By words to calm, or sheathed in steel to cope
With him whose impious soul defies the anointed Pope.

Frederick the Swabian sits in state, and lo!

The Adrian envoys front him. He, the Greek,
Emanuel, blinded, Henry Dandolo,t

He, that was after Doge, stands forth to speak
Peace 'twixt the Pontiff and the Prince to seek.
"Venice doth Frederick Barbarossa greet-

Long may he reign, protector of the weak,
And queller of the strong!-Lo, you! the heat
Of furious feud, most impious and unmeet

In Christian clime, between thee and the Pope
Rages, which humbly Venice doth entreat

May now be quench'd for ever; in which hope
She, for the Pope, her guest, doth peace demand.
Say, will the Kaiser take the Pontiff's proffer'd hand?

"No, by the blood of God!" the Swabian roar'd.
"Hence to your marshy hovels by the sea,
And leave the shaveling to my threatening sword!
What boots our quarrel unto yours or ye?
Nay, mark, moreover, meddlers that ye be,
If ye would not have his fate be your own,
Send me his head, or you will hear from me!-
And thank your insignificance alone

I keep not yours for hostages. Begone!"

Then Dandolo, "For these thy words, proud King,
The Planter of the Lion to thy throne

Hurls down her gage, and brands thee as a thing

Most miscreant and leprous! and stands forth

As champion to the death for Heaven, 'gainst thee and earth!"

*

At dawn the Istrian waves were calm and clear,
And ruddy with the morn-blush-but at night
Ruddier with blood, and studded with the gear
Of shatter'd galleys! The wan moon's soft light
Stream'd o'er the fragments of a fearful fight,
Corpses, and mangled limbs! and mast and oar
Hither and thither drifting. In fierce might
Venice hath grappled with the Emperor,
And grappled, as her custom was of yore,
Daringly! Eighty galleys did she meet
With thirty. Yea, and came off conqueror!
With prizes which outnumbered her own fleet!

Home went her warriors chaunting o'er the sea,
"Not unto us, O Lord! be glory given, but Thee! "

Yea, eighty galleys were the armament

Of her whose impress in her after-pride

Was the five vowels! 'Gainst the which were sent
But thirty of th' Italians; but their tried
And val'rous seamanship so well replied
To Austria's boasting, that o' the eighty sail
They captured forty; eight beneath the tide
They sunk. They also took the admiral,

"Mos

+ This was Byron's "octogenarian chief, Byzantium's conquering foe." Sabellicus recounts the perfidy of Emanuel the Emperor of Constantinople thus: trando adunque egli di voler di segreto parlare ad Henrico Dandolo, uno degli ambasciatori, menatolo in luogo occulto, con ferro ardente lo privo di vista."

Otho, fierce Redbeard's nephew. A brisk gale
Ransomed the rest, or Almaine had not had
A galley left to carry home the tale.

Think ye how each Venetian heart beat glad
To view such booty, gained against such odds.

"A miracle!" they cried. "Not man's hand fought, but God's ! " •
The admiral, Otho, had a sort of sneaking

Love for the Pope, or haply his own fame,

And wisely owned this vengeance as Heaven's wreaking,
Since, thereby, certes, neither shame or blame
Could fall on his or any other name!

With this consoling subterfuge imprest,

One morning to his grace, the Doge, he came,
And, gaining audience, ventured to suggest
That with the family influence he possest,

If he were sent to expound this miracle
To Frederick, all would shortly be redrest.

The Doge assented; Otho's scheme took well.
Worried by words, by superstition cowed,

Bold Frederick lost all heart, and to the Pontiff bowed
Abject! Before the altar of Saint Mark

The Pope, in full pontificals arrayed,
Stood, smiles illumining his visage dark!

