Of gold. For then from ancient gloom emerg'd The rising world of trade: the Genius, then,. Of navigation, that, in hopeless sloth, Had slumber'd on the vast Atlantic deep, 1005 The *) LUSITANIAN PRINCE; Who HEA V’N inspir'd, To love of useful glory rous'd mankind, 1010 And in unbounded commerce mix'd the W rld. INCREASING still the terrors of these storms, 1 His jaws horrific arm'd with threefold fate. Here dwells the direful shark. Lur'd by the death, 1015 Behold! he rushing cuts the briny flood, Swift as the gale can bear the ship along; And, from the partners of that cruel trade, Which spoils unhappy Guineȧ of her sons, Demands his share of prey; demands themsel *) DON HENRY, third son to John the first, king of Portugal. His strong genius to the discovery of new countries was the chief source of all the modern improvements in navigation. The stormy fates descend: one death involves Tyrants and slaves; when strait, their mangled limbs Crashing at once, he dyes the purple seas With gore, and riots in the vengeful meal. ་ WHEN o'er this world, by equinoctial rains 1025 Flooded immense, looks out the joyless sun, And draws the scopious steam: from swampy fens, Where putrefaction into life ferments, And breathes destructive myriads; or from woods, Impenetrable shades, recesses foul, 1030 In vapours rank and blue corruption wrapt, Whose gloomy horrors yet no desperate foot Has ever dar'd to pierce; then, wasteful, forth Walks the dire Power of pestilent disease. tend, 1035 Sick Nature blasting, and to heartless woe, And feeble desolation, casting down The towering hopes, and all the pride of Man. Such as, of late, at Carthagena quench'd The BRITISH fire. You, gallant VERNON, saw The miser ble scene; you, ¡ijing, saw, 1040 To infant-weakness sunk the warrior's arm; Saw the lip pale-quivering, and the beamless eye No more with ardour bright: you heard the groans 1045 Of agonizing ships, from shore to shore; Heard, nightly plung'd amid the sullen waves, The frequent corse; while on each other fix'd, In sad presage, the blank assistants seem'd, Silent, to ask, whom Fate would next de mand. 1050 WHAT need I mention those inclement skies, Where, frequent o'er the sickening city, Plague, The fiercest child of NEMESIS divine, Descends? *) From Ethiopia's poisoned woods, From stifled Cairo's filth, and fetid fields 1055 With locust-armies putrefying heap'd, This great destroyer sprung. Her awful rage The brutes escape: Man is her destin'd prey, Intemperate Man! and, o'er his guilty domes, She draws a close incumbent death; cloud of 1050 *) These are the causes supposed to be the first origin of the Plague, in DOCTOR MEAD's elegant böck on that Subject.} Uninterrupted by the living winds, Forbid to blow a wholesome breeze; and stain'd With many a mixture by the sun, suffus'd, hand Of feeble justice, ineffectual, drop 1065 The sword and balance: mute, the voice of joy, And hush'd the clamourof the busy world. Empty the streets, with uncouth verdure clad; Into the worst of desarts sudden turn'd 1070 The chearful haunt of Men; unless escap'd From the doom'd house, where matchless horror reigns, Shut up by barbarous fear, the smitten wretch, With frenzy wild, breaks loose; and, loud to heaven Screaming, the dreadful policy arraigns, 1075 Fearing to turn, abhors society: Dependants, friends, relations, Love him self, Savag'd by woe, forget the tender tie, 1080 The sweet engagement of the feeling heart. But vain their selfish care: the circling sky, The wide enlivening air is full of fate; And, struck by turns, in solitary pangs They fall, unblest, nntended, and unmourn'd. 1085 Thus o'er the prostrate city black Despair Extends her raven wing; while, to compleat The scene of desolation, stretch'd around, The grim guards stand, denying all retreat, And give the flying wretch a better death. 1090 MUCH yet remains unsung: the rage in tense Of brazen-vaulted skies, of iron fields, Where drought and famine starve the blasted year: Fir'd by the torch of noon to tenfold rage, Th' infuriate hill that shoots the pillar'd flame; 1095 And, rous'd within the subterranean world, Th' expanding earthquake, that resistless skakes Aspiring cities from their solid base, And buries mountains in the flaming gulph. But 'tis enough; return, my vagrant Muse; 1100 A nearer scene of horror calls thee home. BEHOLD slow-settling o'er the lurid grove Unusual darkness broods; and growing gains |