The yellow book: an illustrated quarterly (5.1895)

The Sword of Caesar Borgia

By Richard Garnett, LL.D., C.B.

“Aut Cassar aut nihil ”

Well hath the graver traced thee, sword of mine
Here Caesar by the Rubicon’s slow deeps
Ponders ; here resolute to empire leaps.

And far and near the smitten waters shine.

The vanquished train’s intertninable line
Wends at his wheels up Capitolian steeps ;

And round the interlacing legend creeps,

Casar or nothing ! saith Duke Valentine

And did I bare thee to the sun, my blade,

Fired at the flash all Italy should thrill,

And many a city quake and province bow.

Yet is a drop within this vial stayed

That should the might of marching armies still,
And stainless sheathe ten thousand such as thou.