Mercedes in her hammock swings; In her court a palm-tree flings Its slender shadow on the ground, The fountain falls with silver sound. Her lips are like this cactus cup; With my hand I crush it up; I tear its flaming leaves apart;-- Would that I could tear her heart! Last night a man was at her gate; In the hedge I lay in wait; I saw Mercedes meet him there, By the fireflies in her hair. I waited till the break of day, Then I rose and stole away; But left my dagger in the gate;-- Now she knows her lover's fate! THE BULL-FIGHT. Eleven o'clock: Here are our cups of chocolate. Montez will fight the bulls to-day-- All Madrid knows that: Queen Christina is going in state: Dolores will go with her little fan! Lace up my shoe; Put on my Basquina; Can you see my black eyes? I am Manuel's duchess. In front of the box of the Queen and the Duke Dolores sits, flirting her fan; The church of St. Agnes stands on the right, And its shadow falls on the picadors; On their lean steeds they prance in the ring, Hidalgo-fashion, their hands on their hips. "_Ha! Toro! Toro!_" Hoh! the horses are gored; Now for the men. "_Ha! Toro! Toro!_" Every man over the barrier! Not so; for there the bull-fighter stands; Some little applause from the royal box, And "_Montez! Montez!_" from a thousand throats! The bull bows fine, though snorting with rage, His fore-leg makes little holes in the ground; But Montez stands still; his ribbons don't flutter! Saints, what a leap! His rosette is on the bull's black horn; Montez is pale; but his great eye shines When Dolores cries--"_Kisses for Montez!_" Fie! Manuel's duchess! A minute longer the fight is done, The mule-bells tinkle, the bull rides off; Montez twirls a new diamond ring, And Dolores goes home for chocolate. ON THE CAMPAGNA. Stop on the Appian Way, In the Roman Campagna; Stop at my tomb, The tomb of Cecilia Metella. To-day as you see it, Alaric saw it, ages ago, When he, with his pale-visaged Goths, Sat at the gates of Rome, Reading his Runic shield. Odin, thy curse remains! Beneath these battlements My bones were stirred with Roman pride, Though centuries before my Romans died Now my bones are dust; the Goths are dust. The river-bed is dry where sleeps the king, My tomb remains! When Rome commanded the earth Great were the Metelli: I was Metella's wife; I loved him--and I died. Then with slow patience built he this memorial: Each century marks his love. Pass by on the Appian Way The tomb of Cecilia Metella; Wild shepherds alone seek its shelter, Wild buffaloes tramp at its base. Deep is its desolation, Deep as the shadow of Rome! THE QUEEN DEPOSED.