To take thee at thy word? But mark me, sir,
Think not to fly me thus. Do thou prepare
For public insult in the streets-before
The eyes of the citizens. I'll follow thee-

Like an avenging spirit I'll follow thee-

Even unto death. Before those whom thou lovest-Before all Rome I'll taunt thee, villain,—I'll taunt thee, Dost hear? with cowardice-thou wilt not fight me? Thou liest thou shalt !

(Exit.

CASTIGLIONE

Now this indeed is just!

Most righteous and most just, avenging Heaven!

POEMS WRITTEN IN YOUTH.

(181)

PRIVATE reasons-some of which have reference to the sin of plagiarism, and others to the date of Tennyson's first poems-have induced me, after some hesitation, to re-publish these, the crude compositions of my earliest boyhood. They are printed verbalim— without alteration from the original edition-the date of which is too remote to be judiciously acknowledged.

(182)

E. A. P.

POEMS WRITTEN IN YOUTH

SONNET.-TO SCIENCE.

SCIENCE! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
Who altcrest all things with thy peering eyes.
Why preyest thou thus upon the poet's heart,
Vulture, whose wings are dull realities?

How should he love thee? or how deem thee wise,
Who wouldst not leave him in his wandering
To seek for treasure in the jewelled skies.

Albeit he soared with an undaunted wing?
Hast thou not dragged Diana from her car?
And driven the Hamadryad from the wood
To seek a shelter in some happier star?

Hast thou not torn the Naiad from her flood, The Elfin from the green grass, and from me The summer dream beneath the tamarind tree?