For, at his feet the despot kneels, who laid
Such anguish on his soul, that life was made
A curse! This strange success so fat had fed

His ancient pride, that, all results unweighed,
He placed his foot on Frederick's neck, and said
In the great Psalmist's words, "Thus do I tread

"On the young lion, and the venomous snake!"
Whereat the Kaiser raised his bended head,

And cried, "Not thou, but Peter!" Then thus spake
The Pontiff, flashing anger from his eye,

"Peace, impious dog! Not Peter only, also I!"

Then to the Ciani he addressed these words,-
"In memory of this day, and that when ye
Had God to aid the prowess of your swords,
Take
ye
this ring, and know that we decree
Venice is henceforth sovereign of the sea;
It is her lordship, heritage, and fief.

We, God's vicegerent, will it. It shall be
To Venice as a wife! In joy and grief
Handmaid and comforter. To thee, the chief
Of the Republic, we entrust this ring,
In token of the covenant; which our brief
At full shall certify! For revelling

Be this day marked amid the calendar,

And kept each year!" It was. 'Twas called the Bucentaur!

J. E. INMAN.

"The famous device of Austria, A, E, I, O, U, was first used by Frederic III. who adopted it on his plate, books, and buildings. These initials stand for Austria Est Imperare Orbi Universo; or, in German, Alles Erdreich Ist Osterreich Unterthan.'"-HALLAM'S Middle Ages.

The words which Sabellicus puts into Alexander's mouth are, "Ricevi questo anello d'oro, o Ciani, e per mia autorità, con questo pegno ti farai il mare soggetto, la qual cosa tu e tuoi successori ogni anno in tal giorno osservate, accio quelle che haveranno a seguire intendano la signoria del mare per ragion de guerra esser vostra, e come la moglie al huomo, cosi il mare al vostro dominio essere sottoposto."

STANLEY THORN.

BY THE AUTHOR OF "VALENTINE VOX."

CHAPTER XXVII.

In which Stanley prepares to become the successor of a peculiarly
honourable M.P.

THE project of getting Stanley into parliament, involving, as it did, such high considerations, and opening a prospect so brilliant, was of course soon communicated by Amelia to the captain and the general, both of whom at once resolved to call into action all their energies, with the view of ensuring success. They naturally regarded it as a thing well calculated to fix the principles and to enlarge the views of him whom they held in high esteem, and for whom they were ardently anxious to do all in their power. They saw and conversed with him frequently on the subject, and were delighted with the talent he displayed; for while he explained his political predilections with great clearness and point, his mode of expression was peculiarly forcible and suasive.

Still he preserved a certain coldness, a distance, which neither the captain nor the general could understand. They applied to Amelia ; but all the information they could obtain from her was that he had been on some point misinformed. She at the same time begged of them earnestly to take no farther notice of the matter, assuring them that the impression would soon wear off, and be thought of no more.

Conscious, however, of the integrity of his motives, the captain could not allow a false impression to exist: he therefore resolved to embrace the first opportunity for having the point cleared up, which opportunity almost immediately offered.

"My good fellow," said he, addressing Stanley in the presence of the General, "I may be mistaken; but there does not appear to be that warmth of feeling, that unqualified friendship, existing between us which I am anxious to cultivate. If I am mistaken I shall be happy if not, state at once and unreservedly what it is, that the thing may be explained."

"Captain," said Stanley, " as you wish me to state what it is without reserve, I will do so. I have understood that you and the General have assumed to yourselves the office of spies upon --"

"Spies!" exclaimed the General: "employ some other term." "I know of no other term so applicable."

"Sir, I will not allow any man breathing to apply a term so opprobrious to me."

"I am glad," rejoined Stanley with the most perfect coolness, "that you consider it opprobrious, although it simply proves that men can bear to do that of which they cannot bear to be told."

"I beg that you will instantly explain," said the General. "I do not understand this language: it is not the tone to which I have been accustomed."

"It may not be, and yet I know of no other tone which, under the circumstances, ought to be assumed. Do you look upon me as a child?"