He looks impatient for the promis'd spears Of the wild Hordes and TARTAR mountaineers; They come not—while his fierce beleaguerers pour And horrible as new ;-javelins, that fly Enwreath'd with smoky flames through the dark sky, Looking, as through th' illumin'd night they go, Into the air, with blazing faggots tied To their huge wings, scattering combustion wide! 8 The Greek fire, which was occasionally lent by the Emperors to their allies. "It was," says Gibbon, " either launched in red-hot balls of stone and iron, or darted in arrows and javelins, twisted round with flax and tow, which had deeply imbibed the inflammable oil." 9" At the great festival of fire, called the Sheb Sezé, they used to set fire to large bunches of dry combustibles, fastened round wild beasts and birds, which being then let loose, the air and earth appeared one great illumination; and as these terrified creatures naturally fled to the wood for shelter, it is easy to conceive the conflagrations they produced."— Richardson's Dissertation. 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; - } MOKANNA sees the world is his no more; One sting at parting, and his grasp is o'er. "What! drooping now?"—thus, with unblushing cheek, 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 "Beneath this Veil, the flashing of whose lid "Millions of such as yonder Chief brings hither? 66 To-night-yes, sainted men! this very night, you all to a fair festal rite, "I bid "Where, having deep refresh'd each weary limb "With viands, such as feast Heav'n's cherubim, "And kindled up your souls, now sunk and dim, "With that pure wine the Dark-ey'd Maids above 66 Keep, seal'd with precious musk, for those they love,'— 1 "The righteous shall be given to drink of pure wine, sealed; the seal whereof shall be musk.”. Koran, chap. lxxxiii. "I will myself uncurtain in your sight Eager they listen - while each accent darts Seen mourning half so mournful as their mirth! Plucking the fiery dart by which he bled,. a fearful pause 'Twas more than midnight now alas, poor ruin'd heart, In every horror doom'd to bear its part!- A presage, 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! and now, a groan |