a24-第6章

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silent　Turk　sits　smoking　his　long　pipe；　the　handsome　Greek　leans
against　the　pillar　and　gazes　at　the　upraised　trophies　and　lofty　masts；
memorials　of　power　that　is　gone。　The　flags　hang　down　like　mourning
scarves。　A　girl　rests　there：　she　has　put　down　her　heavy　pails　filled
with　water；　the　yoke　with　which　she　has　carried　them　rests　on　one　of
her　shoulders；　and　she　leans　against　the　mast　of　victory。　That　is
not　a　fairy　palace　you　see　before　you　yonder；　but　a　church：　the　gilded
domes　and　shining　orbs　flash　back　my　beams；　the　glorious　bronze　horses　up　yonder　have　made　journeys；　like　the　bronze　horse　in　the　fairy　tale：　they　have　come　hither；　and　gone　hence；　and　have　returned　again。　Do　you　notice　the　variegated　splendour　of　the　walls　and　windows？　It　looks　as　if　Genius　had　followed　the　caprices　of　a　child；　in　the　adornment　of　these　singular　temples。　Do　you　see　the　winged　lion　on　the　pillar？

The　gold　glitters　still；　but　his　wings　are　tied…　the　lion　is　dead；　for
the　king　of　the　sea　is　dead；　the　great　halls　stand　desolate；　and　where
gorgeous　paintings　hung　of　yore；　the　naked　wall　now　peers　through。　
The　lazzarone　sleeps　under　the　arcade；　whose　pavement　in　old　times　was　to　be　trodden　only　by　the　feet　of　high　nobility。　From　the　deep
wells；　and　perhaps　from　the　prisons　by　the　Bridge　of　Sighs；　rise　the
accents　of　woe；　as　at　the　time　when　the　tambourine　was　heard　in　the
gay　gondolas；　and　the　golden　ring　was　cast　from　the　Bucentaur　to
Adria；　the　queen　of　the　seas。　Adria！　shroud　thyself　in　mists；　let
the　veil　of　thy　widowhood　shroud　thy　form；　and　clothe　in　the　weeds
of　woe　the　mausoleum　of　thy　bridegroom…　the　marble；　spectral　Venice。〃

EIGHTEENTH　EVENING
〃I　looked　down　upon　a　great　theatre；〃　said　the　Moon。　〃The　house
was　crowded；　for　a　new　actor　was　to　make　his　first　appearance　that
night。　My　rays　glided　over　a　little　window　in　the　wall；　and　I　saw　a
painted　face　with　the　forehead　pressed　against　the　panes。　It　was　the
hero　of　the　evening。　The　knighly　beard　curled　crisply　about　the
chin；　but　there　were　tears　in　the　man's　eyes；　for　he　had　been　hissed
off；　and　indeed　with　reason。　The　poor　Incapable！　But　Incapables　cannot　be　admitted　into　the　empire　of　Art。　He　had　deep　feeling；　and　loved　his　art　enthusiastically；　but　the　art　loved　not　him。　The　prompter's　bell　sounded；　'the　hero　enters　with　a　determined　air；'　so　ran　the　stage　direction　in　his　part；　and　he　had　to　appear　before　an　audience　who　turned　him　into　ridicule。　When　the　piece　was　over；　I　saw　a　form　wrapped　in　a　mantle；　creeping　down　the　steps：　it　was　the　vanquished　knight　of　the　evening。　The　scene…shifters　whispered　to　one　another；　and　I　followed　the　poor　fellow　home　to　his　room。　To　hang　one's　self　is　to　die　a　mean　death；　and　poison　is　not　always　at　hand；　I　know；　but　he　thought　of　both。　I　saw　how　he　looked　at　his　pale　face　in　the　glass；　with　eyes　half　closed；　to　see　if　he　should　look　well　as　a　corpse。　A　man　may　be　very　unhappy；　and　yet　exceedingly　affected。　He　thought　of　death；　of　suicide；　I　believe　he　pitied　himself；　for　he　wept　bitterly；　and　when　a　man　has　had　his　cry　out　he　doesn't　kill　himself。
〃Since　that　time　a　year　had　rolled　by。　Again　a　play　was　to　be
acted；　but　in　a　little　theatre；　and　by　a　poor　strolling　company。　Again
I　saw　the　well…remembered　face；　with　the　painted　cheeks　and　the
crisp　beard。　He　looked　up　at　me　and　smiled；　and　yet　he　had　been　hissed　off　only　a　minute　before…　hissed　off　from　a　wretched　theatre；　by　a　miserable　audience。　And　tonight　a　shabby　hearse　rolled　out　of　the　town…gate。　It　was　a　suicide…　our　painted；　despised　hero。　The　driver　of　the　hearse　was　the　only　person　present；　for　no　one　followed　except　my　beams。　In　a　corner　of　the　churchyard　the　corpse　of　the　suicide　was　shovelled　into　the　earth；　and　nettles　will　soon　be　growing
rankly　over　his　grave；　and　the　sexton　will　throw　thorns　and　weeds　from　the　other　graves　upon　it。〃

