The shades descend, and midnight o'er the world 386 In soft repose: on him the balmy dews 390 Of Sleep with double nutriment descend. But would you sweetly waste the blank of night 395 O'erwhelm; or bury struggling under ground. 406 Can counterpoise of that most wre ched nian, Stung by the Furies, works with poison'd thought: While pale and monstrous painting shocks the soul; And mangled consciousness bemoans itself 412 For ever torn; and chaos floating round. What dreams presage, what dangers these or those Portend to sanity, though prudent seers 415 Reveal'd of old, and men of deathless fame, We would not to the superstitious mind Suggest new throbs, new vanities of fear. 420 In study some protract the silent hours, Which others consecrate to mirth and wine; And sleep till noon, and hardly live till night: But surely this redeems not from the shades One hour of life. Nor does it nought avail What season you to drowsy Morpheus give Of th' ever-varying circle of the day; D 425 Or whether, through the tedious winter gloom, 430 435 Creep on, and through the sinking functions steal. So, when the chilling East invades the spring, In hectic languor: and a slow disease By toil subdu'd, the warrior and the hind 440 445 450 Ye prone to sleep, (whom sleeping most annoys) On the hard mattress or elastic couch 455 Extend your limbs, and wean yourselves from sloth; Nor grudge the lean projector, of dry brain And springy nerves, the blandishments of down: Nor envy, while the buried bacchanal Exhales his surfeit in prolixer dreams. 460 He, without riot, in the balmy feast But pliant nature more or less demands, As custom forms her; and all sudden change. 465 She hates of habit, even from bad to good. If faults in life, or new emergencies, From habits urge you by long time confirm'd, Slow may the change arrive, and stage by stage; Slow as the shadow o'er the dial moves, 470 Slow as the stealing progress of the year. Observe the circling year. How unperceiv'd 475 Slow as they come, these changes come not void 480 And the black fates deform the lovely Spring. I in prophetic numbers could unfold 485 490 495 Besides, whatever plagues, in heat, or cold, Or drought, or moisture, dwell, they hurt not you Skill'd to corred the vices of the sky, 500 And taught already how to each extreme To bend your life. But should the public bane Infect you; or some tresspass of your own, Or flaw of nature, hint mortality: Soon as a not unpleasing horror glides 505 Along the spine, thro' all your torpid limbs; When first the head throbs, or the stomach feels A sickly load, a weary pain the loins; Be Celsus call'd; the Fates come rushing on; The rapid Fates admit of no delay. 510 While wilful you, and fatally secure, Expect to-morrow's more auspicious sun, The growing pest, whose infancy was weak And easy vanquish'd, with triumphant sway O'erpow'rs your life. For want of timely care, 516 Ah! in what perils is vain life engaged! The all-surrounding heaven, the vital air, And though the putrid South 520 525 What living deaths has sad Byzantium seen! Wept o'er her slaughter'd sons and lonely streets! Even Albion, girt with less malignant skies, 530 Albion the poison of the Gods has drunk, Ere yet the fell Plantagenets had spent Their ancient rage, at Bosworth's purple field; While, for which tyrant England should receive, Her legions in incestuous murders mix'd, 536 And daily horrors; till the Fates were drunk With kindred blood by kindred hands profus'd; Arose, a monster never known before, 540 Rear'd from Cocytus its portentous head. This rapid Fury, not like other pests, Rush'd as a storm o'er half the astonish'd isle, 545 First through the shoulders, or whatever part Was seiz'd the first, a fervid vapour sprung. With rash combustion thence, the quivering spark And soon the surface caught the spreading fires. 550 Gush'd out in smoky sweats; but nought assuag'd 555 They toss'd from side to side. In vain the stream Ran full and clear, they burnt and thirsted still. The restless arteries with rapid blood Beat strong and frequent. Thick and pantingly The breath was fetch'd, and with huge lab'rings heav'd. 561 A wild delirium came; their weeping friends In some a gentle horror crept at first 566 570 Had mix'd the blood; and rank with fetid steams : Were grown more fell, more putrid, and malign. · Here lay their hopes (tho' little hope remaind'd) 576 To drive the venom out. And here the fates Were kind, that long they linger'd not in pain. For, who surviv'd the sun's diurnal race, 580 Rose from the dreary gates of hell redeem'd: Some the sixth hour oppress'd, and some the third. Of many thousands few untainted 'scap'd; 585 591 In vain: where'er they fled, the Fates pursued. Others, with hopes more specious, cross'd the main, To seek protection in far-distant skies; 596 But none they found. It seem'd the general air, From pole to pole, from Atlas to the East, Was then at enmity with English blood. For, but the race of England, all were safe In foreign climes; nor did this fury taste 600 The foreign blood which England then contain❜d. |