Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1866-05-30
DIReE OF ALARIC, THE vIsIGoTH.

Who stormed and spoiled the city Of Rome
and was afterwards buried in the channel Of thr
river Busentius, the water Of which had been di
verted from Its course that the body might b
Inferred.
When I am dead, no pageant train
Shall waste their sorrows at my bier,
Nor'worthless pomp Of homage vain
Stain it with hypOcritie tears;
gor viii die as did live,
Nor take the boon / cannot give.
Ye shall not raise a marble bust
Upon the spot where Tepose;
Ye shall not fawn before my dust,
In hollow circumstance of woes:
Nor seulptured clay, with lying breath,
Insult the clay that moulds beneath.
Ye shah not pile with seryile toll
Your monuments upon my breast,
Nor yet within the common soil
Lay down the wreck of Power to rest;
Where man can boast that he has trod
On him, that was "the scourge Of God"
But ye the mountain stream shall turn,
And lay its secret channel bare,
And hollow, for your soyereign's urn,
A resting-place for everthere:
Then bid its everlasting springs
Flow back upon the King of Kings;
Aud never be the secret said,
Until the deep gives up the dead.
Ny gold and silver ye shall fling
Back TO the elOds that gave them birth =
The captured crowns Of many king,
The ransom ofa conquer'd earth:
For cen though dead viii control
The trophies Of the capitol.
But when, beneath the mountain-tide,
Ye've laid your monarch down to rot,
Ye shall not rear upon its side
Pillar nor mound 10 mark the spot
For long enough the world has shook
Beneath the terrors Of my look;
And now that have run my race,
The astonish'd realms shall rest space.
Ny course was like the river deep,
And f-om the northern hills l burst,
Acr0ss the'w0rId in wrath to sweep,
And when I went the spot was cursed,
Nor blade Of grass again was seen
Where Alarie and his hosts had been.
See how their naughty barriers fail
Beneath the terror of the Goth,
Their irOn-breasted legiOns quail
Before my ruthless sabaOth,
And low the QVeen of empires lCneels,
And grovels at my chariot wheels.
Not for myself did ascend
Injudgment my tTiumphal car;
Twas God alone on high did send
The evenCing Seythian to the war,
To shake abroad, with Iron hand,
The appointed seourge of bis command.
With iron hand that scourge I rear'd
Ger guilty king and guilty realm,
Destruction was the ship l steer'd,
And Vengeance sat upon the helm;
When launch'd in Jury on the dood,
plough'd my way through seas Of blood,
And in the stream their hearts had split
Wash'd out the long arrears Of guilt
Across the everlasting Alp
pOur'd the torrent ofm powers,
And feeble Cesar shook for help
In vain within their seven-hill'd towers;
Iquench'd in blood the brightest gem
That glittcr'd in their diadem,
And struck darker, deeper dye
In the purple of their majesty,
And babe my northern banners shine
Upon the conquerd Palatine.
Ny course is run, my errand done,
/ 20 to him from whom / came;
But never vet shall set the sun
OF glory that adorns my name.
And Roman hearts shall long be sick
When men shall think Of Alarie.
Nv course is run, my errand done
But darker ministers Of late
Impatient round the eternal throne
And in the caves ofvengennce wait,
And soon mankind shall blench away
Before the name Of Attila.