At height, when, passing out by Gate Saint Blaise, He stopped short in Vicenza, bent his head Over a friar's neck,--'had vowed,' he said, 'Long since, nigh thirty years, because his wife And child were saved there, to bestow his life On God, his gettings on the Church.' "Exiled Within Goito, still one dream beguiled [Sidenote: How success at last seemed possible,] My days and nights; 't was found, the orb I sought To serve, those glimpses came of Fomalhaut, No other: but how serve it?--authorize You and Romano mingled destinies? And straight Romano's angel stood beside Me who had else been Boniface's bride, For Salinguerra 't was, with neck low bent, And voice lightened to music, (as he meant To learn, not teach me,) who withdrew the pall From the dead past and straight revived it all, Making me see how first Romano waxed, Wherefore he waned now, why, if I relaxed My grasp (even I!) would drop a thing effete, Frayed by itself, unequal to complete Its course, and counting every step astray [Sidenote: By the intervention of Salinguerra:] A gain so much. Romano, every way Stable, a Lombard House now--why start back Into the very outset of its track? This patching principle which late allied Our House with other Houses--what beside Concerned the apparition, the first Knight Who followed Conrad hither in such plight His utmost wealth was summed in his one steed? For Ecelo, that prowler, was decreed A task, in the beginning hazardous To him as ever task can be to us; But did the weather-beaten thief despair When first our crystal cincture of warm air, That binds the Trevisan,--as its spice-belt (Crusaders say) the tract where Jesus dwelt,-- Furtive he pierced, and Este was to face-- Despaired Saponian strength of Lombard grace? Tried he at making surer aught made sure, Maturing what already was mature? No; his heart prompted Ecelo, 'Confront Este, inspect yourself. What 's nature? Wont. Discard three-parts your nature, and adopt [Sidenote: Who remedied ill wrought by Ecelin,] The rest as an advantage!' Old strength propped The man who first grew Podesta among The Vicentines, no less than, while there sprung His palace up in Padua like a threat, Their noblest spied a grace, unnoticed yet In Conrad's crew. Thus far the object gained, Romano was established--has remained-- 'For are you not Italian, truly peers With Este? "Azzo" better soothes our ears Than "Alberic"? or is this lion's-crine From over-mounts' (this yellow hair of mine) 'So weak a graft on Agnes Este's stock?' (Thus went he on with something of a mock) 'Wherefore recoil, then, from the very fate Conceded you, refuse to imitate Your model farther? Este long since left