THE SEVENTH PLAGUE OF EGYPT. - Rev. George Croly

'T WAS morn,

-

the rising splendor rolled

On marble towers and roofs of gold:

Hall, court and gallery, below,
Were crowded with a living flow;
Egyptian, Arab, Nubian there,
The bearers of the bow and spear,
The hoary priest, the Chaldee sage,
The slave, the gemmed and glittering page -
Helm, turban and tiara, shone,

A dazzling ring, round Pharaoh's Throne.

There came a man, the human tide
Shrank backward from his stately stride:
His cheek with storm and time was tanned;
A shepherd's staff was in his hand.

A shudder of instinctive fear

Told the dark King what step was near;
On through the host the stranger came,
It parted round his form like flame.

He stooped not at the footstool stone,
He clasped not sandal, kissed not Throne;
Erect he stood amid the ring,

His only words, "Be just, O king!'
On Pharaoh's cheek the blood flushed high,
A fire was in his sullen eye;

Yet on the Chief of Israel

No arrow of his thousands fell:

All mute and moveless as the grave,

Stood chilled the satrap and the slave.

"Thou 'rt come," at length the Monarch spoke; Haughty and high the words outbroke:

"Is Israel weary of its lair,

The forehead peeled, the shoulder bare?
Take back the answer to your band;
Go, reap the wind; go, plough the sand;
Go, vilest of the living vile,
To build the never-ending pile,
Till, darkest of the nameless dead,
The vulture on their flesh is fed!
What better asks the howling slave
Than the base life our bounty gave?"

Shouted in pride the turbaned peers,
Upclashed to Heaven the golden spears.

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King! thou and thine are doomed!

- Behold

The prophet spoke, the thunder rolled!

Like a huge city's final smoke,

Thick, lurid, stifling, mixed with flame
Through court and hall the vapors came.
Loose as the stubble in the field,
Wide flew the men of spear and shield;
Scattered like foam along the wave,
Flew the proud pageant, prince and slave;
Or, in the chains of terror bound,

Lay, corpse-like, on the smouldering ground.
Speak, King! the wrath is but begun,

Still dumb? Then, Heaven, thy will be done

Echoed from earth a hollow roar,
Like ocean on the midnight shore;
A sheet of lightning o'er them wheeled,
The solid ground beneath them reeled;
In dust sank roof and battlement;
Like webs the giant walls were rent;
Red, broad, before his startled gaze,
The Monarch saw his Egypt blaze.

Still swelled the plague, the flame grew pala
Burst from the clouds the charge of hail;
With arrowy keenness, iron weight,
Down poured the ministers of fate;
Till man and cattle, crushed, congealed,
Covered with death the boundless field.

Still swelled the plague,
uprose the blast,
The avenger, fit to be the last;
On ocean, river, forest, vale,
Thundered at once the mighty gale.
Before the whirlwind flew the tree,
Beneath the whirlwind roared the sea;
A thousand ships were on the wave,
Where are they? ask that foaming grave!
Down go the hope, the pride of years;
Down go the myriad mariners;
The riches of Earth's richest zone,
Gone! like a flash of lightning, gone!
And, lo! that first fierce triumph o'er,
Swells Ocean on the shrinking shore.

B THREE DAYS IN THE LIFE OF COLUMBUS. — Original adaptation of a transietion from Delavigne.

On the deck stood Columbus; the ocean's expanse,

Untried and unlimited, swept by his glance.

"Back to Spain!" cry his men; "Put the vessel about!

We venture no further through danger and doubt.".

"Three days, and I give you a world!" he replied; "Bear up, my brave comrades;

three days shall decide."

He sails, but no token of land is in sight;

He sails, but the day shows no more than the night;
On, onward he sails, while in vain o'er the lee
The lead is plunged down through a fathomless sea.

The pilot, in silence, leans mournfully o'er
The rudder which creaks mid the billowy roar;
He hears the hoarse moan of the spray-driving blast,
And its funeral wail through the shrouds of the mast.
The stars of far Europe have sunk from the skies,
And the great Southern Cross meets his terrified eyes;
But, at length, the slow dawn, softly streaking the night,
Illumes the blue vault with its faint crimson light.
"Columbus! 't is day, and the darkness is o'er."
Day! and what dost thou see?"

-

"Sky and ocean. No more!"

