Now from the depth of hell they lift their fight, The lafhing billows make a loud report, With force augmented, bears against his prey. The planks (their pitchy cov'rings wafh'd away) Now yield; and now a yawning breach display: The roaring waters with a hoftile tide Rush through the ruins of her gaping fide. Meantime in fheets of rain the fky defcends, And ocean fwell'd with waters upwards tends; One rifing, falling one, the heav'ns and fea Meet at their confines, in the middle way: The fails are drunk with fhow'rs, and drop with rain, Sweet waters mingle with the briny main. No star appears to lend his friendly light; Darkness and tempeft make a double night; But flashing fires disclose the deep by turns, And while the lightnings blaze, the water burns. Now all the waves their scatter'd force unite; And as a foldier foremost in the fight, Makes way for others, and an hoft alone So while th' invading billows come a-breast, An univerfal cry refounds aloud, The failors run in heaps, a helpless crowd; And calls thofe happy whom their fun'rals wait. This wretch with pray'rs and vows the Gods implores, That other on his friends his thoughts beftows, All Ceyx his Alcyonè employs, For her he grieves, yet in her absence joys; } He He fought, but in the dark tempeftuous night The giddy fhip ran round; the tempest tore Her maft, and over-board the rudder bore. One billow mounts, and with a fcornful brow, Proud of her conquest gain'd, insults the waves below; Nor lighter falls, than if fome giant tore Pindus and Athos with the freight they bore, And tofs'd on feas; prefs'd with the pond'rous blow, Down finks the ship within the abyss below: Down with the veffel fink into the main The many, never more to rife again. Some few on scatter'd planks with fruitless care, Lay hold, and swim; but while they swim despair. Now grafps a floating fragment in his hand: Names as a charm against the waves and wind: From pray'rs to wishes he defcends at laft; That his dead body, wafted to the fands, As oft as he can catch a gulp of air, And peep above the feas, he names the fair : And ev'n when plung'd beneath, on her he raves, At last a falling billow stops his breath, Breaks o'er his head, and whelms him underneath. That night, his heav'nly form obscur'd with tears; Mean-time Alcyonè (his fate unknown) New-drefs'd to meet her Lord returning home, Flatt'ring her heart with joys, that never were to come: She fum'd the temples with an od❜rous flame, And oft before the facred altars came, Το pray for him, who was an empty name. } This laft petition heard of all her pray'r, But fhe, the goddess of the nuptial bed, To make her certain of the fad event. Indu'd with robes of various hue the flies, And flying draws an arch, (a fegment of the skies :) Then leaves her bending bow, and from the steep Defcends, to fearch the filent houfe of fleep. BAUCIS |