Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-07-06
Doftru
From the Atlantic for July.
THE ALARM BELL OF AThI.
BY HENRY ". LoNeFELLow.

At Atri, in Abruzzo, a small town
Of ancient Roman date, but scant renown,
One of those little places that have run
Half up the hills beneath blazing SUP,
And then sat down to rest as II TO say,
II climb no further upward come what may
The Re Giovanni, now unknown to fame,
30 many monarchs since have borne the name,
Had a great bell hung in the market-place
6eneath a root, projecting some small space,
BY way of shelter from the sun and rain.
Then rode he through the streets with all his tran
And with the blast OF trumpets loud and long,
Made proclamation, that whenever wrong
Was done to an man, he should but ring,
The great bell in the square, and he, the king,
Would cause the Syndic to decide thereon.
Such was the proclamation of King John.
How happily the days in Atri sped,
What wrongs we're righted, need not here be said.
Suffice it that, as all things must decay,
The hempen rope at length was worn away
Unravelled at the end, and strand by strand,
Loosened and wasted i'll the ringers hand,
Till one who noted this in passing by,
Mended the rope with braids of briony,
So that the leaves and tendrils of the vine,
Hung ike votive garland at shrine.
By chance it happened that in Atri dwelt
A knight, with spur on heel and sword in belt,
Who loved to hunt the wiid-boar in the woods,
Who loved his falcons with their crimson hoods,
Who loved his hounds and horses, and all sports
And prodgalities OF camps and courts:
Loved, or had loved them; for at last, grown old,
His only passion was the love of gold.
He sold his horses, sold his hawks and hounds,
Rented his vineyards and his garden-grounds,
Kept but one steed, his favorite steed OF all,
To starve and shiver in naked stall,
And, day by day, sat brooding in his chair,
Devising plans how best to hoard and spare.
At length he said: 'sWhat is the use or need
To keep at my own cost this lazy s;eed,
Eating his head off in my stables here,
When rents are low and prevender is dear?
Let him go feed upon the public ways;
want him only for the holidays
SO the old steed was turned into the heat
OF the long, lone y, Silent, shadowless street;
And wandered in suburban lanes forlorns
Barked at by dogs, and torn by brier and thorn.
One afternoon, as in that sultry cline
1t is the custom in the Summertime,
With bolted doors, and window-shu'ters closed,
The inhabitants of Atri slept or dozed;
When suddenly upon their senses fell
The loud alarum of the accusing beill
The Syndic started from his sweet repose,
Turned on his couch and listened and then rose
And donned his robes, and with reluctant pace,
Went painting forth into the market-place,
Where the great bell upon its cross-beam swung.
Reiterating with persistent tongue,
In half-articulate jargon, the old song:
"Solne one oath done wrong hath done wrong
He saw, or thought he saw, beneath its shade,
No shape of human form, of woman born,
But poor steed detected and forlorn,
VINO with uplifted head and eager eye
Was tugging at the vines of briony.
"Domeneddiol" |" cried the Syndic straight
s'This is the Knight of Atri's steed of statei
He Calls Tor justice, Delng sore distressed,
And pleads his cause as loudly as the best"
Meanwhile from street and lane noisy crowd
Had rolled together, like Summer cloud,
And told the story of the Wretched beast
In f1ve-and-twenty different ways at least,
With much gestculation and appeal
To heather gods, in their excessive zeal.
The Knight was called and questioned: in reply
Did not confess the fact, did not deny;
Treated the matter pleasant jest,
And set at naught the Syndic and the rest,
Maintaining, In angry undertOne,
That ne should do what pleased him with his own
And thereupon the Syndic gravely read
The proclamation of the King; then said:
fsPride goeth forth on horseback grand and gay,
But cometh back on foot and begs its way;
Fame is the perfume of heroic deeds,
OF flowers of chivary and not of weeds
These are familiar proverbs; but fear
They never yet have reached your knightly ear.
What fair renown, what honor, what repute -
Can come to you from starving this poor brute
He who serves well and speaks not merits more
Than they who claInor louCLest at the door.
Therefore the law decrees that as this steed
Served you in youth, henceforth you shall take
heed
To comfort his old age, and to provide
Shelter in stall, and food and field beside"
The Knight withdrew abashed; the people all
Led home the steed in triumph to his stall.
The King heard and approved, and laughed in glee
And cried aloud: SRight well it pleaseth me
Ch urch-bells at best but ring us TO the door;
But 90 not into mass; my bell doth more:
1t cometh into court and pleads the cause
Z OF creatures dumb and unknown to the laws;
Aud this shall make, in every Christia cline,
The Bell of Atri famous for all time.'