The country all around Did with the cries of tortur'd cattle found; And wish'd the plague that was t' enfue. From poisonous stars a mortal influence came A fkilful angel did th' ingredients take, And pining pains, and fhivering fweats, Sink, and prevent the lifted blow : The generous horse from the full manger turns his head, Hates the fhrill trumpet and the horn, With the once-ravifhing fmell of all his dappled miftreffes: They bleat their innocent fouls out into air i [reed. Th' aftonish'd fhepherd weeps, and breaks his tuneful Thus did the beafts for man's rebellion die; God did on man a gentler medicine try, And a Disease, for Phyfio, did apply. Warm Warm afhes from the furnace Mofes took ; He flings the pregnant afhes through the air, Both which the ministering winds around all Egypt bear. Hatching the tender springs, To th' unborn buds with vital whispers fay,, "Ye living buds, why do ye ftay?" The paffionate buds. break through the bark their way So, wherefoe'er this tainted wind but blew, Swelling pains and ulcers grew; It from the body call'd all fleeping poisons out,, A noisome spring of fores, as thick as leaves, did sprout. Heaven itself is angry next ;. (Woe to man, when Heaven is vext!) And murmur'd first in an imperfect found: And all the full-charg'd clouds in ranged fquadrons move, And fill the fpacious plains above; Through which the rolling thunder first does play, And And strait a ftony shower Of monftrous Hail does downwards pour, Nor afk'd aid from the thunder's ftroke; Some flying through the air, fome running on the ground, Fill'd with bright horror every place : One would have thought, their dreadful day to have seen, The very hail, and rain itself, had kindled been. The infant corn, which yet did scarce appear, Escap'd this general massacre Of every thing that grew, And the well-ftor'd Egyptian year Began to cloathe her fields and trees anew. [blew, When lo! a fcorching wind from the burnt countries And endless legions with it drew Gave with large bounty to the thankful soil, The The wretched pillagers bore away, - And the whole Summer was their prey ; Till Mofes with a prayer Breath'd forth a violent western wind, Which all these living clouds did headlong bear (No ftragglers left behind) Into the purple fea, and there bestow On the luxurious fish a feaft they ne'er did know. And little thinks their fate attends on him and his fo near. What blindness or what darkness did there e'er Like this undocile king's appear! What, e'er, but that which now does reprefent Through fecret conduits monftrous shapes arose, They with a folid cloud All heaven's eclipsed face did shroud; Seem'd, with large wings fpread o'er the fea and earth, To brood up a new Chaos's deformed birth. And every lamp, and every fire, Did at the dreadful fight wink and expire, To th' Empyrean fource all streams of light feem'd to retire. The The living men were in their standing-houses buried;; But the long Night no flumber knows, But the short Death finds no repose ! Ten thousand terrors through the darkness fled,. Of God's dreadful anger thefe Were but the first light fkirmishes ; And dewy Sleep, which from Night's secret springs arose, Michael, the warlike prince, does downwards fly, Swift as the race of light, And with his winged will cuts through the yielding íky. He pafs'd through many a star, and, as he past, Than they did in their sphere. On a tall pyramid's pointed head he stopp'd at last, Down |