When fleep has filenc'd every thought of man,
They to their revels fall, infernal throng!
And as they mix in circling dance, or turn
To the four winds of heaven with haggard gaze;
Shot streaming from the bosom of the north,
Opening the hollow gloom, red meteors blaze,
To lend them light, and distant thunders roll,
Heard in low murmurs through the lowering sky.
From these sad scenes, the waste abodes of death,
With devious wing, to fairer climes remote
Southward I stray: where Caucafus in view,
Bulwark of nations, in broad eminence
Upheaves from realm to realm a hundred hills,
On from the Cafpian to the Euxine stretch'd,
Pale-glittering with cternal fnows to heaven.

From this chill fteep, which midnight's highest fhades
Scarce climb to darken, rough with murmuring woods,
Imagination travels with quick eye

Unbounded o'er the globe, and wondering views
Her rolling feas and intermingled ifles;
Her mighty continents out-ftretch'd immenfe,
Where Europe, Afia, Afric, of old fame,
Their regions numberless extend: and where,
To farthest point of weft, Columbus late,
Through untry'd oceans borne to shores unknown,
Moor'd his firft keel adventurous, and beheld
A new, a fair, a fertile world arife!

But nearer fcenes of happy rural view,
Green dale, and level down, and bloomy hill,
The Mufe's walk, on which the fun's bright eye

Propitious looks, invite her willing step.
Here see, around me smiling, myrtle groves,
And mountains crown'd with aromatic woods
Of vegetable gold, with vales amidst,

Lavish of flowers and fragrance; where foft Spring,
Lord of the year, indulges to each field

The fanning breeze, live fpring, and fheltering grove.
In thefe bleft plains, a fpacious city spreads
Its round extent magnificent, and feems
The feat of empire. Dazzling in the sky,
With far-feen blaze her towery structures fhine,
Elaborate works of art! each opening gate
Sends forth its thoufands: Peace and Plenty round
Environ her. In each frequented school
Learning exalts his head: and Commerce pours
Into her arms a thousand foreign realms.
How fair and fortunate! how worthy all
Of lafting blifs fecure! Yet all must fail,
O'erturn'd and loft-nor fhall their place be found!
A fullen calm unufual, dark and dead,

Arifes inaufpicious o'er the heavens.

The beamless fun looks wan; a fighing cold
Winters the fhadow'd air; the birds on high,
Shrieking, give fign of fearful change at hand:
And now, within the bofom of the globe,
Where fulphur ftor'd, and nitre peaceful flept,
For ages, in their fubterranean bed,

Ferments th' approaching tempeft. Vapory ftreams,
Inflammable, perhaps by winds fublim'd,

Their deadly breath apply. Th' enkindled mass,

Mine fir'd by mine in train, with boundless rage,
With horror unconceiv'd, difploded bursts
Its central prifon-Shook from shore to shore,
-Reels the broad continent with all its load,
Hills, forests, cities. The lone defert quakes :
Her favage fons howl to the thunder's groan,
And-lightning's ruddy glare: while from beneath,
Deaf distant roarings, through the wide profound,
Rueful are heard, as when Despair complains.
Gather'd in air, o'er that proud Capital,
Frowns an involving cloud of gloomy depth,
Cafting dun night and terror o'er the heads
Of her inhabitants. Aghaft they stand,
Sad-gazing on the mournful skies around;
A moment's dreadful filence! Then loud fcreams
And eager fupplications rend the skies.

Lo, crouds on crouds, in hurry'd stream along,
From street to street, from gate to gate roll'd on,
This, that way burst in waves, by horror wing'ą
To diftant hill or cave: while half the globe,
Her frame convulsive rocking to and fro,
Trembles with fecond agony. Upheav'd
In furges, her vext furface rolls a fea.
Ruin enfues: towers, temples, palaces,
Flung from their deep foundations, roof on roof
Crush'd horrible, and pile on pile o'erturn'd,
Fall total-In that univerfal groan,

Sounding to heaven, expir'd a thousand lives,
O'erwhelm'd at once, one undiftinguish'd wreck!

Sight full of fate! up from the centre torn,
The ground yawns horrible a hundred mouths,
Flashing pale flames-down through the gulphs profoun
Screaming, whole crouds of every age and rank,
With hands to heaven rais'd high imploring aid,
Prone to th' abyfs defcend; and o'er their heads
Earth fhuts her ponderous jaws. Part loft in night
Return no more: part on the wafting wave,
Borne through the darkness of th' infernal world,
Far diftant rife, emerging with the flood;

Pale as afcending ghofts caft back to day,
A fhuddering band! Distraction in each eye
Stares wildly motionlefs: they pant, they catch
A gulph of air, and grasp with dying aim
The wreck that drives along, to gain from fate,
Short interval! a moment's doubtful life.
For now earth's solid sphere asunder rent
With final diffolution, the huge mafs

Fails undermin'd-down, down th' extenfive feat
Of this fair city, down her buildings fink!
Sinks the full pride her ample walls enclos'd,
In one wild havock crash'd, with burst beyond
Heaven's loudeft thunder! Uproar unconceiv'd!
Image of Nature's general frame destroy'd!

How greatly terrible, how dark and deep
The purposes of heaven! At once o'erthrown,
White age and youth, the guilty and the just,
O, feemingly fevere! promifcuous fall.
Reafon, whofe daring eye in vain explores
The fearful providence, confus'd, fubdued

To filence and amazement, with due praise
Acknowledges th' Almighty, and adores
His will unerring, wifeft, jufteft, best!

The country mourns around with alter'd look. Fields, where but late the many-colour'd Spring Sat gaily dreft, amid the vernal breath Of rofes, and the fong of nightingales, Soft-warbled, filent languish now and die. Rivers engulph'd their ample channels leave A fandy tract; and goodly mountains, hurl'd In whirlwind from their feat, obftruct the plain With rough incumbrance; or through depths of earth Fall ruinous, with all their woods immers 'd.

Sulphureous damps of dark and deadly power, Steam'd from th' abyss, fly fecret over-head, Wounding the healthful air; whence foul disease, Murrain and rot, in tainted herds and flocks: In man fore sickness, and the lamp of life Dim'd and diminish'd; or more fatal ill Of mind, unfettling reafon overturn'd. Here into madness work'd, and boiling o'er Outrageous fancies, like the troubled sea

Foaming out mud and filth: here downward funk
To folly, and in idle musing wrapt;

Now chacing with fond aim the flying cloud;
Now numbering up the drops of falling rain.
A while the fiery Spirit in its cell

Infidious flumbers, till fome chance unknown,
Perhaps fome rocky fragment from the roof
Detach'd, and roll'd with rough collufion down