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And there the bittern in the sedge shall lurk,

Moaning with sullen strain:

While, sweeping o'er the plain,
Destruction ends her work.
Yes, on mine holy mountain's brow,
I'll crush this proud Assyrian foe.
The irrevocable word is spoke.

From Judah's neck the galling yoke

Spontaneous falls, she shines with wonted state; Thus by myself I swear, and what I swear is fate.

MASON.

THE FALL OF ZION.

'It comes-it comes-the mighty day!
The mighty day of wrath and woe!
Slaughter, havoc, speed their way!
Yawns the gulf of hell below!
'Tis past-the just-the dread decree!
Zion! wide it yawns for thee!
Soon among the Giant Dead,

Whom tenfold chains of darkness hold,
By the wild wave whelm'd of old,
Low must lie thy haughty head.

What scenes of horror open on my eye!

I see the spear of vengeance poised on high,
With the red lightning wing'd-her crest of fire,
Her sword with anguish edged, her arrows tipp'd
with ire.

'Dost thou, still blazing in imperial pride,
On pomp's refulgent car sublimely ride,
Stop to the widow's plaint the' obdurate ear,
And mock the moaning orphan's tear;

Or laugh at ease in Joy's luxuriant bower,
While the brisk viol cheers the festal hour;
Or drain from bowls of gold the sparkling wine,
The boast of Lebanon's or Helbon's vine;
Or on the downy Tyrian bed,

Sabean odours breathing round thy head,
Give thy warm wishes loose to wanton love?
Know, though thy daring thoughts despise
The sage's voice, the prophet's cries,
There's thunder, and a God above.'

"Twas thus by Salem's hallow'd side,
In plaintive notes, a prophet sung,

Where Kedron's gloomy waters lingering glide Through the deep dale with shaggy shades o'erhung.

Oft turn'd with sad presage his streaming eyes
Where the famed Temple's awful domes appear,
High o'er the steep diffuse a golden glare,
And swell their rival grandeurs to the skies.
His brethren round, oppress'd with equal fears,
Catch from each other's eyes contagious tears.

Long in deep silence sigh'd the pensive band,
Till, with new rapture touch'd, the sacred Sire,
Starting, with a hasty hand,

Snatch'd again the sounding lyre.

Then, fill'd with all the God,
Through every vein diviner ardour glow'd;
Roll'd his fierce eyeballs, swell'd his heaving breast,
By the' ecstatic power oppress'd;

His fingers then with careless air he flings
Across the golden strings,

And bids in varied mode the measures flow,

Now rapid, loud, and wild, now solemn, soft, and slow.

"Hark! it is the clarion's sound!

Float on the hollow gale the shrill alarms;
The hills, the vales, the rocks rebellow round,
To arms! to arms! to arms!

Loud and more loud the swelling clangors rise,
Shake the wide earth, and thunder to the skies.
The nations tremble, as they hear;

Every face is pale with fear;

The mother starts, with boding thoughts distress'd, Yearns o'er her babe, and strains it to her breast.

'Where Babel, towering to imperial sway,
Lifts her proud glories to the blaze of day,
And old Euphrates' laves her willowy side,
I see Heaven's Angel stand,

The' avenging angel-in his red right hand
He waves his burning brand,

With fierce reflection gleaming on the tide.
He mounts his scythed wain;

He calls his dreadful train

To feast on human food;

Ambition, Discord, Famine, and wild War,
Rage, Desolation, Death attend the car,
Rushing o'er slaughter'd heaps, and bathed in blood.

'See from the north a sudden brightness beam!
O'er yonder hills the spreading lustres stream,
Like meteors gleaming round the mountain brow,
Then flashing down the vale below.

Now steeds and men I see, a shining train!
And blazen chariots lightning o'er the plain.
On moves the host, in firm and dread array,
Their polish'd bucklers burn against the day,
And round their helms the dazzling splendours

play.

Amid their ranks hell's horrid forms appear,
Frown in the front, and ravage in the rear.
Behind like clouds the birds of ravine fly,'
Prescient of blood, and blacken all the sky.
High waving o'er their heads Jehovah's sword
Of living flame, portending vengeance near,
The' awaken'd vengeance of its injured Lord,
Like a red comet kindles half the sphere.

"Zion! now for wrath prepare!
Speak the signs of earth and air.
See the sun his golden light
Veil in shades of sudden night!
Peals tremendous howl on high;
All the concave seems on fire;
Flashing armies in the sky
Now encounter, now retire;
Meteors red with flaming hair
Through the glowing ether glare;
Panic terrors stalk below;
Hark! a voice denouncing woe,
Through the temple's vaulted round
Sends a shrill and solemn sound;
66 Depart (it cries), Depart!"

And strikes with chill amaze the bravest heart."

There ceased awhile the Sire

his powers op

[press'd,

Exhausted, ask'd an interval of rest.

A solemn pause ensued;

Around in dread suspense his audience stood;
Till roused again with fresh prophetic fire,
New strains of horror trembled on the lyre.
''Tis come-the mighty day! how awful lours
Its murky morn! the works of death begin!
Without, the flame-without, the sword devours,
And famine wastes within.

Ah! what a groan was there,

As bursting from the bosom of Despair!
See o'er her famish'd babe the mother hang!
Maternal fondness adding edge to woe,
Keen as her childbed's agonizing throe.
But, oh! my chill'd blood shudders at the sight-
Resistless hunger gives a fiercer pang.

Mother, forbear!-Sun, hide thy trembling light!
Blot out the deed accursed, Eternal Night!

'What new clangors strike my ear!
"Tis the clash of arms I hear;
Loud the avenging angel calls;
See the battle bend its course,
Like the mountain torrent's force,
To Salem's broken walls!

The' avenging angel leads the foremost band,
Fires every heart, and strengthens every hand;
His streaming banner casts a crimson blaze,
And streaks the sable clouds with sanguine rays;
O'er Zion's trembling hill he waves it high,
Heaven's thunder in his voice, and lightning in his
Before his steps a thousand terrors stride, [eye :
And gory Death grins ghastly by his side.

'Now with victorious powers
They scale her conquer'd towers;
The din of triumph rends the air;
Shouts of triumph-woful cries
Echo to the midnight skies,
And shrilling shrieks of wild despair.
I see I see this doleful flood
Rolling red with native blood;

I see the' expiring father purpled o'er
With his slaughter'd children's gore!

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