LELIA. 349 



To think that he, whom I had call'd my son, 



For this cursed faith, my Flavia's love should shun ! 



The infernal gods to Christ had lent their aid, 



When thus to shame brave Carus was betrayed ! 210 



He came ignobly from a glorious field, 



Not like the Spartan borne upon his shield, 



But fetter'd, spit at, made a common thing, 



On whom the slaves their wretched wit might fling. 



" O father Mars ! let fall thy trenchant sword . 215 



To sweep from earth this race by all abhorr'd ! 

 To sweep from earth a faith by daemons nursed, 

 That thus the noblest of thy sons has cursed! 

 A son, whose statue and whose glowing face 



To victory might have led some future race ! 220 



He came, great Mars, a wretch the crowd reviles, 

 The victim of a Christian slave's lewd wiles ; 

 A crouching fool, to noble feeling lost, 

 And in the forum did his folly boast : 



To Christ he bow'd, to Christ he breathed his prayer 225 



A wretch like this our edicts could not spare. 



" The Colosseum heard the mighty sound 

 Of Rome's ten thousands murmuring around, 

 When Carus, fettered to the Christian slave, 



Received the curse the sovereign pontiff gave. 230 



Shouts rent the skies, when from their iron cage 

 The tigers rush'd, to glut their hungry rage ; 

 When the fierce fang seized on them as they stood, 

 And stain'd the level sand with Christian blood." 



Here Flavius paused, and raised to heaven his eyes ; 235 



And thus with frantic voice, he loudly cries 

 " Hear me, ye gods ! hear me, immortal Fates ! 

 Grave deep my vow on heaven's unchanging gates ! 

 Should Lelia ever bend to Christ her knee, 

 A second Roman father Rome shall see ! " 240 



" Like the lone bird at day's departing hour," 

 That sings amidst the keen unpitying shower ; 

 That sings to tell that this shall pass away, 

 And be the herald of a brighter day ; 



So hope exists, e'en while fond woman weeps, 245 



And on her heart its hold undying keeps. 

 " Hope springs eternal in the human breast ; 

 Man never is, but always to be blest." 

 But woman has the power to draw from tears, 

 A healing balm for all her woes and fears. 250 



The maidens wept, when thus with threatening speech, 

 A caution stern, their father strove to teach ; 

 They wept, for Carus long had been their pride ; 

 And Flavia had been his a promised bride. 



From earliest boyhood with them he had dwelt, 255 



Had with them prayed, had knelt when they had knelt ; 

 Had shared their sports, until their hearts became 

 One common temple for love's sacred flame. 



