Launch of The Livadia

Mal soluta navis exit alite.     Hor.     Rigged with curses dark.     Milton. I.     Gold, and fair marbles, and again more gold,     And space of halls afloat that glance and gleam     Like the green heights of sunset heaven, or seem     The golden steeps of sunrise red and cold     On deserts where dark exile keeps the fold     Fast of the flocks of torment, where no beam     Falls of kind light or comfort save in dream,     These we far off behold not, who behold     The cordage woven of curses, and the decks     With mortal hate and mortal peril paven;     From stem to stern the lines of doom engraven     That mark for sure inevitable wrecks     Those sails predestinate, though no storm vex,     To miss on earth and find in hell their haven. II.     All curses be about her, and all ill     Go with her; heaven be dark above her way,     The gulf beneath her glad and sure of prey,     And, wheresoe'er her prow be pointed, still     The winds of heaven have all one evil will     Conspirant even as hearts of kings to slay     With mouths of kings to lie and smile and pray,     And chiefliest his whose wintrier breath makes chill     With more than winter's and more poisonous cold     The horror of his kingdom toward the north,     The deserts of his kingdom toward the east.     And though death hide not in her direful hold     Be all stars adverse toward her that come forth     Nightly, by day all hours till all have ceased: III.     Till all have ceased for ever, and the sum     Be summed of all the sumless curses told     Out on his head by all dark seasons rolled     Over its cursed and crowned existence, dumb     And blind and stark as though the snows made numb     All sense within it, and all conscience cold,     That hangs round hearts of less imperial mould     Like a snake feeding till their doomsday come.     O heart fast bound of frozen poison, be     All nature's as all true men's hearts to thee,     A two-edged sword of judgment; hope be far     And fear at hand for pilot oversea     With death for compass and despair for star,     And the white foam a shroud for the White Czar.