
194

Events to him unwelcome brought the crisis:
He met it prompt, not glad. ‘By Rome,’ he said,
‘Confugiendum ad Imperium est:
Till now she ne'er was more than half an Empire.’
But there was greatness in his scheme: and Rome
Could rise no more to greatness.
Again and yet again that shame recurred.
One hope remained. An honourable foe
Is better than false friend. Alaric had served
Like Stilicho in Theodosius' armies:
They knew each other's worth: to each the course
Steered by the other was intelligible.
The King of Goths, the Regent of the Empire,
Had proved—each knew it—faithful to his trust:
Rivals they were in youth: war followed war:
Stilicho twice drave back the Goths: that done
He spared the German blood: the noble foes
Changed to true friends. Some Eastern plot detected
Stilicho cried; ‘Would God, Alaric and I
Might march like brothers to the Bosphorus
And drown therein the traitors!’ One who heard
Whispered that word to Alaric.
previous section The Poetical Works of Aubrey De Vere
next section