The Works of the English Poets: With Prefaces, Biographical and Critical

Whilft this with doubtful fury glares,
And meditate, new wars,

And wheels in sportive gyres around,
Its neighbour shall advance to fight;
And while each offers to enlarge its right,
The general ruin shall increase,

And banish all the votaries of peace.
No more the stars, with paler beams,
Shall tremble o'er the midnight streams,
But travel downward to behold

What mimics them fo twinkling there:
And, like Narciffus, as they gain more near,
For the lov'd image straight expire,

And agonize in warm defire,

Or flake their luft, as in the ftream they roll.

Whilft the world burns, and all the orbs below
In their viperous ruins glow,

They fink, and unfupported leave the fkies,

Which fall abrupt, and tell their torment in the
noise.

Then fee th' Almighty Judge, fedate and bright,
Cloath'd in imperial robes of light!

His wings the wind, rough storms the chariot bear, And nimble harbingers before him fly,

And with officious rudenefs brush the air i.
Halt as he halts, then doubling in their flight,
In horrid fport with one another vie,

And leave behind quick-winding tracts of light;
Then urging, to their ranks they close,

And hivering, left they start, a failing caravan compofe.

The Mighty Judge rides in tempestuous state Whilft mighty guards his orders wait :

His waving veftments fhine

Bright as the fun, which lately did its beam refign, And burnish'd wreaths of light shall make his form divine.

Strong beams of majesty around his temples play, And the tranfcendant gaiety of his face allay : His Father's reverend cha racters he 'll wear,

And both o'erwhelm with light, and over-awe with fear,

Myriads of angels fhall be there,

And I, perhaps, close the tremendous rear ;

Angels, the first and fairest fons of day,

Clad with eternal youth, and as their vestments gay.

Nor for magnificence alone,

To brighten and enlarge the pageant fcene,
Shall we encircle his more dazzling throne,
And fwell the luftre of his pompous train ;
The nimble minifters of blifs or woe

We fhall attend, and fave, or deal the blow,
As He admits to joy, or bids to pain.

The welcome news

Through every Angel's breast fresh raptures fhall dif

The day is come,

[fufe.

When Satan with his powers shall fink to endless doom. No more fhall we his hoftile troops pursue

From cloud to cloud, nor the long fight renew.

Then Raphael, big with life, the trump shall sound,
From falling fpheres the joyful music shall rebound,
And feas and thores shall catch and propagate it round:
Louder he 'll blow, and it fhall speak more fhrill,
Than when, from Sinai's hill,

In thunder through the horrid reddening smoke,
Th' Almighty spoke.

We 'll fhout around with martial joy,

And thrice the vaulted fkies fhall rend, and thrice our fhouts reply.

Then first th' Archangel's voice, aloud,
Shall chearfully falute the day and throng,
And Hallelujah fill the croud;

And I, perhaps, fhall close the fong.

From its long fleep all human race fhall rife, And fee the morn and Judge advancing in the skies: To their old tenements the fouls return,

Whilft down the steep of Heaven as swift the Judge defcends!

These look illuftrious bright, no more to mourn :
Whilft, fee, distracted looks yon stalking shades attend.
The faints no more fhall conflict on the deep,
Nor rugged waves infult the labouring ship;
But from the wreck in triumph they arise,
And borne to bliss shall tread empyreal skies.

CONTENTS

ONTENT S.

HE Choice

Page 215

Love triumphant over Reason. A Vision

The Fortunate Complaint