Were mingled with the howl of hidden floods,

And Acherontine groans;—of all the host

The only dauntless he! As o'er the wild

He glanced, the pride of agony endured
Awoke, and writhed through all his giant frame,
That redden'd, and dilated, like a sun!-

And then, as ever-vanish'd hours woke

The torment of their memory,-to feed

The cravings of infernal wrath, he bade
The roar of Hell be hush'd,-and silence came!

He call'd the cursed,-and they flash'd from cave
And wild-from dungeon and from den they rose,
And stood an unimaginable mass

Of spirits, agonized with burning pangs!

In silence stood they, while the Demon gazed

On all, and communed with departed Time,

From whence his vengeance such a harvest reap'd!

Before him, what a congregated host

Of perish'd creatures! sumless as the waves
Lash'd into life from out th' Atlantic sea;

Long ages gone, and they were breathing airs
Of heaven, with attributes divine endow'd,
Sharing the beauty of the world, and led

By Mercy through the round of being; bliss
And endless woe before them lay,—they braved
The doom to come, and barter'd Heaven for Hell!

Famed idols of the earth, around whose paths The blinding light of Admiration blazed, Despots who bathed the battle-field in blood, And many, whose immortal names had fired The page of history with a fearful life,— Were here, immingled with a nameless host.

And one, among the legions of the damn'd,

There was, the wonder and the curse of Time:

He held the vial of Almighty wrath,

And pour'd it on the world, or with a frown

O'erclouded nations, while his fearless sword
Dealt forth defiance to th' astounded Globe.
A word of his was thunder to the ears
Of Kings; and Empires quail'd, as from afar

f

The tempest of his coming darker grew!
Ambition was his God, and to o'ersway,
Or chain the world to his triumphal car,
The tyrant passion of his soul. Though Man
And Nature wail'd, though Ocean storm'd,
And mountains threaten'd an eternal bar,
Still went he on, and battled with them all!
Nor paused, till on the tower of conquest waved
The planted banner that proclaim'd him lord :—
Nor wail of widows o'er the tombless dead,

Nor groan of orphans, nor the demon cry

Of havoc, through the vanquish'd city howl'd,E'er deafen'd him; dominion was his own,

Rebellion hail'd him with applausive roar,

Oh! genius is a great, but fearful gift,

A double portion of the God within,—

A talent not our own; but to entrance
And elevate mankind with lofty thoughts,
To shadow forth the SPIRIT that surrounds,
Protects, adorns, and glorifies the world.--
Yet genius, nursed on Nature's mighty lap,
For him work'd marvels ;- -on his matchless page,

The vast creation lived; both when the voice

Of thunder with his music roll'd, or war

Of ocean, when the deep-toned winds arose
And whirl'd her into storms;—or when he bade
The heavens be sprinkled o'er with starry isles,
Or damask'd with the crimson clouds of eve,
His verse array-magnificent the Muse

Appear'd :-around her glowing form the light
And breath of nature play'd.-But not to HIM,
The Architect of all, was incense breathed;

An atheistic shade his lines o'erhung :

Along his mighty page the Spirit moved

More changeful than a cloud; now, beaming forth

In all the summer beauty of the soul,

Then, veil'd with darkness, and infernal gloom,

From whence the lightnings of his passion glared!

Yet, had he pleased, he might have hallow'd earth