New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-02-02
sNt@ Orleats Dailp Grssftnt.
spoETaY, MISCELLANEOUS AND TALES,
The New Belisarius.
BY A. ). H. DrGASSE.


iH}. -s.. ~
The New BeHsarius.
->- rf
By Al. H. DCGASSE.
Inscribed ia the u s. ses sasI n2 debate on the
After the death of Atlaric the Goth, Besarius,
General of the Emperor Justinian, was sent with an
army into Italy. He marched to the gates of Rome,
possessed himself of that CITY, and with five thousand
men undertook to defend it against one hundred
thousand Ostrogoths, who besieged him. After va
rous successes the Goths themselves, with admiration
of the character of Besarus requested him to accept
the crown of Italy but that generous and heroic
refused the offer of kingdom; incapable Of betray
ing the interests Of his sovereign, though he had
peatedly experienced his ingratitude After the re-
turn OF Besarns to ByZantum, he suffered injury and
neglect at the hands of those he had served and at
length, in his blind old age was reduced to beg his
bread in the marketplace- [Tytlers Roman History.
Not in vain the deep-eyed Dreamer dwells amid the
lore Of ED !;
Therein reads he mystic meanings from the waking
world withheld.
Catacombed in white tradition, sepuchred in mould
myth
Sees he shapes Of men of living
kith
Sees he gray historic swathings from their mummied
dust unrolled- 90
Cons the Futures dim revealngs, hieroglyphed in
every fold,
Till he twines the Past and Present-weds in one the
Prophets walk the track of prophets-sages delve in
sages graves
Leaders grasp the skirts of are but the
heirs OF slaves.
Still the loathsome Scarabeus (type of Egypt's golden
greedy
Creeps DER fanes and crawls in coins sacred to the
modern creed.
So, the bard-sight, streaming backward, scans the
dim, historic page, ...-
Sees the grand and lordly phantoms sweep their old
chivalric stage,
And beho!ds them but foreshadows, multiplied
through every age.
1 behold an ancient soldier, marching from the Thra-
In his path, like gathering tempests, swarm the o.
trogothic bands:
At his back single legion in his front the countless
From Byzantiums western portals, behold the chief
OutgO.
Proud his men and stern his bearing but his brow is
red with shame
For he knows that while he battled for the ancient
Roman name, .-.
False are hearts he leaves behind him, false the
tongues that keep his fame.
Seven cohorts WELD the avein seven squadrons draw
the rein +;
scythias bearing Roman buckers Parthians striding
p. stsedS Of dI Spain. .o,S q
Rive the cloudy front of batte-smite in twain the
Gothic horde.
BeIisarins l behold thee DER Italia's border tramp
Through the broad and green Campagna, through the
Till the gates OF ROME jar backward, shaken by the
coursers stamp.
Then from seven crested empire--from the walls Of
mighty Rome,
behold thee, Belisarus! gazing backward to thy
home
Gazing backward toward Byzantium, where trust
less master dwells,
Where his bastard lords belle thee and no tongue the
lie repels-
And hear thy high heart surging with its proud and
angry swelis.
At thy feet the foe is bending, and thine eyes are
gazing down
O'era hundred thousand Gothmen offering thee tia
| And hundred warlike nations, swarming from tn
tented field, ~.
Clustrng round thee rude with homage, all their will
! allegiance yield,
| And they swear, by Thor and Odin thou shalt trea
the kingly shield! (2)
"Belisarius be our leader We will grid thee with OF
Leave behind thy king Justinian and his false B,
Zartine lords
:" Belisarius! be our Cheftain we will make the
"on our brazen shields we'll throne thee, high a
Capit0lian dome,
" And we'll build thee, Besarus, in our Gothic heart
a home =
Glorious patriot behold thee waving back the wo,
dering crowd
While thy voice in lofty clearness, climbs above the
murInurs loud
q am soldier of Justinian. Love for me he may no
bear,
Bat the fruits of Roman conquest none but he hat
right to share
"Be the diadem Justinian's-I mine iron helme
wear!'
Then from Rome to false Byzantium Ibehold the her
march
But no grateful king in welcome rears the conqu ror
triumph arch
Belisarius! behold him but no helm is on his head
Bowd with age, and blind with sorrow, through til
. markets slowly led,
In the streets of proud Byzantum, Belsarius begs
bread
Said that the Past foreshadowed all the soul of Pre-
ent things?
Said that the presents Real all the old Ideal brings
Shall OUR OWN BRAVE BELIsARIUs, who, in blaze
bright ren0wn. ...
Spurned, amid the MeXic legons, Montezunas golde
crown
Shall HE beg through our Byzantum, ere in death
) lyeth down?
the Osrogoths consisted single legion of five thousa
soldiers mercenaes Of description hastily levied for
expedition. The march nj General Scott through Mexico
cabals which he left Washington the admiration eNtort
from enemies and the offer from MeNicans place him
American and Roman heroes which extremely curious
the honor Of country the likeness should here
t2 The tios inlugurated newly elected King by
him about the camp Standing shield, which they
taincd on their shoulders
For the purpose of amusement, there may be c
hi6ited by the stereoscope figures of ghostly aspe
thin as air., among the solid realities of the pho
graphic group, The suggestion is by Sir Day