Volume 3 — TO LAYARD, DISCOVERER OF BABYLON AND NINEVEH.

No harps, no choral voices, may enforce, The words I utter. Thebes and Elis heard Those harps, those voices, whence high men rose higher; And nations crowned the singer who crowned them. His days are over. Better men than his Live among us: and must they live unsung Because deaf ears flap round them? or because Gold lies along the shallows of the world, And vile hands gather it? My song shall rise, Although none heed or hear it: rise it shall, And swell along the wastes of Nineveh And Babylon, until it reach to thee, Layard! who raisest cities from the dust, Who driest Lethe up amid her shades, And pourest a fresh stream on arid sands, And rescuest thrones and nations, fanes and gods, From conquering Time: he sees thee, and turns back. The weak and slow Power pushes past the wise, And lifts them up in triumph to her ear: They, to keep firm the seat, sit with flat palms Upon the cushion, nor look once beyond To cheer thee on thy road. In vain are won The spoils; another carries them away; The stranger seeks them in another land, Torn piecemeal from thee. But no stealthy step Can intercept thy glory. Cyrus raised His head on ruins: he of Macedon Crumbled them, with their dreamer, into dust: God gave thee power above them, far above; Power to raise up those whom they overthrew, Power to show mortals that the kings they serve Swallow each other, like the shapeless forms, And unsubstantial, which pursue pursued In every drop of water, and devour Devoured, perpetual round the crystal globe.[S]