-
A suddain noise striking th'astonish't ear,
We neither could guess what, nor tell from whence,
Strook us into amazement, and suspence.
We stood all mute, and pallid with the sight;
A paleness so increast by paler light,
That ev'ry wand a Caduce did appear,
As we a Caravan of dead folks were:
But really so terrible a sound
Sure ne're was heard above, or under ground.
To which the difficulties we had had,
And horror of the place did so much add,
That it was long before a word came out
To ask a question, or resolve a doubt.
But, by some one, the silence being broke,
We altogether in confusion spoke:
But all cross purpose , not a word of sence,
Either to get, or give intelligence.
So when a tall, and richly laden Ship,
Plowing the Sea with all her sails a-trip,
Suddenly strikes upon some unseen Rock,
Her seams laid open by the pondrous shock,
The Passengers , and Seamen tear their throats
In confus'd cries, and undistinguisht Notes.
Some thought a flood was just now breaking in,
Some that Pyracmon had at th'anvile bin,
With Brontes forging thunderbolts for Jove ,
Or for some Heroe arms i'th world above;
Some said it thundred; others this, and that,
Every one fear'd; but not a man knew what.
Till at the last, a little calmer grown,
Again we list'ned, then spake one by one;
Began to think, and temp'rately debate,
What we were best to do in this estate.
The major Vote was quickly to retire,
Which also those oppos'd it, did desire;
Though in the end we all agreed to see
What the great cause of this strange noise might be,
Nor were we long in doubt; for ere we had
But twenty paces further progress made,
Before our eyes we saw it plain appear,
And then were out of count'nance at our fear.
On the right hand an open passage lies
Where once again the Roof does sloping rise
In a steep, craggy, and a lubrick shoar,
As high at least, as any where before;
Where from the very top of all the Hill ,
A murm'ring fountain does her streams distill,
Which thence descending with a headlong wave,
Roars in remoter windings of the Cave ;
Though here it does in gentle whispers brawl
Through little stones, and is scarce heard at all.
The water falling down so silent here,
And roaring louder than the Thunderer
At a remoter distance, seems, as if
The Crystal stream, that trickles from the Cliff ,
Were a Catarrh , that falling from the Brain
Upon his leathern lungs, did thus constrain
The Fiend to cough so very loud, and tear
His marble throat, and fright th' Adventurer .
But if this liquid Cave does any where
Deserve the title of a Grot , 'tis here,
For here as from her Urn the Nymph does pour,
The water breaks on Rocks in such a showr,
Sparkling quite round the place, as made us doubt
T'would hazard spitting all our Candles out,
Which had it hapned so, we fairly might
Have bid unto the World a long good night.
Wherefore it did concern us to make hast,
And thus we have the third fam'd River past.
Up the old Channel still we forward tend,
Wondring and longing when our search should end;
For we were all grown weary of the night,
And wisht to see the long forsaken light,
And, Reader, now the happy time draws near
To end your trouble, as it did our fear:
For many paces more we had not gone,
Before we came to a large vault of stone
Curiously arch't, and wall'd on either side,
Some thirty paces long, and thirteen wide,
Scarce ten foot high, which does deprive the place
Unhappily of due proportions grace.
This full of water stands, but yet so clear
That thorough it the bottom does appear
So smooth, and even laid with glittering Sand,
That the most timerous will not make a stand:
But boldly step into't to see the end
To which all these so strange Meanders tend.
The first step's ancle deep, the next may be
To the midleg, and no where past the knee,
Saving, that at the very end of all,
Where the Rock meets us with an even wall,
Under the foot, and in the midst of it,
There is a pretty semi-circular pit,
About some four foot wide, and six foot deep,
Which underneath the Basis dipping steep,
And the impending Rock at least three foot
Descending with a sharp round Peak into't,
Shuts up the Cave , and, with our own desire
Kindly complying, bids us to retire.
