And all were pleas'd, and cold, and stately,
Shivering in grand illumination-

Admir'd the superstructure greatly,

Nor gave one thought to the foundation.
Much too the Czar himself exulted,

To all plebeian fears a stranger,
For, Madame Krudener, when consulted,

Had pledg'd her word there was no danger. So, on he caper'd, fearless quite,

Thinking himself extremely clever,

And waltz'd away with all his might,

As if the Frost would last for ever.

Just fancy how a bard like me,

Who reverence monarchs, must have trembled

To see that goodly company,

At such a ticklish sport assembled.

Nor were the fears, that thus astounded
My loyal soul, at all unfounded—

For, lo! ere long, those walls so massy

Were seiz'd with an ill-omen'd dripping, And o'er the floors, now growing glassy,

Their Holinesses took to slipping.

The Czar, half through a Polonaise,

Could scarce get on for downright stumbling; And Prussia, though to slippery ways

Well us'd, was cursedly near tumbling.

Yet still 'twas, who could stamp the floor most,
Russia and Austria 'mong the foremost.—
And now, to an Italian air,

This precious brace would, hand in hand, go; Now-while old Louis, from his chair, Intreated them his toes to spare

Call'd loudly out for a Fandango.

And a Fandango, 'faith, they had,
At which they all set to, like mad!

Never were Kings (though small th' expense is

Of wit among their Excellencies)

So out of all their princely senses.

But, ah, that dance- that Spanish dance

Scarce was the luckless strain begun,

When, glaring red, as 'twere a glance
Shot from an angry Southern sun,

A light through all the chambers flam'd,
Astonishing old Father Frost,

Who, bursting into tears, exclaim'd,

"A thaw, by Jove-we're lost, we're lost! "Run, France- a second Waterloo "Is come to drown you-sauve qui peut!"

Why, why will monarchs caper so
In palaces without foundations?
Instantly all was in a flow,

Crowns, fiddles, sceptres, decorations –
Those Royal Arms, that look'd so nice,
Cut out in the resplendent ice-
Those Eagles, handsomely provided

With double heads for double dealings—
How fast the globes and sceptres glided
Out of their claws on all the ceilings!

Proud Prussia's double bird of

prey

Tame as a spatch cock, slunk away;

While just like France herself, when she

--

Proclaims how great her naval skill is

Poor Louis' drowning fleurs-de-lys
Imagin'd themselves water-lilies.

And not alone rooms, ceilings, shelves,
But still more fatal execution-

The Great Legitimates themselves
Seem'd in a state of dissolution.

Th' indignant Czar-when just about
To issue a sublime Ukase,

"Whereas all light must be kept out”.
Dissolv'd to nothing in its blaze.
Next Prussia took his turn to melt,
And, while his lips illustrious felt

The influence of this southern air,

Some word, like "Constitution"— long Congeal'd in frosty silence there

Came slowly thawing from his tongue. While Louis, lapsing by degrees, And sighing out a faint adieu To truffles, salmis, toasted cheese And smoking fondus, quickly grew, Himself, into a fondu too;— Or like that goodly King they make Of sugar for a Twelfth-night cake, When, in some urchin's mouth, alas, It melts into a shapeless mass!

In short, I scarce could count a minute,
Ere the bright dome, and all within it,

Kings, Fiddlers, Emperors, all were gone

And nothing now was seen or heard

But the bright river, rushing on,
Happy as an enfranchis'd bird,
And prouder of that natural ray,
Shining along its chainless way
More proudly happy thus to glide
In simple grandeur to the sea,
Than when, in sparkling fetters tied,
'Twas deck'd with all that kingly pride
Could bring to light its slavery!

Such is my dream— and, I confess,
I tremble at its awfulness.

That Spanish Dance-that southern beam
But I say nothing-there's my dream-
And Madame Krudener, the she-prophet,
May make just what she pleases of it.