Esse Quam Videri

The knightly legend of thy shield betrays
The moral of thy life; a forecast wise,
  And that large honor that deceit defies,
Inspired thy fathers in the elder days,
Who decked thy scutcheon with that sturdy phrase,
  _To be rather than seem_. As eve's red skies
  Surpass the morning's rosy prophecies,
Thy life to that proud boast its answer pays.
Scorning thy faith and purpose to defend
  The ever-mutable multitude at last
  Will hail the power they did not comprehend,--
Thy fame will broaden through the centuries;
  As, storm and billowy tumult overpast,
  The moon rules calmly o'er the conquered seas.