From the doom'd house, where matchsess horror reigns, Shut up by barbarous fear, the fmitten wretch,
With frenzy wild, breaks loose; and, loud to heaven Screaming, the dreadful policy arraigns,
Yet uninfected, on its cautious hinge Fearing to turn, abhors fociety: Dependants, friends, relations, love himself, Savag'd by woe, forget the tender tie,
The fweet engagement of the feeling heart. But vain their felfish care: the circling sky, The wide enlivening air is full of fate; And, ftruck by turns, in folitary pangs
They fall, unbleft, untended, and unmourn'd. 1075 Thus o'er the proftrate city black Defpair Extends her raven wing; while, to compleat The scene of defolation, stretch'd around, The grim guards ftand, denying all retreat, And give the flying wretch a better death.
MUCH yet remains unfung: the rage 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; 1085 And, rous'd within the fubterranean world, Th' expanding earthquake, that refiftless shakes Afpiring cities from their folid bafe,
And buries mountains in the flaming gulph. But 'tis enough; return, my vagrant Mufe: A nearer fcene of horror calls thee home.
BEHOLD, flow-fettling o'er the lurid grove Unusual darknefs broods; and growing gains The full poffeffion of the fky, furcharg'd With wrathful vapour, from the fecret beds, Where fleep the mineral generations, drawn. Thence Nitre, Sulphur, and the fiery fpume Of fat Bitumen, fteaming on the day, With various-tinctur'd trains of latent flame, Pollute the sky, and in yon baleful cloud, A reddening gloom, a magazine of fate, Ferment; till, by the touch ethereal rous'd, The dash of clouds, or irritating war
Of fighting winds, while all is calm below, They furious fpring. A boding filence reigns, 1105 Dread thro' the dun expanse; fave the dull found That from the mountain, previous to the storm, Rolls o'er the muttering earth, difturbs the flood, And shakes the foreft-leaf without a breath. Prone, to the loweft vale, the aerial tribes Defcend: the tempeft-loving raven scarce Dares wing the dubious dusk. In rueful gaze The cattle ftand, and on the fcouling heavens Caft a deploring eye; by Man forfook,
Who to the crowded cottage hies him fast, Or feeks the shelter of the downward cave.
"Tis liftening fear, and dumb amazement all: When to the startled eye the fudden glance
Appears far fouth, eruptive thro' the cloud; 1120 And following flower, in explofion vaft, The Thunder raises his tremendous voice.
At first, heard folemn o'er the verge The tempeft growls; but as it nearer comes, And rolls its awful burden on the wind, The lightnings flash a larger curve, and more The noife aftounds: till over head a fheet Of livid flame difclofes wide; then shuts, And opens wider; fhuts and opens ftill- Expanfive, wrapping ether in a blaze. Follows the loofen'd aggravated roar, Enlarging, deepening, mingling; peal on peal Crush'd horrible, convulfing heaven and earth.
Down comes a deluge of fonorous hail, Or prone-defcending rain. Wide-rent, the clouds, 1135 Pour a whole flood; and yet, its flame unquench'd, Th' unconquerable lightning ftruggles through, Ragged and fierce, or in red whirling balls, And fires the mountains with redoubled rage. 1139 Black from the ftroke, above, the fmouldring pine Stands a fad fhatter'd trunk; and, ftretch'd below,
A lifeless groupe the blafted cattle lie.
Here the foft flocks, with that fame harmless look They wore alive, and ruminating ftill
In fancy's eye; and there the frowning bull, 1145 And ox half-rais'd. Struck on the castled cliff, The venerable tower and spiry fane
Refign their aged pride. The gloomy woods Start at the flash, and from their deep recefs, Wide-flaming out, their trembling inmates shake. 1150 Amid Carnarvon's mountains rages loud
The repercuffive roar: with mighty crush, Into the flashing deep, from the rudé rocks Of Penmanmaur heap'd hideous to the sky, Tumble the fmitten cliffs; and Snowden's peak, 1155 Diffolving, inftant yields his wintry load. Far-feen, the heights of heathy Cheviot blaze, And Thule bellows thro' her utmoft ifles.
GUILT hears appall'd, with deeply troubled thought. And yet not always on the guilty head Defcends the fated flafh. Young CELADON And his AMELIA were a matchless pair; With equal virtue form'd, and equal grace, The fame, diftinguish'd by their sex alone: Hers the mild luftre of the blooming morn, And his the radiance of the rifen day.
THEY lov'd: But fuch their guileless paffion was, As in the dawn of time inform'd the heart Of innocence, and undiffembling truth.
"Twas friendship heightened by the mutual wish, 1170 Th' enchanting hope, and fympathetic glow, Beam'd from the mutual eye. Devoting all- To love, each was to each a dearer felf; Supremely happy in th' awakened power Of giving joy. Alone, amid the shades, Still in harmonious intercourfe they liv'd The rural day, and talk'd the flowing heart, Or figh'd, and look'd unutterable things.
So pafs'd their life, a clear united stream, By care unruffled; till, in evil hour, The tempeft caught them on the tender walk, Heedlefs how far, and where its mazes ftray'd, While, with each other bleft, creative love Still bade eternal Eden fmile around. Heavy with inftant fate her bosom heav'd Unwonted fighs, and ftealing oft a look Of the big gloom on CELADON her eye Fell tearful, wetting her difordered cheek. In vain affuring love, and confidence
In HEAVEN, reprefs'd her fear; it grew, and fhook Her frame near diffolution. He perceiv'd
Th' unequal conflict, and as angels look
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