Rhymes On The Road. Extract XII. Florence.

Music in Italy.--Disappointed by it.--Recollections or other Times and Friends.--Dalton.--Sir John Stevenson.--His Daughter.--Musical Evenings together.


If it be true that Music reigns,
    Supreme, in ITALY'S soft shades,
'Tis like that Harmony so famous,
Among the spheres, which He of SAMOS
Declared had such transcendent merit
That not a soul on earth could hear it;
For, far as I have come--from Lakes,
Whose sleep the Tramontana breaks,
Thro' MILAN and that land which gave
The Hero of the rainbow vest[1]--
By MINCIO'S banks, and by that wave,
Which made VERONA'S bard so blest--
Places that (like the Attic shore,
Which rung back music when the sea
Struck on its marge) should be all o'er
Thrilling alive with melody--
I've heard no music--not a note
Of such sweet native airs as float
In my own land among the throng
And speak our nation's soul for song.

Nay, even in higher walks, where Art
Performs, as 'twere, the gardener's part,
And richer if not sweeter makes
The flowers she from the wild-hedge takes--
Even there, no voice hath charmed my ear,
    No taste hath won my perfect praise,
Like thine, dear friend[2]--long, truly dear--
    Thine, and thy loved OLIVIA'S lays.
She, always beautiful, and growing
    Still more so every note she sings--
Like an inspired young Sibyl,[3] glowing
    With her own bright imaginings!
And thou, most worthy to be tied
    In music to her, as in love,
Breathing that language by her side,
    All other language far above,
Eloquent Song--whose tones and words
In every heart find answering chords!

How happy once the hours we past,
    Singing or listening all daylong,
Till Time itself seemed changed at last
    To music, and we lived in song!
Turning the leaves of HAYDN o'er,
    As quick beneath her master hand
They opened all their brilliant store,
    Like chambers, touched by fairy wand;
Or o'er the page of MOZART bending,
    Now by his airy warblings cheered,
Now in his mournful Requiem blending
    Voices thro' which the heart was heard.
And still, to lead our evening choir,
Was He invoked, thy loved-one's Sire[4]--
He who if aught of grace there be
    In the wild notes I write or sing,
First smoothed their links of harmony,
    And lent them charms they did not bring;--
He, of the gentlest, simplest heart,
With whom, employed in his sweet art,
(That art which gives this world of ours
    A notion how they speak in heaven.)
I've past more bright and charmed hours
    Than all earth's wisdom could have given.
Oh happy days, oh early friends,
    How Life since then hath lost its flowers!
But yet--tho' Time some foliage rends,
    The stem, the Friendship, still is ours;
And long may it endure, as green
And fresh as it hath always been!

How I have wandered from my theme!
    But where is he, that could return
To such cold subjects from a dream,
    Thro' which these best of feelings burn?--
Not all the works of Science, Art,
    Or Genius in this world are worth
One genuine sigh that from the heart
    Friendship or Love draws freshly forth.