| Samuel Waddington, comp. The Sonnets of Europe. 1888. | | | | Venice | | By Saverio Bettinelli (1718–1808) |
| | Translated by James Montgomery
WITH talons terrible, for slaughter spread, | |
| On wings that made a tempest of their way, | |
| Down darting from the Alps, by vengeance led, | |
| The Hungarian falcon pounced upon his prey; | |
| From wrath and rapine, trembling with dismay, | 5 |
| The Italian doves before the Spoiler sped, | |
| And wide o’er vale and mountain driven astray, | |
| Far from their ravaged homes for ever fled. | |
| |
| Then found the wiser halcyons’ lovely brood, | |
| (Scared from their country, ruined and oppressed,) | 10 |
| A safe asylum on the rolling flood; | |
| By worth upheld, by liberty caressed; | |
| ’Mid thrones in ashes, cities sunk in blood, | |
| Ages on ages past,—behold the beauteous nest. | | | | |
|
|
