When he thus had scatter’d all his weapons, From his breast he drew a golden tablet; From his pocket drew unwritten paper, And the princely Marko thus inscribed it: “He who visits the Urvina mountain, He who seeks the fountain ’neath the fir-trees, And there finds the hero Marko’s body, Let him know that Marko is departed. When he died, he had three well-fill’d purses;— How well fill’d?—well fill’d with golden ducats. One shall be his portion, and my blessing, Who shall dig a grave for Marko’s body: Let the second be the church’s portion; Let the third be given to blind and maim’d ones, That the blind through earth in peace may wander, And with hymns laud Marko’s deeds of glory.” And when Marko had inscribed the letter, Lo! he stuck it on the fir-tree’s branches, That it might be seen by passing travellers. In the fount he threw his golden tablets, Doff’d his vest of green, and spread it calmly On the grass, beneath a sheltering fir-tree; Cross’d him, and lay down upon his garment; O’er his eyes he drew his samur-kalpak, {103} Laid him down,—yes! laid him down for ever. By the fountain lay the clay-cold Marko Day and night;—a long, long week he lay there. Many travellers pass’d, and saw the hero,— Saw him lying by the public path-way; And while passing, said, “The hero slumbers!” Then they kept a more than common distance, Fearing that they might disturb the hero. Fortune is the leader of misfortune, As misfortune oft is fortune’s leader: ’T was a happy fortune, then, that Vaso, He the _Iguman_ {104a} of the _Holy Mountain_, {104b} From the white church bound of Vilindari, With his scholar, with the young Isaja, Thither came and saw the sleeping Marko. His right hand then beckon’d to his scholar: “O, my son, be cautious, lest thou wake him! When disturb’d he rages full of fury, And without remorse he might destroy us.” Then he look’d in anxious terror round him, Saw the letter on the fir-tree branches; Read it from a distance;—as he trembled, Read that Marko had in death departed. From his horse the astonish’d monk alighted, Seized the hand of Marko;—Marko moved not! Long he had been dead,—long since departed!