perhaps be regarded as a barbarous treatment of the long Asclepiad;
but each line seems to work out into two bars, divided by a marked
rest, with two accents to each bar, and shows by what sort of
transition the modern French Alexandrine may have been developed.

The oddly archaic phraseology of this love-song rendered it unfit for
translation; but I have tried my hand at a kind of hymn in praise of
Rome, which is written in the same peculiar rhythm:[2]--

"O Rome illustrious, of the world emperess!
Over all cities thou queen in thy goodliness!
Red with the roseate blood of the martyrs, and
White with the lilies of virgins at God's right hand!
Welcome we sing to thee; ever we bring to thee
Blessings, and pay to thee praise for eternity.

"Peter, thou praepotent warder of Paradise,
Hear thou with mildness the prayer of thy votaries;
When thou art seated to judge the twelve tribes, O then
Show thyself merciful; be thou benign to men;
And when we call to thee now in the world's distress,
Take thou our suffrages, master, with gentleness.

"Paul, to our litanies lend an indulgent ear,
Who the philosophers vanquished with zeal severe:
Thou that art steward now in the Lord's heavenly house,
Give us to taste of the meat of grace bounteous;
So that the wisdom which filled thee and nourished thee
May be our sustenance through the truths taught by thee."