The second day's past, and Columbus is sleeping,

While Mutiny near him its vigil is keeping:

"Shall he perish?"-"Ay! death!" is the barbarous cry
"He must triumph to-morrow, or, perjured, must die!"
Ungrateful and blind!-shall the world-linking sea,
He traced for the Future, his sepulchre be?

Shall that sea, on the morrow, with pitiless waves,
Fling his corse on that shore which his patient eye craves
The corse of an humble adventurer, then;

One day later, Columbus, the first among men'

But, hush! he is dreaming! - A veil on the main.
At the distant horizon, is parted in twain,

And now, on his dreaming eye,

rapturous sight! Fresh bursts the New World from the darkness of night O, vision of glory! how dazzling it seems!

How glistens the verdure! how sparkle the streams!
How blue the far mountains! how glad the green isles!
And the earth and the ocean, how dimpled with smiles!
"Joy! joy!" cries Columbus, "this region is mine!" -
Ah! not e'en its name, wondrous dreamer, is thine!
But, lo! his dream changes; - a vision less bright
Comes to darken and banish that scene of delight.
The gold-secking Spaniards, a merciless band,
Assail the meek natives, and ravage the land.
He sees the fair palace, the temple on fire,

And the peaceful Cazique 'mid their ashes expire;
He sees, too, O, saddest! O, mournfullest sight!
The crucifix gleam in the thick of the fight.
More terrible far than the merciless steel
Is the up-lifted cross in the red hand of Zeal!
Again the dream changes. Columbus looks forth,
And a bright constellation beholds in the North.
Tis the herald of empire! A People appear,
Impatient of wrong, and unconscious of fear!
They level the forest, they ransack the seas,

Each zone finds their canvas unfurled to the breeze.
"Hold!" Tyranny cries; but their resolute breath
Sends back the reply, " Independence or death!"
The ploughshare they turn to a weapon of might,
And, defying all odds, they go forth to the fight.

They have conquered! The People, with grateful acclaim,
Look to Washington's guidance, from Washington's fame;
Behold Cincinnatus and Cato combined

In his patriot heart and republican mind.

O, type of true manhood! What sceptre or crown
But fades in the light of thy simple renown?
And lo! by the side of the Hero, a Sage,
In Freedom's behalf, sets his mark on the age;
Whom Science adoringly hails, while he wrings
The lightning from Heaven, the sceptre from kings!

At length, o'er Columbus slow consciousness breaks,
Land! land!" cry the sailors; “land! land!”
He runs,
yes! behold it! it blesseth his sight,
The land! O, dear spectacle! transport! delight!
O, generons sobs, which he cannot restrain!

What will Ferdinand say? and the Future? and Spain?

He will lay this fair land at the foot of the Throne,
His King will repay all the ills he has known,

In exchange for a world what are honors and gains?
Or a crown? But how is he rewarded? - with chains!

4. DESTRUCTION OF THE PHILISTINES.-Milton.

It has been said of the following passage, that "the poet seems to exert no less force of genius In describing, than Samson does strength of body in executing."

OCCASIONS drew me early to the city;

And, as the gates I entered with sunrise,
The morning trumpets festival proclaimed
Through each high street; little I had despatched,
When all abroad was rumored that this day

Samson should be brought forth, to show the People
Proof of his mighty strength in feats and games.
I sorrowed at his captive state, but minded
Not to be absent at that spectacle.

The building was a spacious theatre

Half round, on two main pillars vaulted high,
With seats where all the lords, and each degree
Of sort, might sit, in order to behold;

The other side was open, where the throng

On banks and scaffolds under sky might stand;

I among these aloof obscurely stood.

The feast and noon grew high, and sacrifice

Had filled their hearts with mirth, high cheer, and wine,

When to their sports they turned. Immediately

Was Samson as a public servant brought,

-

In their state livery clad; before him pipes,
And timbrels, - on each side went arméd guards,
Both horse and foot,- before him and behind,
Archers, and slingers, cataphracts* and spears.
At sight of him, the People with a shout.
Rifted the air, clamoring their god with praise,
Who had made their dreadful enemy their thrall.
He, patient, but undaunted, where they led him,
Came to the place; and what was set before him,
Which without help of eye might be essayed,
To heave, pull, draw or break, he still performed
All with incredible, stupendous force;
None daring to appear antagonist.
At length, for intermission sake, they led him
Between the pillars; he his guide requested
(For so from such as nearer stood we heard),
As over-tired, to let him lean a while
With both his arms on those two massy pillar

That is, men and horses in armor