Savag'd by woe, forget the tender tie,
The sweet engagement of the feeling heart.
But vain their selfish care: the circling sky,

The wide enlivening air is full of fate;

1085

And, ftruck by turns, in folitary pangs
They fall, unblest, untended, and unmourn'd.
Thus o'er the prostrate city black Despair
Extends her raven wing; while, to compleat
The scene of defolation, stretch'd around,
The grim guards stand, denying all retreat,
And give the flying wretch a better death.

1090

1095

MUCH yet remains unfung: the rage intense
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;
And, rous'd within the fubterranean world,
Th' expanding earthquake, that refiftless shakes
Aspiring cities from their folid bafe,
And buries mountains in the flaming gulph.
But 'tis enough; return, my vagrant Mufe:
A nearer scene of horror calls thee home.

BEHOLD, flow-fsettling o'er the lurid grove Unufual darkness broods; and growing gains The full poffeffion of the sky, furcharg'd With wrathful vapour, from the secret beds, Where fleep the mineral generations, drawn.

1100

1105

Thence

Thence Nitre, Sulphur, and the fiery spume
Of fat Bitumen, steaming 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, 1115
They furious spring. A boding filence reigns,
Dread thro' the dun expanse; fave the duit found
That from the mountain, previous to the storm,
Rolls o'er the muttering earth, disturbs the flood,
And shakes the foreft-leaf without a breath.

1110

1120

Prone to the lowest vale, the aërial tribes

Descend: the tempeft-loving raven scarce
Dares wing the dubious dusk. In rueful gaze
The cattle stand, and on the scowling heavens
Cast a deploring eye; by Man forsook,
Who to the crowded cottage hies him faft,
Or feeks the shelter of the downward cave.

'Tis listening fear, and dumb amazement all :
When to the startled eye the sudden glance
Appears far fouth, eruptive thro' the cloud;
And following flower, in explosion vast,
The Thunder raises his tremendous voice.
At first, heard folemn o'er the verge of heaven,
The tempeft growls; but as it nearer comes,
And rolls its awful burden on the wind,

1125

1130

1135 The

The lightnings flash a larger curve, and more
The noise astounds: till over head a sheet
Of livid flame discloses wide; then shuts,
And opens wider; shuts and opens still

1140

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..

1144

Down comes a deluge of fonorous hail, Or prone-defcending rain. Wide-rent, the clouds, Pour a whole flood; and yet, its flame unquench'd, Th' unconquerable lightning struggles through, Ragged and fierce, or in red whirling balls,

And fires the mountains with redoubled rage. 1149
Black from the stroke, above, the smouldring pine
Stands a fad shatter'd trunk; and, stretch'd. below,
A lifeless groupe the blasted cattle lie.
Here the foft flocks, with that same harmless look

They wore alive, and ruminating fstill

In fancy's eye; and there the frowning bull,
And ox half-rais'd.. Struck on the castled cliff,
The venerable tower and spiry fane

1155

Resign their aged pride.. The gloomy woods. Start at the flaflı, and from their deep recess, Wide-flaming out, their trembling inmates shake.

Amid Carnarvon's mountains rages loud
The repercussive roar: with mighty crush,
Into the flashing deep, from the rude rocks

1161

Of

Of Penmanmaur heap'd hideous to the sky,
Tumble the smitten cliffs; and Snowden's peak, 1165
Dissolving, instant yields his wintry load.
Far-seen, the heights of heathy Cheviot blaze,
And Thule bellows thro her utmost isles.

GUILT hears appall'd, with deeply troubled thought.

And yet not always on the guilty head
Descends the fated flash. 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.

1170

1175

THEY lov'd: But such their guileless passion was, As in the dawn of time inform'd the heart Of innocence, and undissembling truth. 'Twas friendship heightened by the mutual wish, 1180 Th' enchanting hope, and sympathetic glow, Beam'd from the mutual eye. Devoting all To love, each was to each a dearer self; Supremely happy in th' awaken'd power Of giving joy. Alone, amid the shades, Still in harmonious intercourse they liv'd The rural day, and talk'd the flowing heart, Or figh'd, and look'd unutterable things.

1185

So 1190

So pass'd their life, a clear united stream, By care unruffled; till, in evil hour, The tempeft caught them on the tender walk, Heedless how far, and where its mazes stray'd, While, with each other blest, creative love Still bade eternal Eden smile around. Heavy with instant fate her bosom heav'd Unwonted fighs, and stealing oft a look Of the big gloom on CELADON her eye Fell tearful, wetting her disordered cheek. In vain affuring love, and confidence In HEAVEN, reprefs'd her fear; it grew, and shook Her frame near dissolution. He perceiv'd

1195

1199

Th' unequal conflict, and as angels look

On dying faints, his eyes compassion shed,
With love illumin'd high. "Fear not, he said,

"Sweet innocence! thou stranger to offence, 1205 " And inward storm! HE, who yon skies involves " In frowns of darkness, ever smiles on thee " With kind regard. O'er thee the fecret shaft "That wastes at midnight, or th' undreaded hour "Of noon, flies harmless: and that very voice, 1210 "Which thunders terror thro' the guilty heart, "With tongues of feraphs whispers peace to thine. " 'Tis fafety to be near thee sure, and thus " To clasp perfection!" From his void embrace, 1214 (Myfterious Heaven!) that moment, to the ground, A blacken'd corse, was struck the beauteous maid.

"But