VII

And bubbled in the cauldron of the street!

      How the young blustered, nor the old recoiled,

And what a thunderous stir of tongues and feet

      Trod flat the palpitating bells, and foiled

The joy-guns of their echo, shattering it!

      How they pulled down the Duke's arms every where!

How they set up new café-signs, to show

      Where patriots might sip ices in pure air—

(Yet the fresh paint smelt somewhat.) To and fro

      How marched the civic guard, and stopped to stare

When boys broke windows in a civic glow.

      How rebel songs were sung to loyal tunes,

And the pope cursed, in ecclesiastic metres!

      How all the Circoli grew large as moons,

And all the speakers, moonstruck! thankful—greeters

      Of prospects which struck poor the ducal boons,

A mere free press, and chambers!—frank repeaters

      Of great Guerazzi's praises.... "There's a man

The father of the land!—who, truly great,

      Takes off that national disgrace and ban,

The farthing tax upon our Florence-gate,

      And saves Italia as he only can."

How all the nobles fled, and would not wait,

      Because they were most noble! which being so,

How the mob vowed to burn their palaces,

      Because they were too free to have leave to go.

How grown men raged at Austria's wickedness,

      And smoked,—while fifty striplings in a row

Marched straight to Piedmont for the wrong's redress!

      Who says we failed in duty, we who wore

Black velvet like Italian democrats,

      Who slashed our sleeves like patriots, nor forswore

The true republic in the form of hats?

      We chased the archbishop from the duomo door—

We chalked the walls with bloody caveats

      Against all tyrants. If we did not fight

Exactly, we fired muskets up the void,

      To show that victory was ours of right.

We met, discussed in every place, self-buoyed

      Except, perhaps, i' the chambers, day and night:

We proved that all the poor should be employed,

      And yet the rich not worked for anywise,—

Pay certified, yet payers abrogated,

      Full work secured, yet liabilities

To over-work excluded,—not one bated

      Of all our holidays, that still, at twice

Or thrice a-week, are moderately rated.

      We proved that Austria was dislodged, or would

Or should be, and that Tuscany in arms

      Should, would, dislodge her, in high hardihood!

And yet, to leave our piazzas, shops, and farms,

      For the bare sake of fighting, was not good.

We proved that also—"Did we carry charms

      Against being killed ourselves, that we should rush

On killing others? What! desert herewith

      Our wives and mothers!—was that duty? Tush!"

At which we shook the sword within the sheath,

      Like heroes—only louder! and the flush

Ran up our cheek to meet the victor's wreath.

      Nay; what we proved, we shouted—how we shouted,

(Especially the little boys did) planting

      That tree of liberty whose fruit is doubted

Because the roots are not of nature's granting—

      A tree of good and evil!—none, without it,

Grow gods!-alas, and, with it, men were wanting.