The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-04-08

two generations ago. These waters covered
the earth during many days and years, til
society sickened with such mockeres, and al
last considerably put away the drugged chai
ices of Byronism.
In the flush of the Byronic era "Byzan-
tium" was written. Its author has taken his
place, for all time to come, with the shade Of
Junius and with that mighner phantom who trod
the unseen shores of mystic Cloud-land and
gave the world work which is to-day one OF
its most precious possessions-!'he Natural
History of Vestiges of the Creation. lie will
never be known, more than they, in the an
nails of that Literature he has SO honored and
adorned He seems to have been an admrer
and close student Of the author of Childe flar-
old, and obviously drew deep drafts of the in
spred waters through the channel of the great
Bard. Vet byron has produced nothing SO
exalted that it could claim to be its model
There is no servilty in the Likelihood of this
magnificent poem to the highest grandeur
shrined in any other, while it is as sincere, as
passionate and sublime, as the best and loitlest
efforts of the great master.
We regret that we have no resource but 4
few floating fragments of this great poem
which memory has spared us. 1t has long
been out of print; but those who admire ge-
MUS, and appreciate the powers of the human
soul in its most impassioned bursts OF song
will thank us for even the briefest mention OF
production, so grand, of master mind SO
unmistakable. We may hence only convey
some impressions to our readers of its strength
and beauty by few Of its grand images and
thoughts:
Alas, for proud Byzantium! On her head
The fire NAV shoulder and the foe may tread
Yet with heroic look and lovely form
She Knocks the deep, unconscious OF the storm
Her footStool is the shore, which hears the moan
Of dying waves-the mountain is her throne
Her princely minares, whose spires on high
Clean with their CreSCents IN the CloudleSs sky
Her temples bathed in all the pomp Of day;
Her domes that backward fash the living raw:
Her cool kioskS round which from granite white
High sparkling fountains catch a RAINBOW hght
And the dark cypress, Somber and o'erCas',
Which speaks the sleep, the longest and the last
Zach scene around the naughty city throws
mingled charm OF action and repoSe:
Each feature breatheS Of glory wrapt IN gloom
The feast, the shroud, the palace and the tomb.
1t was by his electric power that Byron
thrilled every fiber of the human heart and
filled all souls with lightning splendor. But
there is an intenser depth, because a more
magnetic energy, in many of the superb lines
Of "Byzantium," than in any masterpiece of
Byron. 1t contains none of the Byronic frenzy,
is free from the all-perading ego which rem
dered the greatest Englishman of his time
constant mark for raillery.
Following the above matchless description
are clusters of magnificent imagery, on which
the power of thought and of language are
alike exhausted. A very rain of glowing
beauties, some only of which we can recall,
depict the wealth and glory of the renowned
city Of the C,rsars.
The costly treasures of the marble isle,
The spice Of Ind, the riches of the Nile,
The Of EARTH like streams that seek the sea,
Poured out the tribute OF their wealth 10 thee.
How proud was thy dominion! States and kings
Slept meath the shadow of thine out,retched wings.
In addition to the expression of our regret
at being without the ability to revive this
glorious poem, unbroken and entire, we can
but present to our readers such of the ma este
sentences from its grand descriptive, historic
march as we can recall. Among the literary
trash and tinse of the time, no one can fail to
be refreshed and exalted by its inspiring music,
nor strengthened by the power of its thought.
Alas. that peace so mile, hope fair,
Should make but strife and herald but despair.
O. thine Bylantium thine were bitter tears
couch OF fever and throne OF fears.
When Passion dIugged the bowl and flashed the
When Murder followed in the track of zeal,
When that Religion DO to guide and bless,
Itself became perverSe and merciless,
And factions Of the circus and the shrine,
And lords like slaves and slaves like lords we're
thine
Then did thy empire sink in slow decay;
Then were its stately branches torn away;
And thou, exposed and stripped. were left instead
To bear the lightniHgS Oh thy naked head.
Yet for a season did the MOslem'S hand
Win for thy state aspect Of command.
Let Syria, Egypt tell let PerSiaS shame,
Let naughty Rarbaro>a's deathlc>S name,
Let Buda speak, let Rhodes whose knighted brave
We're weak to serve her impOtent save,
Zeal in the rear and valor in the van
Spread far the flats Of thy sage divan,
ill stretched s the t sefPrs Of thy sway awhile
Brief transitory glory! foul the day,
Foul thy dishOnor when III Cornth'S bay
Meath the rich sun, triumphant Venice spread
Her lion banner ) the Moslem fed:
When proud Vienna'S 'Sautng troops were cen
When /entas laurels deCked the brave Eugene
When the great Shepherd led the Persian van,
And Cyrus lived again in kOui Khan;