THE PALIMPSEST.

In Milan, in the Ambrosian library there,

Among Pinellian writings seared with age,

I found a prophet's palimpsest — a scroll

That Angelo Maio had brought to light.

And on the margin of this scroll, I found

Mysterious signs which baffled me at first.

After a full week's search I chanced to find

The mongrel dialect of which they were.

I thus translated: Gihon is the Nile.

A perfect soul may find long life and gold.

Surely, I thought, Veera the maid is pure.

Her life's blue sky has not one cloud of sin.

If her feet press the soil where Eve first trod,

I can but follow and attain. So I

Back to Vienna came and found Veera.

To her I made my double purpose plain,

And prayed her to go with me in my search.

She smiled assent. To be near me, she said,

Had brought her to Vienna; this indeed

Detained her from her kinsmen. Her heart's book

Lay open to me, and I read her love.

So we were wed, and both lives ran to one.