The foreft bends beneath the weight of
fnow;
And, as at intervals the cold winds blow,
The glittering fhower in wild confufion flies,
With brightness clothes the plains, while gloom in-
vefts the skies.
No longer bursting o'er their rugged mound
The torrents foam; in cryftal fetters bound,
They ftand erect; like pillars cloth'd with light;
And feem to prop the rock's projecting height.
The fhivering herds to diftant vales repair; And the gaunt wolf, while thro' the depth of aira
Glides the pale moon, her beams in hatred views,
And her ftill courfe with howling wild purfues:
Or famine - pinch'd, and funk his glaring eyes
In hollow fockets, faintly growls, and dies.
The Weird fifters to a coaft fo dire, Congenial to their fouls, at times retire; And view, their only pleasure to destroy, The wreck of nature with malignant joy.
There, a vaft cave, unknown to mortal eyes,
Deep buried in a pathless foreft lies:
Huge incicles, impending from the heigh,
Of beetling cliffs, ting'd with transparent light,
Like polifh'd fpears revers'd, its jaws fur-
round,
And fhoot their many-colour'd rays around.
But darkness reign'd within; fave when re-
tir'd,
With quenchlefs hatred to mankind inspir'd,
The fifters meet; then mix'd with vap'rous
Flames bursting thro' the central point, illume The difmal cavern; while from realms profound
Spirits unbleft arife, and wheel around
In myftic dance. There now in orgies dire,
'Gainft Britain's prince to wreak their ruthless
At which, if acted in day's facred light,
The fun, with horror ftruck, had backward
Or veil'd in dark'ning clouds his blazing head.
Still from the Daemons, by their potent
Controll'd, dark words of doubtful import fell,
Unpleafing to their ears: in wild despair
They beat their breasts, and rend their fnaky
hair;
Draw from their mangled fides the gufhing blood,
And fprinkle o'er the flame the purple flood;
And whilft they brave the power who rules the
fkies,
Invoke their kindred fiends with fiercer cries.
Earth shakes more black the circling vapour
flows,
And the red flame with keener radiance glows.
Sleeps vengeance then, ye fons of baleful night,
Exclaims fierce Urda, by the lurid light
Dimly defcried; Oh fhame, oh dire difgrace!
Shall we be baffled by man's puny race?
Say, have I weav'd in fate's myfterious loom
The web of Hengifts life, and ftamp'd his
doom.
In vain? No, yet again our knight renown'd
Shall rife, fhall triumph, and his foes confound
Spirits of night! reception due prepare:
Take him, my fifters, to your guardian care.
His former ftrength renew; and thro' his foul
Bid the fwoll'n tides of rage and vengeance roll.
Whate'er the impulfe of his mind inspires,
Regard, nor counteract his wild defires,
But, whilft his breaft with high-wrought fury
glows,
Hurl him, like heaven's red bolt, to blaft our
I breathe the scent of carnage! death pursues
His course, and royal blood his fteel embrues!
Visions of keen delight! why interpofe
Thefe hated clouds, and on the profpect close 2
Sifters, rejoice! behold, enough is known -
Fate aids our will deftruction is our own!"
Receive your charge." - This faid, fhe twift
enfhrouds
Her form of terror mid encircling clouds,
And rushing forward on the howling blast,
The groaning forest trembled as she past.
Stretch'd on his couch the Saxon monarch
lies;
The fhades of darknefs fwim before his eyes.
His feeble pulfe, his quick, diforder'd breath,
Appear the omens of approaching death.
But ah! not yet muft Hengift fall!
Of magic charms prolongs life's tranfient hour.
Again with vital heat his bofom glows,
And thro' his veins the genial current flows.
Awaking from his death-like fwoon, his eyes
He wildly cafts around him; whilst arise
Far different fcenes before his wond'ring view,
From thofe the Mule fo late in terror drew.
The hags abhorr'd, and all the forms of dread,
The livid flames, and dusky ímoke was filed.
The difmal cave a lovelier form assum'd;
A ftately hall with pendant lamps illum'd.
From every fide reflected luftre fhines,
That mocks the fplendor of Golconda's mines.
The fapphire's blue, and topaz' golden gleams,
The ruby's glow, the cryftal's liquid beams,
Mix'd with the diamond's varied rays, unite
In glittering wreaths to captivate the fight.
A marble pillar huge, of fnow-white hue,
The centre graced, and o'er the ceiling threw
Its branches wide: the pictur'd forms between,
Of vanquish'd chiefs, and conqu'ring knights were
feen;
And by them ftood fair maids, their valour's pri
With plaufive fmiles, and love-illumin'd eyes.
Around his couch, to fight a beauteous
band
Of gentle youths, attending spirits stand.
With notes harmonious now they footh his ear;
And now his foul with air-form'd vifions cheer.
But tho', whate'er could give to trouble
eafe,
Whate'er the wifh could form, or fancy please,
Was there;
no joy can gloomy Hengift find;
His late difgrace weighs heavy on his mind.
Nor vifionary. fcenes, nor lofty ftrain,
Nor fplendid banquet, nor obfequious train,
Can pleasure yield; but as his might returns,
His foul with doubled indignation burns:
And the bright forms of hero's, conqueft-crown'd,
Whom captiv'd kings, and lovely maids fur
round,
As will'd the fraudful fifters, in his heart-
Implant more deeply envy's venom'd dart.
Immortal Goddeffes,*) whofe guardian pow
In wrath he cries, o'er - watch'd my natal hour,
Infpir'd my foul, my arm with vigour ftrung,
When echoing fields with fhouts difcordant
rung,
And havock reign'd, is this your guardian aid?
The fairest kingdom, and the brightest maid
Does Hengift thus obtain? what boots the
mail
Impaffive, if in arins and love I fail?
Thro' you, on Ligon's Isle the proffer'd fight
I fhunn'd; thro' you am deem'd a recreant
Perish the thought! a life preferv'd with shame
Be Hengift's death, or fame!"
Before his view, earth trembling 'wide around, Valdandi, Skulda, thro' the rifted ground
*) Starchaterus, a Swedish Champion, feems to allude to
the influence, the fatal fifters were fuppofed to poffefs
at the birth of infants in the following lines
At mihi, fi recolo, nafcenti FATA dedere
Bella fequi, belloque mori, mifcere tumultu,
Invigilare armis, vitam exercere cruentam.
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