Page:Redemption, a Poem.djvu/75

 REDEMPTION. 69

Dele from out the vast empire of world's.

But many knew his sign, and straight betook

Them to appeasing rites, the influence

Malignant to forefend; nor long were left

In doubt: for, now the foe sejoin, and part,

Wide o'er the world dispers'd, swarm through the air,

Irnpregn the earth thick as autumnal leaves,

And likest seem'd, if any eye beheld,

To bands of locusts, which the burning wind,

Invoked by Moses, over all the coasts

Of Egypt, innumerable brought up,

Keen to devour and desolate the land.

A part, diverse, the oracles invade,

And ululate their dark prophetic lies,

Or fill the caves and groves, where witches haunt,

And wizards, their incantations t' inspire.

Some hold communion direct with men,

Besiege, obsess, possess, imbue their minds

With every vain device, and strong delude

Not to perceive, or seeing, not confess

Them to be demons 'scaped from depths of hell.

So overspread the rapping devils now

Th' apostate world; since, as mankind recede

From God, and sacred truths deride, the more

Their pow'r resumes its sway, and hell's empire,

Though held astrict, yet unsubdued, revives.

The rest, a force immane, nigh half of hell,

Battailous, in many a circuit wide

Hov'ring awhile, as birds of prey, before

They swoop upon some unprotected flock,

Drop sudden from the air, and globus swarm

Within Esdrela's vale, clog every tree,

6*

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