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Denmark:

For Shakespeare’s Prince, and the Princess of Wales,

To England dear. Her royal spirit quails;

From skating faint, she rests upon the snow;

Shrinking from unclean beasts that grin below.

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Italy:

Thou model chieftain — born in modern days —

Well may thy gallant acts claim classic praise.

Uncompromising friend of liberty!

Thy Photograph ennobles Italy!

These are from a book called Geographical Fun published in 1868 (See. https://archive.org/details/geographicalfunb00harv/page/n7/mode/2up). Each quatrain describes Denmark and Italy. Here's what I'd like to know:

  1. Is there an idiom 'for someone to someone' as in 'for Shakespeare’s Prince, and the Princess of Wales, to England dear?' If so or not how can I understand this line?

  2. Does 'skating faint' mean 'fainting rapidly'?

  3. Can I interpret the first two lines of the second part as you will claim praise by making a modern leader?

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    "Shakespeare's Prince" refers to Hamlet (Prince of Denmark). The Princess of Wales in 1868 was Danish (the future Queen Alexandra). The 'model chieftain' is probably Garibaldi; it says that his actions are deserving of praise. I don't know what the rest of the first verse means.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Mar 20, 2020 at 17:52

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  1. No, there is no need. Or perhaps it is the idiom. The line enumerates, or counts off, the people for whom her spirit quails. The listing of people in From ... To might be anything from any range or set. They are merely elements. From Sam and Joe to Walter, she quails. From spark plugs to gas tanks Fred has it all.

  2. Skating is a visual reference offering a picture of her moving lightly across the snow. Stated as From skating means she had been doing that but is now lying on the snow. (I am ready for anyone to tell me a better meaning to skating than skating.)

    1. Yes, pretty much. The word order in Well may thy gallant acts claim classic praise throws one off since it is antiquated. Think rather May thy gallant acts claim classic praise well.
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  • That's not the right modern word order. Here, well may means will very likely. The modern word order would be Thy gallant acts may well claim classic praise. See Definition 3 of the adverb well in Lexico.
    – Peter Shor
    Commented Mar 21, 2020 at 1:57
  • I find that you are quite correct. I will consult Lexico in future.
    – Elliot
    Commented Mar 23, 2020 at 13:22

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