To preach the gen'ral doom. When were the winds Let slip with such a warrant to destroy? Their ancient barriers, deluging the dry? Have kindled beacons in the skies; and th' old And crazy Earth has had her shaking fits Still they are frowning signals, and bespeak 60 8 Alluding to the fog, that covered both Europe and Asia during the whole summer of 1783. Displeasure in His breast, who smites the Earth Or heals it, makes it languish or rejoice. And 'tis but seemly, that, where all deserve 70 And stand expos'd by common peccancy Alas for Sicily! rude fragments now Lie scatter'd, where the shapely column stood. While God performs upon the trembling stage 80 How does the Earth receive him?—with what signs Of gratulation and delight her king? Pours she not all her choicest fruits abroad, Her sweetest flow'rs, her aromatic gums, Disclosing Paradise where'er he treads? She quakes at his approach. Her hollow womb, Conceiving thunders, through a thousand deeps And fiery caverns, roars beneath his foot. 90 The hills move lightly, and the mountains smoke, For he has touch'd them. From th' extremest point Of elevation down into the abyss His wrath is busy, and his frown is felt. The rocks fall headlong, and the vallies rise, The rivers die into offensive pools, And, charg'd with putrid verdure, breathe a gross And mortal nuisance into all the air. What solid was, by transformation strange, Grows fluid; and the fix'd and rooted earth, 100 Tormented into billows, heaves and swells, Or with vortiginous and hideous whirl And fugitive in vain. The sylvan scene Migrates uplifted; and, with all it's soil Alighting in far distant fields, finds out 110 Which winds and waves obey, invades the shore Upridg'd so high, and sent on such a charge, From all the rigours of restraint, enjoy The terrours of the day, that sets them free. Who then, that has thee, would not hold thee fast, That e'en a judgment, making way for thee, Such evil Sin hath wrought; and such a flame Kindled in Heav'n, that it burns down to Earth, And in the furious inquest, that it makes On God's behalf, lays waste his fairest works. Conspire against him. With his breath he draws A plague into his blood; and cannot use Life's necessary means, but he must die. 140 Storms rise t'o'erwhelm him; or, if stormy winds Rise not, the waters of the deep shall rise, And, needing none assistance of the storm, Shall roll themselves ashore, and reach him there. The earth shall shake him out of all his holds, |