To other eyes shall MEXICO unfold

Her feathered tapestries, and roofs of gold.
To other eyes, from distant cliff descried,
Shall the PACIFIC roll his ample tide;

There destined soon rich argosies to ride.
Chains thy reward! beyond the ATLANTIC wave
Hung in thy chamber, buried in thy grave!
Thy reverend form to time and grief a prey,
A phantom wandering in the light of day!

66

What tho' thy gray hairs to the dust descend,

Their scent shall track thee, track thee to the end ;*
Thy sons reproached with their great father's fame,
And on his world inscribed another's name!

That world a prison-house, full of sights of woe,
Where groans burst forth, and tears in torrents flow!
These gardens of the sun, sacred to song,
By dogs of carnage howling loud and long,
Swept-till the voyager, in the desert air,

Starts back to hear his altered accents there!

66

Not thine the olive, but the sword to bring,

Not peace, but war! Yet from these shores shall spring

* See the Eumenides of Eschylus, v. 246.

Peace without end;* from these, with blood defiled, Spread the pure spirit of thy Master mild!

Here, in His train, shall arts and arms attend,

Arts to adorn, and arms but to defend.
Assembling here, all nations shall be blest;
The sad be comforted; the weary rest;
Untouched shall drop the fetters from the slave ;
And He shall rule the world he died to save!

"Hence, and rejoice. The glorious work is done.
A spark is thrown that shall eclipse the sun!
And, tho' bad men shall long thy course pursue,
As erst the ravening brood o'er chaos flew,†
He, whom I serve, shall vindicate his reign;
The spoiler spoiled of all; the slayer slain;
The tyrant's self, oppressing and opprest,
Mid gems and gold unenvied and unblest ;
While to the starry sphere thy name shall rise,
(Not there unsung thy generous enterprise!)
Thine in all hearts to dwell-by Fame enshrined,
With those, the Few, that live but for Mankind;
Thine evermore, transcendent happiness!

World beyond world to visit and to bless."

* See Washington's farewell address to his fellow-citizens.

+ See Paradise Lost. X.

On the two last leaves, and written in another hand, are some stanzas in the romance or ballad measure of the Spaniards. The subject is an adventure soon related.

THY lonely watch-tower, Larenille,

Had lost the western sun;

And loud and long from hill to hill

Echoed the evening-gun,

When Hernan, rising on his oar,

Shot like an arrow from the shore.

-"Those lights are on St. Mary's Isle ;
They glimmer from the sacred pile."*

The waves were rough; the hour was late.
But soon across the Tinto borne,
Thrice he blew the signal-horn,

He blew and would not wait.

Home by his dangerous path he went;
Leaving, in rich habiliment,

Two Strangers at the Convent-gate.

*The Convent of La Rábida.

They ascended by steps hewn out in the rock; and, having asked for admittance, were lodged there.

Brothers in arms the Guests appeared;

The Youngest with a Princely grace!
Short and sable was his beard,
Thoughtful and wan his face.

His velvet cap a medal bore,

And ermine fringed his broidered vest ;
And, ever sparkling on his breast,

An image of St. John he wore.*

The Eldest had a rougher aspect, and there was craft in his eye. He stood a little behind in a long black mantle, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword; and his white hat and white shoes glittered in the moonshine.†

"Not here unwelcome, tho' unknown.

Enter and rest!" the Friar said.

* See Bernal Diaz, c. 203; and also a well known portrait of Cortes, ascribed to Titian. Cortes was now in the 43d, Pizarro in the 50th year of his age.

† Agustin Zaratè, lib. iv. c. 9.