odesia； are destined to produce much more treasure than ever Solomon or the Phoenicians won out of them。 Who built the vast Zimbabwe and other temples or fortresses？ Some ridiculous scientist has alleged within the last few years that these were reared by the Portuguese at the time that those very Portuguese were talking of them as the work of the devil or of ancient magicians in an unknown age。 The thing is absurd。 Those edifices are the relics of a lost civilisation which worshipped the Nature gods。 Who they were； what they were； we do not and perhaps never shall know。 Andrew Lang has stated the whole problem much better than I can ever hope to do； in a poem he once wrote at my request for a paper in which I was interested。 I do not think that those verses have ever been republished； so I ：13
13 Republished in The Poetical Words of Andrew Lang； vol。 iii； p。 42 （1923）； under the title of “Zimbabwe。” — Ed。
Into the darkness whence they came；
They passed — their country knoweth none；
They and their gods without a name
Partake the same oblivion。
Their work they did； their work is done；
Whose gold； it may be； shone like fire；
About the brows of Solomon；
And in the House of God’s Desire。
The pestilence； the desert spear；
Smote them： they passed with none to tell
The names of them that laboured here：
Stark walls and crumbling crucible；
Straight gates； and graves； and ruined well；
Abide； dumb monuments of old。
We know； but that men fought and fell；
Like us — like us — for love of gold。
A girls’ school； or some members of it； evidently weary of the society of their own sex； wrote congratulating me with great earnestness because I had in “King Solomon’s