Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
Let Leopold shut up his rooms Of wonders from the catacombs , And high Volterra , and the wo # d Where King Porsenna ' s palace stood , And Populonia ' s \ vriqkled brow , With sea and briary swamps below , And bleak Cortona ' s walls , whose bard Found death too slow and life too hard .
POET . Poor Benedetti ! he believed That to have written and have grieved Were the two things that bards might do As formerly , and none say no .
FRIEND . He was mistaken ; and take care In that mistake you do not share . Florence was always among those Who among letters sought their foes .
POET . Always ! Ah , no ! The vicious race Of Medici gave honour'd place To those whom better men admir'd , Whom glory crown'd and genius fir'd ; ? Twas not Lorenzo ' s hand alone
That placed them near the civic throne : No , my dear friend , not only he Let hearts beat high and souls breathe free ; He not alone his wealth bestowed Where justice told him wealth was owed . The very worst of all his brood Bowed to the wise , and feared the good .
FRIEND . Shame ! to have thus forgot—and yet Perhaps 'twere better to forget . I was like one whose feet stand nigh Some dark abyss , and though the eye Sees the two sides , it sees not yet The shrubs that edge the inner pit . Look at Arcetri ! Mark the tower
Where Galileo ' s lonely hour Was slowly , sadly borne away , Who sighed for night , and grieved at day ; For go among the stars he might , But not sit down again and write . He gave earth motion with his pen , But could not move the least of men .