But vain at length his arts-despair is seen Gathering around; and famine comes to glean All that the sword had left unreap'd :-in vain At morn and eve across the northern plain He looks impatient for the promis'd spears Of the wild Hordes and TARTAR mountaineers; They come not-while his fierce beleaguerers pour Engines of havoc in, unknown before, 141 And horrible as new; 142-javelins, that fly Enwreath'd with smoky flames through the dark sky, And red-hot globes, that, opening as they mount, Discharge, as from a kindled Naphtha fount,143

Showers of consuming fire o'er all below;
Looking, as through the' illumin'd night they go,
Like those wild birds 144 that by the Magians oft,
At festivals of fire, were sent aloft

Into the air, with blazing fagots tied

To their huge wings, scattering combustion wide.
All night the groans of wretches who expire
In agony, beneath these darts of fire,

Ring through the city-while, descending o'er
Its shrines and domes and streets of sycamore,-
Its lone bazaars, with their bright cloths of gold,
Since the last peaceful pageant left unroll'd,-

Its beauteous marble baths, whose idle jets
Now gush with blood,—and its tall minarets,
That late have stood up in the evening glare
Of the red sun, unhallow'd by a prayer ;—
O'er each, in turn, the dreadful flame-bolts fall,
And death and conflagration throughout all
The desolate city hold high festival!

MOKANNA Sees the world is his no more ;One sting at parting, and his grasp is o'er.

"What! drooping now?"-thus, with unblushing check, He hails the few, who yet can hear him speak, Of all those famish'd slaves around him lying,

And by the light of blazing temples dying ;

"What!-drooping now ?-now, when at length we press
"Home o'er the very threshold of success;
"When ALLA from our ranks hath thinn'd away
"Those grosser branches, that kept out his ray
"Of favour from us, and we stand at length
"Heirs of his light and children of his strength,
"The chosen few, who shall survive the fall
"Of Kings and Thrones, triumphant over all!
"Have you then lost, weak murmurers as you are,
"All faith in him, who was your Light, your Star?

"Have you forgot the eye of glory, hid
"Beneath this Veil, the flashing of whose lid
"Could, like a sun-stroke of the desert, wither
"Millions of such as yonder Chief brings hither?
"Long have its lightnings slept-too long-but now
"All earth shall feel the' unveiling of this brow!
"To-night-yes, sainted men! this very night,
"I bid you all to a fair festal rite,

"Where having deep refresh'd each weary limb "With viands, such as feast Heaven's cherubim, "And kindled up your souls, now sunk and dim, "With that pure wine the Dark-eyed Maids above "Keep, seal'd with precious musk, for those they love, 145

"I will myself uncurtain in your sight

"The wonders of this brow's ineffable light;
"Then lead you forth, and with a wink disperse
"Yon myriads, howling through the universe!"

Eager they listen, while each accent darts New life into their chill'd and hope-sick hearts; Such treacherous life as the cool draught supplies To him upon the stake, who drinks and dies! Wildly they point their lances to the light Of the fast sinking sun, and shout "To-night!""To-night!" their Chief re-echoes in a voice Of fiend-like mockery that bids hell rejoice. Deluded victims !-never hath this earth Seen mourning half so mournful as their mirth. Here, to the few, whose iron frames had stood This racking waste of famine and of blood, Faint, dying wretches clung, from whom the shout Of triumph like a maniac's laugh broke out :There, others, lighted by the smould❜ring fire, Danc'd like wan ghosts about a funeral pyre, Among the dead and dying, strew'd around ;While some pale wretch look'd on, and from his wound Plucking the fiery dart by which he bled,

In ghastly transport wav'd it o'er his head!

'Twas more than midnight now-a fearful pause
Had follow'd the long shouts, the wild applause,
That lately from those Royal Gardens burst,
Where the Veil'd demon held his feast accurst,
When ZELICA-alas, poor ruin'd heart,

In every horror doom'd to bear its part !—
Was bidden to the banquet by a slave,
Who, while his quivering lip the summons gave,
Grew black, as though the shadows of the grave
Compass'd him round, and, ere he could repeat
His message through, fell lifeless at her feet!
Shuddering she went-a soul-felt pang of fear,
A presage that her own dark doom was near,
Rous'd every feeling, and brought Reason back
Once more, to writhe her last upon the rack.
All round seem'd tranquil-even the foe had ceas'd,
As if aware of that demoniac feast,

His fiery bolts; and though the heavens look'd red,
"Twas but some distant conflagration's spread.
But hark-she stops--she listens-dreadful tone,
"Tis her Tormentor's laugh-and now, a groan,
A long death-groan comes with it :-can this be
The place of mirth, the bower of revelry?
She enters-Holy ALLA, what a sight
Was there before her! By the glimmering light
Of the pale dawn, mix'd with the flare of brands
That round lay burning, dropp'd from lifeless hands,
She saw the board, in splendid mockery spread,
Rich censers breathing-garlands overhead—
The urns, the cups, from which they late had quaff'd,
All gold and gems, but-what had been the draught?
Oh! who need ask, that saw those livid guests,