XI.—Columbus proposes a new Crusade.
The evening sky is bright with blended hues;
A soft, mild radiance, borrowed from on high,
Seems, to our view, to bring e’en heaven nigh,
And its pure essence in our souls infuse.
Thus, to that noble heart, as from the sky,
There came a presence, in life’s slow decline;
He viewed it as a holy seal and sign—
The Cross must crown the city of the Jews!
Like the pure incense-flame he soars from earth;