 | Erato, number II |  |
III.
Soon the strange vision changed.And one with dazzling powers,
—A bright creation of th' events and times—
Midst the confusion dire, arose
The great disorder to adjust.
The elements were separated soon;
And then,
Upon a model different from the old,
New institutions framed. And Liberty,
—A dangerous word when wrongly understood—
Was shouted through the land, and blazon'd high
Upon their banners; but the characters
Were traced with human blood! He who had ris'n
In beauty from the wild disorder, moved
8
Deep penetration throned upon his brow,
And strong determination on his lip.
Riding upon the tide of great events,
He rose superior to the current's force;
And digging channels where he listed, said,
‘This way!’—and it was so. Achilles-like,
He moved amidst destruction without harm,
Seeming impregnable. Gray-headed men,
Whose prime of manhood had been spent in war,
Gazed on the brilliant pathway that he trod,
And thought, in wonder mute, of Monte Notte,
Mondovi, Mellessimo, and the Bridge
Of Lodi—and gave admiration tongue.
| Erato, number II | |