The Revenge
High, on the summit of a craggy rock ,
Whose harden'd sides resist the billows' shock;
Whose cliffy brow, mens eyes, with horror, view,
O'erlooking, proudly, land , and ocean , too:
There stands a roomy cave , by nature, made,
To knit , in just embraces, light , and shade :
Its spacious mouth the sun's up-rising greets,
Admits his lustre , but repels his heats!
Arriv'd, incumbent on the ruffled air,
She sees rude globes the floating forest tear:
Her sons, o'er match'd , like men, untaught to yield;
Scud , unresolv'd, about the wat'ry field:
The spacious seas, with scatter'd vessels, charg'd,
To double length, the breaking line enlarg'd.
Averse to fly , nor deaf to safety 's call,
They hang, like scatt'ring clouds, about to fall.
But while the foe , encourag'd at his view,
Pressing, triumphant on, wou'd dare pursue;
Again, united , they the fight restore,
Again, dart vengeance , fiercer, than before:
Again, the big-mouth'd cannon rends the sky,
And the unconquer'd suff'rers rush to die.
Thus, while the hunted panther , spent, with fight ,
Looks round, distrest , and meditates a flight;
If then prevented, he, with sudden roar,
Turns back, and dyes the field, with hostile gore;
Disdaining life, upon the spears , he flies,
And, heap'd on piles of victims, proudly dies.
All this the trembling nymph , with grief, beheld;
At length, her care the victor's force repell'd:
Then, wastes no time, the ruin'd to deplore,
But guides the rich remainder safe to shore:
Thence, to the cave , with threat'ning transport, flew,
Revolving, what her hop'd revenge shou'd do!
There, while depress'd with melancholy thought,
Her working fancy diff'rent projects taught;
From heav'n's bright orb, a youth , divinely fair,
With wings extended, cleav'd th' enlighten'd air;
Just, at the mourning charmer's feet, he stay'd,
Look'd lovely on her, bow'd him low, and said:
Mourn not this little loss , nor blame thy fate;
Decreed revenge shall on thy wishes wait:
Look up, bright maid! read R AMELIES , writ there,
And pay thyself large int'rest, for this care!
He said: and, strait, his wings their plumes advance,
And bear him, glitt'ring, thro' the wild expanse
The ravish'd nymph beholds his starry flight,
And, fill'd with promis'd glory, blest the sight.
Whose harden'd sides resist the billows' shock;
Whose cliffy brow, mens eyes, with horror, view,
O'erlooking, proudly, land , and ocean , too:
There stands a roomy cave , by nature, made,
To knit , in just embraces, light , and shade :
Its spacious mouth the sun's up-rising greets,
Admits his lustre , but repels his heats!
Arriv'd, incumbent on the ruffled air,
She sees rude globes the floating forest tear:
Her sons, o'er match'd , like men, untaught to yield;
Scud , unresolv'd, about the wat'ry field:
The spacious seas, with scatter'd vessels, charg'd,
To double length, the breaking line enlarg'd.
Averse to fly , nor deaf to safety 's call,
They hang, like scatt'ring clouds, about to fall.
But while the foe , encourag'd at his view,
Pressing, triumphant on, wou'd dare pursue;
Again, united , they the fight restore,
Again, dart vengeance , fiercer, than before:
Again, the big-mouth'd cannon rends the sky,
And the unconquer'd suff'rers rush to die.
Thus, while the hunted panther , spent, with fight ,
Looks round, distrest , and meditates a flight;
If then prevented, he, with sudden roar,
Turns back, and dyes the field, with hostile gore;
Disdaining life, upon the spears , he flies,
And, heap'd on piles of victims, proudly dies.
All this the trembling nymph , with grief, beheld;
At length, her care the victor's force repell'd:
Then, wastes no time, the ruin'd to deplore,
But guides the rich remainder safe to shore:
Thence, to the cave , with threat'ning transport, flew,
Revolving, what her hop'd revenge shou'd do!
There, while depress'd with melancholy thought,
Her working fancy diff'rent projects taught;
From heav'n's bright orb, a youth , divinely fair,
With wings extended, cleav'd th' enlighten'd air;
Just, at the mourning charmer's feet, he stay'd,
Look'd lovely on her, bow'd him low, and said:
Mourn not this little loss , nor blame thy fate;
Decreed revenge shall on thy wishes wait:
Look up, bright maid! read R AMELIES , writ there,
And pay thyself large int'rest, for this care!
He said: and, strait, his wings their plumes advance,
And bear him, glitt'ring, thro' the wild expanse
The ravish'd nymph beholds his starry flight,
And, fill'd with promis'd glory, blest the sight.
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