Page:Redemption, a Poem.djvu/201

 REDEMPTION. 195

They speed fuliginous their sev'ral ways.

Terah the north wind blows, Hermon the south,

To meet tempestuous on the boiling waves.

Enon the sky with brumal mists obscures,

Whilst writhen thunderbolts dread Barak weaves,

And livid flames shoots thwart the crasset sky.

Gerasa first their cresive fury feels,

Whose ruins still attest their dev'lish spite,

Dreaded by Ismael, and Dj crash call'd.

Blacker than night, two clouds, by demons driv'n,

From points adverse, in angry contest meet,

With hell's insufferable nitrous fumes,

W T ith patt'ring hail, and roaring torrents, charged,

Obscure the azure cope and blot the stars.

As two athletes meet, in wrestling skill'd,

Equal in fury and impetuous force ;

If small with great contests may be compared ;

They clinch, they stand, they strive, then plough the field,

Involved in clouds of dust, that reach the skies;

Hither and thither turn, then prostrate fall,

Inseparably join'd, shake the firm ground,

And cleave deep furrows through the gory sand.

So these convolve, awhile contend aboon,

Then, with resistless force, impetuous swoop,

And tear the ruin'd town ; its turrets crash,

Huge beams dispart, and wide its ruins spread ;

Lop ancient oaks, and root them from the soil;

Nor stay their fury there, but seek the main,

And o'er Tiberias' sea tempestuous pour.

Accressent grown, its nappy billows heave,

As lofty mountains copp'd, and white with foam,

Then, fierce effused, o'erwhelm the hapless bark,

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