My Recreations; Verses (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1872 Excerpt: ... PAGAN FRIENDSHIP. TITUS, a Roman nobly born and bred, To Athens came, in Chremes' house to find, As ward and foster son, a home. Chrysippus, The oldest, only son of Chremes, loved Him well. Their mutual love such marvelous Fondness wrought, such generous-sacrifice; In verse I would embalm it for all time, With spices and fine linen wrap it safe, And though I cannot with my mechanism The life blood pulsing through it send; perfumed With holy incense it may be, and sweet Though dried away to mummy dust, within Some hidden crypt or cell of catacomb. For lifeless, inert scroll has vital force Long to outlive the life it chronicles. The Roman, senior was. His toga's edge Showed the embroidery rich, which plenteous Declared, as did his curly, thick black beard, That manhood's hour had come, while the Greek youth Still wore his white robe unadorned as sign Of life unripe and immature. And thus They met. Titus, dusty and travel? worn, One morn his waxen tablets with style wrote To Chremes brought, who cut the knots and read That Titus sought Athens, not for pleasure, 144 PAGAN FRIENDSHIP. Nor to appease a restless thirst for change, But hungering for knowledge. Longing to see, To hear, to read, to know. Might he study The gods, the stars, the soul, the herbs that grow And wait on man; and his own body. Could He absorb the temple's mystic lore, walk In converse with the restless Stoics, or from Epicurean learn to use all pleasure Of this life, and know it at the best: sit Beneath the bemas of the Cynic school, Who flouted all the forms and shows of life, This would he call his highest happiness. Or catch with agile wit, the subtle tricks The Sophists use, with Pyrrhonist might doubt And doubt and doubt again. Such purposes Him hither drew, besides in leisure hours T...