Part 5

The legend of the Iron Crown of Lombardy, formed of a nail of the true Cross by order of the devout Queen Theodolinda, is well known. In the above dramatic song she is seen passing through one of the higher temptations of the believing Christian.

PHAETHON.

The Galliambic Measure.

Hermann (_Elementa Doctrinae Metricae_), after citing lines from the Tragic poet Phrynichus and from the Comic, observes:

Dixi supra, Phrynichorum versus videri puros Ionicos esse. Id si verum est, Galliambi non alia re ab his differunt, quam quod anaclasin, contractionesque et solutiones recipiunt. Itaque versus Galliambicus ex duobus versibus Anacreonteis constat, quorum secundus catalecticus est, hac forma:

The wonderful +Atys+ of Catullus is the one classic example. A few lines have been gathered elsewhere. The Laureate's +Boadicea+ rides over many difficulties and is a noble poem. Catullus makes general use of the variant second of the above metrical forms:

_Mihi januae frequentes, mihi limina tepida:_

With stress on the emotion:

_Jam, jam dolet quod egi, jam jamque poenitet._

A perfect conquest of the measure is not possible in our tongue. For the sake of an occasional success in the velocity, sweep, volume of the line, it seems worth an effort; and, if to some degree serviceable for narrative verse, it is one of the exercises of a writer which readers may be invited to share.

THE END

_Printed by_ R. & R. Clark, _Edinburgh_

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TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Minor punctuation and printer errors repaired.

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_ and small capitals (for emphasis) by +plus signs+.

Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including obsolete and variant spellings and other inconsistencies.