READ 
 
 At the Grand Annual of the Philhistorian Society. 
 Santa Clara College Cal. April 27th. 1881. 
 
 I^EDRO DE ALVARADO. 
 
 Pedro de Alvarado pricked with pride 
 His master, Cortez, spreading sail for Spain- 
 Plucked at the Conqueror's mantle! 
 
 As he stood 
 
 Fretful and frowning by the torrid shore 
 He saw the galleon, lessening on the sea, 
 Lost in the lonesome waters. 
 
 Then he turned, 
 
 Ploughed through the heart of Mexico and sought 
 The tranquil, the Pacific, where the gales 
 Spiced with the balms of Asia and the breath 
 Of many an isle of luscious fruit and flower 
 
Fanned in his breast a spark of hopeto flame! 
 The palm boughs writhing in the vexing wind 
 Made joyous music; and the tides made moan; 
 And the bold breakers climbed the thundering coast 
 Snow white with foam and fury. 
 
 Here he paused 
 
 Searching with lustful eye the watery \vaste, 
 The sea of Cortez, the vermillion sea. 
 Bitter his heart, bitter his speech, as one 
 Consumed with envy; for the malcontent 
 Hungered for battle, storm and victory! 
 To wrest dominion from the savage tribes; 
 To plant his standard on the uttermost peaks 
 And bind his brows with laurel. 
 
 Well he schemed! 
 
 Armed with imperial edict and with gold, 
 Herding his slaves by forest, shore and stream, 
 Under the lash they wrought, and, ere the moon 
 Had withered to a shred in the pale dawn, 
 The banners of his fleet rose on the wind- 
 Twelve ships, a galley and the lesser craft, 
 Freighted with men and beasts and food and arms. 
 New lands, new seas, new peoples conquering, 
 And to conquer and blazon his name above 
 Cortez!- So, young ambition lured him on 
 Perchance to drag from out his golden house 
 Another Montezuma. 
 
 In the hour 
 
 When the fair ships were chafing at their chains, 
 And fresh winds fluttering his slackened sails 
 The murmur of the restless retinue 
 Rose as the ceaseless hum of hiving bees- 
 Pedro de Alvarado came to shore 
 To say his last farewell. 
 
 Ill fare, ill fate 
 Was his who ground his heel upon the meek! 
 
Within the hour that was to crown his hopes 
 One of his vengeful vassals sprang upon 
 The heartless chief and dashed him to his death! 
 Like the cloud towers that crumble in the air; 
 Like the ice palace that dissolves away; 
 Like the live coal that cools and falls an ash - 
 His splendid hopes there fell and came to naught 
 And all his dreams passed with him to the grave! 
 
 In the long years that followed, day by day, 
 The forked flames of the meridian sun 
 Sapped the wide seams of the dismantling hulks; 
 Shrunk the huge timbers, warped the decks, and 
 
 [snapped 
 
 Strand after strand among the ropes that hung 
 Like tattered spider webs; until the masts 
 Tottered and trembled when the sea fowl perched 
 Upon the mouldering spars. 
 
 And night by night 
 
 The mellow moon rose on the dew fringed sails 
 Fluttered to ribbons, silvered in her light; 
 Or fitful stars, that fell like golden rain, 
 Slid down the spangled sky, and noiselessy 
 Burned in the ebon waters, and illumed 
 The phantom shadows of those ghastly ships 
 Till, one by one, they yielded, and at last, 
 With a great shudder, settled to their doom. 
 
 How oft, methinks, does thoughtless youth set forth 
 With argosies to sweep enchanted seas; 
 How oft the student leave the mother house 
 Armed to achieve the conquest of a world; 
 Yet for a cause, what cause O! who shall say? 
 Fast by the shore they wreck their hopes, and leave 
 Their freighted fleets to rot upon the wave! 
 
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