Tombs along the Appian Way.
There had once a great patrician
Built a tomb to his freed woman,
Whom he'd brought as a remembrance
From Judaea, at the time of
The destruction of the Temple.
She was called Zatcha Achyba.
There he sat, the spies related;
'Twas a subject for an artist:
The Campagna's sombre landscape;
Moonlight on the marble tombstone;
He his mantle wrapped around him;
Mournfully he blew his trumpet
Through the gloomy lonely silence.
This had brought upon him later
Many mocking jeers like this one:
'Signor Werner is composing
For the Jewess there a requiem.'"

At this smiled the Holy Father,
And the Cardinals did likewise;
Following these high examples,
All the chamberlains smiled also;
Even Carlo Dolci's features
Now relaxed their gloomy sadness.
And the Pope said: "We must all have
Great respect for this young German.
It were well if many others
Who at night away are stealing,
To the Appian Way were going.
Signor Werner, I assure you,
Stands most high in my good graces,
And to-morrow he shall see it;
For, I recollect, I've granted
Then an audience to the Abbess."

On the first day of July in
Sixteen hundred seventy-nine, there
Rose the sun with special glory.
Cooling blew the tramontana
Through the cypresses and myrtles
In the Vatican's fair garden;
And the half-parched flowers gladly
Raised their heads, breathed out fresh fragrance,
O'er the bronze gigantic pine-cone,--
Which once Hadrian's museum
Had adorned, and now was living
'Mid the jessamines and roses,
As a pensioner contented,--
Lively lizards swiftly glided,
Snapping at the tiny insects
Ever dancing in the sunshine.
Fountains played, and birds were singing;
E'en the pale old marble statues
With warm life became imbued.
And the satyr, with his reed flute,
Raised his foot as if intending
To go dancing round the garden;
But Apollo's hand waved warning:
"Friend, those times have passed forever;
Thou wouldst only raise a scandal."
Bathed in sunlight, Rome looks smiling
O'er the river at the Vatican;
From the sea of houses, churches,
And fair palaces