is as true as ever it was.
That last telegram of the Kaiser must have done its soothing work. You
remember how it ran: the Kaiser was too busy to make up new phrases.
He telegraphed to his sister the familiar Potsdam sentence: "Woe to
those who dare to draw the sword against me." I am sure that I have
heard that before. And he added--delightful and significant
postscript!--"My compliments to Tino."

* *

And Tino--King Constantine of the Hellenes--understood. He is in bed
now with a very bad cold, and like to stay in bed until the weather be
more settled. But before going to bed he was able to tell a journalist
that Greece was going quietly on with her proper business; it was her
mission to carry civilisation to the world. Truly that was the mission
of ancient Greece. What we get from Tino's modern Greece is not
civilisation but the little black currants for plum-cake.

* *

But Rome. Greece may be dead or in the currant trade. Rome is alive
and immortal. Do not talk to me about Signor Giolitti, who is quite
sure that the only things that matter in this new Italy, which is old
Rome, are her commercial relations with Germany. Rome of the legions,
our ancient mistress and conqueror, is alive to-day, and she cannot be
for an ignoble peace. Here in my newspaper is the speech of a poet
spoken in Rome to a shouting crowd: I will cut out the column and put
it in the Poetry Book.

* *

He calls to the living and to the dead: "I saw the fire of Vesta, O
Romans, lit yesterday in the great steel works of Liguria, The
fountain of Juturna, O Romans, I saw its water run to temper armour,
to chill the drills that hollow out the bore of guns." This is poetry
of the old Roman sort. I imagine that scene in Rome: the latest poet
of Rome calling upon the Romans in the name of Vesta's holy fire, in
the name of the springs at which the Great Twin Brethren washed their
horses. I still believe in the power and the ancient charm of noble
words. I do not think that Giolitti and the stockbrokers will keep old
Rome off the old roads where the legions went.

Postscript

While this volume was passing through the press, Mr. Ralph Shirley,
the Editor of "The Occult Review" callled my attention to an article
that is appearing in the August issue of his magazine, and was kind
enough to let me see the advance proof sheets.