NINETEENTH　EVENING
〃I　come　from　Rome；〃　said　the　Moon。　〃In　the　midst　of　the　city；　upon
one　of　the　seven　hills；　lie　the　ruins　of　the　imperial　palace。　The　wild
fig　tree　grows　in　the　clefts　of　the　wall；　and　covers　the　nakedness
thereof　with　its　broad　grey…green　leaves；　trampling　among　heaps　of
rubbish；　the　ass　treads　upon　green　laurels；　and　rejoices　over　the　rank
thistles。　From　this　spot；　whence　the　eagles　of　Rome　once　flew
abroad；　whence　they　'came；　saw；　and　conquered；'　our　door　leads　into
a　little　mean　house；　built　of　clay　between　two　pillars；　the　wild
vine　hangs　like　a　mourning　garland　over　the　crooked　window。　An　old
woman　and　her　little　granddaughter　live　there：　they　rule　now　in　the
palace　of　the　Caesars；　and　show　to　strangers　the　remains　of　its　past
glories。　Of　the　splendid　throne…hall　only　a　naked　wall　yet　stands；　and
a　black　cypress　throws　its　dark　shadow　on　the　spot　where　the　throne
once　stood。　The　dust　lies　several　feet　deep　on　the　broken　pavement；
and　the　little　maiden；　now　the　daughter　of　the　imperial　palace；
often　sits　there　on　her　stool　when　the　evening　bells　ring。　The　keyhole
of　the　door　close　by　she　calls　her　turret　window；　through　this　she　can
see　half　Rome；　as　far　as　the　mighty　cupola　of　St。　Peter's。

〃On　this　evening；　as　usual；　stillness　reigned　around；　and　in　the
full　beam　of　my　light　came　the　little　granddaughter。　On　her　head　she
carried　an　earthen　pitcher　of　antique　shape　filled　with　water。　Her
feet　were　bare；　her　short　frock　and　her　white　sleeves　were　torn。　I
kissed　her　pretty　round　shoulders；　her　dark　eyes；　and　black　shining
hair。　She　mounted　the　stairs；　they　were　steep；　having　been　made　up
of　rough　blocks　of　broken　marble　and　the　capital　of　a　fallen　pillar。
The　coloured　lizards　slipped　away；　startled；　from　before　her　feet；　but
she　was　not　frightened　at　them。　Already　she　lifted　her　hand　to　pull
the　door…bell…　a　hare's　foot　fastened　to　a　string　formed　the
bell…handle　of　the　imperial　palace。　She　paused　for　a　moment…　of　what
might　she　be　thinking？　Perhaps　of　the　beautiful　Christ…child；
dressed　in　gold　and　silver；　which　was　down　below　in　the　chapel；
where　the　silver　candlesticks　gleamed　so　bright；　and　where　her
little　friends　sung　the　hymns　in　which　she　also　could　join？　I　know
not。　Presently　she　moved　again…　she　stumbled：　the　earthen　vessel
fell　from　her　head；　and　broke　on　the　marble　steps。　She　burst　into
tears。　The　beautiful　daughter　of　the　imperial　palace　wept　over　the
worthless　broken　pitcher；　with　her　bare　feet　she　stood　there
weeping；　and　dared　not　pull　the　string；　the　bell…rope　of　the
imperial　palace！〃

TWENTIETH　EVENING
It　was　more　than　a　fortnight　since　the　Moon　had　shone。　Now　he
stood　once　more；　round　and　bright；　above　the　clouds；　moving　slowly
onward。　Hear　what　the　Moon　told　me。

〃From　a　town　in　Fezzan　I　followed　a　caravan。　On　the　margin　of
the　sandy　desert；　in　a　salt　plain；　that　shone　like　a　frozen　lake；
and　was　only　covered　in　spots　with　light　drifting　sand；　a　halt　was
made。　The　eldest　of　the　company…　the　water　gourd　hung　at　his　girdle；
and　on　his　head　was　a　little　bag　of　unleavened　bread…　drew　a　square　in
the　sand　with　his　staff；　and　wrote　in　it　a　few　words　out　of　the　Koran；
and　then　the　whole　caravan　passed　over　the　consecrated　spot。　A　young　merchant；　a　child　of　the　East；　as　I　could　tell　by　his　eye　and　his
figure；　rode　pensively　forward　on　his　white　snorting　steed。　Was　he
thinking；　perchance；　of　his　fair　young　wife？　It　was　only　two　days
ago　that　the　camel；　adorned　with　furs　and　with　costly　shawls；　had
carried　her；　the　beauteous　bride；　round　the　walls　of　the　city；　while
drums　and　cymbals　had　sounded；　the　women　sang；　and　festive　shots；　of　which　the　bridegroom　fired　the　greatest　number；　resounded　round　the　camel；　and　now　he　was　journeying　with　the　caravan　across　the　desert。

〃For　many　nights　I　followed　the　train。　I　saw　them　rest　by　the
wellside　among　the　stunted　palms；　they　thrust　the　knife　into　the
breast　of　the　camel　that　had　fallen；　and　roasted　its　flesh　by　the
fire。　My　beams　cooled　the　glowing　sands；　and　showed　them　the　black
rocks；　dead　islands　in　the　immense　ocean　of　sand。　No　hostile　tribes
met　them　in　their　pathless　route；　no　storms　arose；　no　columns　of
sand　whirled　destruction　over　the　journeying　caravan。　At　home　the
beautiful　wife　prayed　for　her　husband　and　her　father。　'Are　they　dead？'
she　asked　of　my　golden　crescent；　'Ar