Peace with her plastic touch,--field, farm, and grange are here.

5

Lo, flintwall'd cities, castles stark and square
Bastion'd with rocks that rival Nature's own;
Red-furnaced baths, trim gardens planted fair
With tree and flower the North ne'er yet had known;
Long temple-roofs and statues poised on high
With golden wings outstretch'd for tiptoe flight,
Quivering in summer sky:--
The land had rest, while those stern legions lay
By northern ramparts camp'd, and held the Pict at bay.

6

Imperious Empire! Thrice-majestic Rome!
No later age, as earth's slow centuries glide,
Can raze the footprints stamp'd where thou hast come,
The ne'er-repeated grandeur of thy stride!
--Though now so dense a darkness takes the land,
Law, peace, wealth, letters, faith,--all lights are quench'd
By violent heathen hand:--
Vague warrior kings; names writ in fire and wrong;
Aurelius, Urien, Ida;--shades of ancient song.

7

And Thou--O whether born of flame and wave,
Or Gorlois' son, or Uther's, blameless lord,