A silence followed. Could such tidings be? Men heard and whispered, Eyes glanced to eyes, feet uncertain moved, Never on mortal ears had fallen words Like these. And was the earth a star? On marched the cavaliers, And pealed again the horns, and again cried The heralds:-- "_Thy name, Isabella, through all earth shall be sounded, Columbus has triumphed, his foes are confounded!_" All hearts were thrilled. "Isabella!" That name breathed faith and hope And lofty aim. Emotion swayed the crowds: Tears flowed, and acclamations rose, and rushed The wondering multitudes toward the plaza. "Isabella! Isabella!" it filled The air--that one word "Isabella!" And now 'Tis noon of night. The moon hangs near the earth-- A golden moon in golden air; the peaks Like silver tents of shadowy sentinels Glint 'gainst the sky. The plaza gleams and surges Like a sea. The joyful horns peal forth again, And falls a hush, and cry the heralds:-- "_Thy name, Isabella, shall be praised by all the living; Haste, haste to Barcelona, and join the Great Thanksgiving!_" What nights had seen Granada! Yet never one like this! The moon went down And fell the wings of shadow, yet the streets Still swarmed with people hurrying on and on. II Morn came, With bursts of nightingales and quivering fires. The cavaliers rode forth toward Barcelona. The city followed, throbbing with delight. The happy troubadour, the muleteer, The craftsmen all, the boy and girl, and e'en The mother--'twas a soft spring morn; The fairest skies of earth those April morns In Andalusia. Long was the journey, But the land was flowers and the nights were not, And birds sang all the hours, and breezes cool Fanned all the ways along the sea. The roads were filled With hurrying multitudes. For well 'twas known That he, the conqueror, viceroy of the isles, Was riding from Seville to meet the king. And what were conquerors before to him whose eye Had seen the world a star, and found the star a world? Once he had walked The self-same ways, roofless and poor and sad, A beggar at old convent doors, and heard The very children jeer him in the streets, And ate his crust and made his roofless bed Upon the flowers beside his boy, and prayed, And found in trust a pillow radiant With dreams immortal. Now? III