Of some toss'd vessel, on a stormy night, Catching the tempest's momentary light! -- And hath not this brought the proud spirit low? Nor dash'd his brow, nor check'd his daring? No. Though half the wretches, whom at night he led To thrones and victory, lie disgrac'd and dead, Yet morning hears him, with unshrinking crest, Still vaunt of thrones, and victory to the rest; And they believe him!-oh, the lover may Distrust that look which steals his soul away; The babe may cease to think that it can play With heaven's rainbow; alchymists may doubt The shining gold their crucible gives out, But Faith, fanatic Faith, once wedded fast To some dear falsehood, hugs it to the last. And well th' Impostor knew all lures and arts, Awake, through half the horrors thou hast seen, } Thou never couldst have borne it Death had come At once, and taken thy wrung spirit home. Of thought, almost of life, came o'er th' intense Again, as in MEROU, he had her deck'd Gorgeously out, the Priestess of the sect; And led her glittering forth before the eyes Of his rude train, as to a sacrifice; Pallid as she, the young, devoted Bride Of the fierce NILE, when, deck'd in all the pride And while the wretched maid hung down her head, Should dawn ere long their Faith's deliverance. Her soul was rous'd, and words of wildness came, Would hail heav'n's signals in her flashing eyes, But vain at length his arts-despair is seen Gathering around; and famine comes to glean All that the sword had left unreap'd: - in vain At morn and eve across the northern plain } 7 "A custom still subsisting at this day, seems to me to prove that the Egyptians formerly sacrificed a young virgin to the God of the Nile; for they now make a statue of earth in shape of a girl, to which they give the name of the Betrothed Bride, and throw it into the river."― Savary. He looks impatient for the promis'd spears Of the wild Hordes and TARTAR mountaineers; They come not-while his fierce beleaguerers pour And horrible as new ;-javelins, that fly Enwreath'd with smoky flames through the dark sky, Into the air, with blazing faggots tied To their huge wings, scattering combustion wide! 8 The Greek fire, which was occasionally lent by the Emperors to their allies. "It was," says Gibbon, " either launched in red-hot balls of stone and iron, or darted in arrows and javelins, twisted round with flax and tow, which had deeply imbibed the inflammable oil." 9" At the great festival of fire, called the Sheb Sezé, they used to set fire to large bunches of dry combustibles, fastened round wild beasts and birds, which being then let loose, the air and earth appeared one great illumination; and as these terrified creatures naturally fled to the wood for shelter, it is easy to conceive the conflagrations they produced." — Richardson's Dissertation. All night, the groans of wretches who expire, Ring through the city — while, descending o'er MOKANNA sees the world is his no more; One sting at parting, and his grasp is o'er. And by the light of blazing temples dying; — press "Home o'er the very threshold of success; |