Gods, Saints & Men By Eugene Lee-Hamilton ... With Ten Full-Page Illustartions Designed by Enrico Mazzanti |
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THE RING OF ST. MARK. |
 | Gods, Saints & Men |  |
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THE RING OF ST. MARK.
The night was wild, the night was dark;
And the little bark,
By the quay of St. Mark,
Was rocking to burst its tether:
The boatman cowered, as the cold spray showered,
By Christ, 'twas an awful weather!
And the little bark,
By the quay of St. Mark,
Was rocking to burst its tether:
The boatman cowered, as the cold spray showered,
By Christ, 'twas an awful weather!
For three days the sea, against Venice driven,
Had no respite given,
Though the prayers to Heaven
Had in convent and church never ceased to sound;
The waters had risen in palace and prison,
And many in chains had been drowned.
Had no respite given,
Though the prayers to Heaven
Had in convent and church never ceased to sound;
The waters had risen in palace and prison,
And many in chains had been drowned.
The boatman suddenly 'came aware
That a figure was there
On the landing stair;
And a voice he heard in the gloom:
“Ferry me o'er, with a rapid oar
To St. George's island and tomb.”
That a figure was there
On the landing stair;
And a voice he heard in the gloom:
“Ferry me o'er, with a rapid oar
To St. George's island and tomb.”
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“With such waves as those? On such night as this?
When the wild winds hiss?
And the oar must miss
Every second stroke? Art mad?”
But the stranger said: “Neither doubt nor dread,
But row me across and be glad.”
When the wild winds hiss?
And the oar must miss
Every second stroke? Art mad?”
But the stranger said: “Neither doubt nor dread,
But row me across and be glad.”
And the boatman, he knew not why, obeyed,
And ne'er felt afraid;
But a prayer he prayed,
While the gulls in the darkness screeched;
O'er the oars he bowed, through the waves he ploughed,
Till St. George's island was reached.
And ne'er felt afraid;
But a prayer he prayed,
While the gulls in the darkness screeched;
O'er the oars he bowed, through the waves he ploughed,
Till St. George's island was reached.
And the stranger said in a tone of command,
As he stepped on the sand
Of the island-strand:
“Await me, not long shall I be.”
And the boatman discerned, when the stranger returned,
That a stately companion had he.
As he stepped on the sand
Of the island-strand:
“Await me, not long shall I be.”
And the boatman discerned, when the stranger returned,
That a stately companion had he.
And a vivid flash showed a youthful knight
Clad in armour bright,
In a rosy light;
And he noted his beauty with wonder,
But the darkness came back, with the rattling crack
Of the strong and impatient thunder.
Clad in armour bright,
In a rosy light;
And he noted his beauty with wonder,
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Of the strong and impatient thunder.
And the strangers said, “With thy stalwart oar
Do thou take us o'er
To the Lido's shore,
Where St. Nicholas lies in his tomb;
For the waters they menace the children of Venice
With a sudden and terrible doom.”
Do thou take us o'er
To the Lido's shore,
Where St. Nicholas lies in his tomb;
For the waters they menace the children of Venice
With a sudden and terrible doom.”
And the boatman cried as his heart did fail,
“In this howling gale?
With this boat so frail?
It were death to make but the attempt!”
But the twain spake thus: “Put thy faith in us,
And from death we shall keep thee exempt.”
“In this howling gale?
With this boat so frail?
It were death to make but the attempt!”
But the twain spake thus: “Put thy faith in us,
And from death we shall keep thee exempt.”
And the boatman obeyed, he scarce knew why,
Though the waves whipped high,
And he feared to die;
And he felt they were drifting fast,
While the waves that were seething allowed him no breathing,
But they got to the Lido at last.
Though the waves whipped high,
And he feared to die;
And he felt they were drifting fast,
While the waves that were seething allowed him no breathing,
But they got to the Lido at last.
There the strangers said, in a tone of command
As they touched the sand
Of the longed-for strand;
“Await us, not long shall we be;”
And the boatman discerned when anon they rereturned,
That his passengers now were three.
As they touched the sand
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“Await us, not long shall we be;”
And the boatman discerned when anon they rereturned,
That his passengers now were three.
