The most in fields, like herded beasts, lie down, While by the motion of the flames they guess No thought can ease them but their Sovereign's care, Whose praise the' afflicted as their comfort sing: E'en those, whom want might drive to just despair, Think life's a blessing under such a King. Mean time be sadly suffers in their grief, How they may be supplied and he may want. * O God! (said he) thou patron of my days, 'Be thou my judge with what unwearied care And stop the issues of their wasting blood! Thou, who hast taught me to forgive the ill, And recompense, as friends, the good misled; If mercy be a precept of thy will, Return that mercy on thy servant's head. Or, if my heedless youth has stepp'd astray, Too soon forgetful of thy gracious hand; On me alone thy just displeasure lay, But take thy judgments from this mourning land. We all have sinn'd, and thou hast laid us low As humble earth, from whence at first we came : Like flying shades before the clouds we show, And shrink like parchment in consuming flame. O let it be enough what thou hast done [street, When spotted deaths ran arm'd through every With poison'd darts, which not the good could shun, The speedy could outfly, or valiant meet. The living few, and frequent funerals then, O pass not, Lord, an absolute decree, Thy threatenings, Lord, as thine, thou may'st re- Continue still thyself to give the stroke, [voke; The' Eternal heard, and from the heavenly choir The blessed minister his wings display'd, And, like a shooting star, he cleft the night: He charg'd the flames, and those that disobey'd He lash'd to duty with his sword of light. The fugitive flames, chastis'd, went forth to prey The wanting orphans saw, with watry eyes, Nor could thy fabric, Paul, defend thee long, And poets' songs the Theban walls could raise. The daring flames peep'd in, and saw from far Heav'n thought it fit to have it purg'd by fire. Now down the narrow streets it swiftly came, If only ruin must enlarge our way. And now four days the sun had seen our woes, Four nights the moon beheld the' incessant fire; It seem'd as if the stars more sickly rose, And farther from the feverish North retire. VOL. I. H In the' empyrean Heav'n, the bless'd abode, And an hush'd silence damps the tuneful sky. At length the' Almighty cast a pitying eye, An hollow crystal pyramid he takes, And hoods the flames that to their quarry strove. The vanquish'd fires withdraw from every place, Our King this more than natural change beholds; And thanks him low on his redeemed ground. As when sharp frosts had long constrain'd the earth, A kindly thaw unlocks it with cold rain; And first the tender blade peeps up to birth, By such degrees the spreading gladness grew |