276 LYRIC POEMS. Or so torment the ear. Scarce sounds ' no far [blast! The direful fragor, when some southern Team from the Alps a ridge of knotty oaks [rock : Deep pang'rl, andancient tenants of the The massy fragment, many a rood in length, [ged cliff iS ith hideous crash, rolls-down the rag - Resistless, nhnging in the subject lake (:orno; or Lugame ; th' afflicted waters roar, Andvarious thunder all the valley fills, Such was the noise ofwar: the troubled air Complainsaloud, and propagatesohe din To neighbouring regions; rocks and lofty hills Beat the impetuous echoes round the sky. Uproar, revenge, and rage, andisate appear In all their murd'rous forms; and flame and blood, And sweat and dust array the broad campaign In horror : hasty feet, and sparkling eyes, And all the savage passions of the soul [?ngage in the warm business ofthe day. fiere mingling hands, but with no friendly gripe, Join in the flight; and breasts in close embrace, Rot mortal, as the iron arms of death. Itere words austere, of perìlòus com- mand, [arms And valour swift t' Obey; bold feats of Dreadful to see, and glorious to relate, Shine thro' the field with snore surprising brightness Than glittering helms or spears. What loud applause (Best meed of warlike toil) whit manly shouts, And yells unmanly thee' the battle ring! And sudden wrath dies into endless fame. Long did the fate of war hang dubious. Here stood the more nurn'rous Turk, the valiant Pole Fought here ; more dreadful, tho' with lesser wings. But what the Daheos or the coward soul Of a Cydonian, what fearful moods Of base Civilians 'seeping from . the slaughter, [ riders, Or Parthian Beasts, with all their racing What could they mean against th'in trepid breast [Poles Of the pursiiing foe ? Tlt' impetuous Rush here, and herethe Lithuanianhorse Drive down upon them like a double bolt Of kindledthunder raging thro' the sky On sounding wheels; or as some mighty. flood [steep, Rolls his two torrents down a dreadful Precipitant, and bears alungthe stream, Rocks, woods and trees, with all the grazing herd, [the plain. And tumbles lofty forests headlong to The bold Borussion smoking from afar Shoves like a tempest in a dusky cloud, And imitates Oh'- artillery of heav'n, The lightning and the roar. Amazing scene! [fires What showersofmortal hail,what flaky Burst from the darkness! while their cohorts firm [storm, Met the like thunder, and an equal Prom hostile troops but with a braver mind. [war, Undaunted bosoms tempt the edge of And rush on the sharp point; while baleful mischiefs, Deaths, and bright dangers flew across the field [souls Thick and continual, and a thousand Fled murmuringtro' their wounds. I stood aloof, For 'twas unsafe to come within the-wind Of Russian banners,wheti withwhizzing sound, Eager of glory and profuse of life, They bore down fearless on the charging foes,. And drove them backward. Then the Turkish moons Wander'd in disarray. A dark eclipse Hung on the silver crescent, boding night, [disrob'd Long night, to all her sons: at length The standards fell; the barbarous en- signs- torn Fled with the wind, the sport of angry heav'n : And a large cloud of infantry and horse Scattering in wild disorder, spread the plain. Not noise, nor number, nor the brawny limb. [fights; Nor high -built sizeprevails: 'ti s courage 'I'is courage conquers. So whole forests fall -(A spacious ruin) byone single axe, And steel well - sharpened : so a generous pair [sand doves. Of young-wing'd eaglets fright a thou. Vast was the slaughter, and the flow'ry green [hands Drankdeep of flowing crimson. Veteran Here made their last campaign. Here haughty chiefs Stretch'd on the bed ofpurplehonour lie Supine,nor dreamof battle's hard event, Oppress'd with iron slumbers, and long night, [world Their ghosts indignant to the nether Fled, but attended well : for at their side Some faithful Janizaries strew'd the field, Fall'n in just ranks or wedges, lunes or square's, Firm as they stood; to the Warsovian troops A nobler toil, and triumph worth their fight. But the broad sabre and keen poll -axe flew
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