For the boatman saw by a flash of white
And quivering light,
Which dispelled the night,
A figure unnoticed before;
On his head was a mitre; his beard it was whiter
Than the silvery stole he wore.
And quivering light,
Which dispelled the night,
A figure unnoticed before;
On his head was a mitre; his beard it was whiter
Than the silvery stole he wore.
Then the strangers said: “Neither dread nor doubt,
But all danger scout;
Thou must row us out
To the broad, broad sea in thy boat.”
But he cried all aghast, “In this horrible blast
Which knocketh the teeth down one's throat?”
But all danger scout;
Thou must row us out
To the broad, broad sea in thy boat.”
But he cried all aghast, “In this horrible blast
Which knocketh the teeth down one's throat?”
Yet he knew not why, he obeyed again,
And with toil and pain
Sought the open main,
While fear did his face disfigure;
In the dark as they drifted, they felt themselves lifted
By waves that grew bigger and bigger.
And with toil and pain
Sought the open main,
While fear did his face disfigure;
In the dark as they drifted, they felt themselves lifted
By waves that grew bigger and bigger.
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Like a desperate man o'er his oars he bowed,
Through the dark he ploughed
While he prayed aloud,
And on Jesus and Mary did call;
While each flash that was vivid showed waves that were livid,
About to engulf them all.
Through the dark he ploughed
While he prayed aloud,
And on Jesus and Mary did call;
While each flash that was vivid showed waves that were livid,
About to engulf them all.
And he suddenly saw, as his oar did dip,
In a hugh wave's tip,
What looked like a ship,
Whose sides were of sullen fire;
While devils in crowds were aloft in the shrouds
And the rigging of red-hot wire.
In a hugh wave's tip,
What looked like a ship,
Whose sides were of sullen fire;
While devils in crowds were aloft in the shrouds
And the rigging of red-hot wire.
And the boatman saw, as he quaked with fear,
The strange ship veer,
And against them steer,
While the devils did jibber and taunt;
But his passengers three met the fiends of the sea,
And imperiously bade them avaunt.
The strange ship veer,
And against them steer,
While the devils did jibber and taunt;
But his passengers three met the fiends of the sea,
And imperiously bade them avaunt.
“By the great God Christ, whom the Jews denied,
Who on Golgotha died,
To a cross-tree tied,
Why raise ye the waters thus?
Why make ye them menace the people of Venice,
Who fasten their faith on us?”
Who on Golgotha died,
To a cross-tree tied,
Why raise ye the waters thus?
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Who fasten their faith on us?”
As the holy words from the speakers fell,
There was heard a yell,
Like the voice of Hell,
From the ship which the dark air rent;
Then she suddenly lurched with the fiends that were perched
In her rigging, and down she went.
There was heard a yell,
Like the voice of Hell,
From the ship which the dark air rent;
Then she suddenly lurched with the fiends that were perched
In her rigging, and down she went.
Then a sudden lull. To the slimy caves,
Which be sailors' graves,
Retreated the waves,
While the whirlwind released fled home;
And the bright white moon peeped out right soon,
At the waters still covered with foam.
Which be sailors' graves,
Retreated the waves,
While the whirlwind released fled home;
And the bright white moon peeped out right soon,
At the waters still covered with foam.
And the first of the three to the boatman said:
“Now the peril is fled,
And the Devils are dead,
And Venice no more need fear.
He who took thy bark was her own St. Mark,
With St. George and St. Nicholas here.
“Now the peril is fled,
And the Devils are dead,
And Venice no more need fear.
He who took thy bark was her own St. Mark,
With St. George and St. Nicholas here.
And lest any perchance should the danger scout,
Or the miracle doubt
Which thou givest out;
Go, take to the Doge this ring,
And bid Venice rejoice with thundering voice,
And praises eternally sing.”
Or the miracle doubt
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Go, take to the Doge this ring,
And bid Venice rejoice with thundering voice,
And praises eternally sing.”
And the boatman did as the strangers taught,
And the Palace he sought,
And the ring he brought
To the Doge, all in state enthroned;
'Twas St. Mark's own ring, that most precious thing,
Which Venice for ages had owned.
And the Palace he sought,
And the ring he brought
To the Doge, all in state enthroned;
'Twas St. Mark's own ring, that most precious thing,
Which Venice for ages had owned.
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