Italian Fantasies
Book Description
A lps, and Hannibal himself had no such baggage of dreams and memories, such fife-and-drum of lyrics, such horns of ivory, such emblazoned standards and streamered gonfalons, flying and fluttering, such phalanxes of heroes, such visions of cities to spoil and riches to rifle palace and temple, bust and picture, tapestry and mosaic. My elephants too matched his ;my herds of mediaeval histories, gro...
MoreA lps, and Hannibal himself had no such baggage of dreams and memories, such fife-and-drum of lyrics, such horns of ivory, such emblazoned standards and streamered gonfalons, flying and fluttering, such phalanxes of heroes, such visions of cities to spoil and riches to rifle palace and temple, bust and picture, tapestry and mosaic. My elephants too matched his ;my herds of mediaeval histories, grotesque as his gargoyled beasts. Nor without fire and vinegar have I pierced my passage to these green pastures. Ave I talia, regina terrarum! I cried, as I kissed the hem of thy blue robe, starred with white cities. There are who approach Italy by other portals, but these be the true gates of heaven, these purple peaks snow-flashing as they touch the stainless sky ;scarred and riven with ancient fires, and young with jets of living water. Nature sgreatness prepares the heart for mans glory. I too have crossed the Rubicon, and Csesar gathered no such booty. Gold and marble and sardonyx, lapis-lazuli, agate and alabaster, porphyry, jasper and bronze, these were the least of my spoils. I plucked at the mystery of the storied land and fulfilled my eyes of its loveliness and colour.
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)
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