Nor did we there make any longer stay,
We neither could guess what, nor tell from whence,
Strook us into amazement, and suspence.
We stood all mute, and pallid with the sight;
A paleness so increast by paler light,
That ev'ry wand a Caduce did appear,
As we a Caravan of dead folks were:
But really so terrible a sound
Sure ne're was heard above, or under ground.
To which the difficulties we had had,
And horror of the place did so much add,
That it was long before a word came out
To ask a question, or resolve a doubt.
But, by some one, the silence being broke,
We altogether in confusion spoke:
But all cross purpose , not a word of sence,
Either to get, or give intelligence.
So when a tall, and richly laden Ship,
Plowing the Sea with all her sails a-trip,
Suddenly strikes upon some unseen Rock,
Her seams laid open by the pondrous shock,
The Passengers , and Seamen tear their throats
In confus'd cries, and undistinguisht Notes.
Some thought a flood was just now breaking in,
Some that Pyracmon had at th'anvile bin,
With Brontes forging thunderbolts for Jove ,
Or for some Heroe arms i'th world above;
Some said it thundred; others this, and that,
Every one fear'd; but not a man knew what.
Till at the last, a little calmer grown,
Again we list'ned, then spake one by one;
Began to think, and temp'rately debate,
What we were best to do in this estate.
The major Vote was quickly to retire,
Which also those oppos'd it, did desire;
Though in the end we all agreed to see
What the great cause of this strange noise might be,
Nor were we long in doubt; for ere we had
But twenty paces further progress made,
Before our eyes we saw it plain appear,
And then were out of count'nance at our fear.
On the right hand an open passage lies
Where once again the Roof does sloping rise
In a steep, craggy, and a lubrick shoar,
As high at least, as any where before;
Where from the very top of all the Hill ,
A murm'ring fountain does her streams distill,
Which thence descending with a headlong wave,
Roars in remoter windings of the Cave ;
Though here it does in gentle whispers brawl
Through little stones, and is scarce heard at all.
The water falling down so silent here,
And roaring louder than the Thunderer
At a remoter distance, seems, as if
The Crystal stream, that trickles from the Cliff ,
Were a Catarrh , that falling from the Brain
Upon his leathern lungs, did thus constrain
The Fiend to cough so very loud, and tear
His marble throat, and fright th' Adventurer .
But if this liquid Cave does any where
Deserve the title of a Grot , 'tis here,
For here as from her Urn the Nymph does pour,
The water breaks on Rocks in such a showr,
Sparkling quite round the place, as made us doubt
T'would hazard spitting all our Candles out,
Which had it hapned so, we fairly might
Have bid unto the World a long good night.
Wherefore it did concern us to make hast,
And thus we have the third fam'd River past.
Up the old Channel still we forward tend,
Wondring and longing when our search should end;
For we were all grown weary of the night,
And wisht to see the long forsaken light,
And, Reader, now the happy time draws near
To end your trouble, as it did our fear:
For many paces more we had not gone,
Before we came to a large vault of stone
Curiously arch't, and wall'd on either side,
Some thirty paces long, and thirteen wide,
Scarce ten foot high, which does deprive the place
Unhappily of due proportions grace.
This full of water stands, but yet so clear
That thorough it the bottom does appear
So smooth, and even laid with glittering Sand,
That the most timerous will not make a stand:
But boldly step into't to see the end
To which all these so strange Meanders tend.
The first step's ancle deep, the next may be
To the midleg, and no where past the knee,
Saving, that at the very end of all,
Where the Rock meets us with an even wall,
Under the foot, and in the midst of it,
There is a pretty semi-circular pit,
About some four foot wide, and six foot deep,
Which underneath the Basis dipping steep,
And the impending Rock at least three foot
Descending with a sharp round Peak into't,
Shuts up the Cave , and, with our own desire
Kindly complying, bids us to retire.
Nor did we there make any longer stay,
Translation:
Language:
Reviews
No reviews yet.