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AS looked the traveller for the world below, | |
| The lively morning breeze began to blow, | |
| The magic curtain rolled in mists away, | |
| And a gay landscape laughed upon the day. | |
| As light the fleeting vapors upward glide, | 5 |
| Like sheeted spectres on the mountain side, | |
| New objects open to his wondering view | |
| Of various form, and combinations new, | |
| A rocky precipice, a waving wood, | |
| Deep winding dell, and foaming mountain flood, | 10 |
| Each after each, with coy and sweet delay, | |
| Broke on his sight, as at young dawn of day, | |
| Bounded afar by peak aspiring bold, | |
| Like giant capt with helm of burnished gold. * * * * * | |
| Now down the mountain’s rugged western side, | 15 |
| Descending slow, our lowly travellers hied, | |
| Deep in a narrow glen, within whose breast | |
| The rolling fragments of the mountain rest; | |
| Rocks tumbled on each other, by rude chance, | |
| Crowned with gay fern, and mosses, met the glance, | 20 |
| Through which a brawling river braved its way, | |
| Dashing among the rocks in foamy spray. | |
| Here, mid the fragments of a broken world, | |
| In wild and rough confusion idly hurled, | |
| Where ne’er was heard the woodman’s echoing stroke, | 25 |
| Rose a huge forest of gigantic oak; | |
| With heads that towered half up the mountain’s side, | |
| And arms extending round them far and wide, | |
| They looked coeval with old mother Earth, | |
| And seemed to claim with her an equal birth. * * * * * | 30 |
| The forest roared, the everlasting oak | |
| In writhing agonies the storm bespoke, | |
| The live leaves scattered wildly everywhere, | |
| Whirled round in maddening circles in the air, | |
| The stoutest limbs were scattered all around, | 35 |
| The stoutest trees a stouter master found, | |
| Crackling and crashing, down they thundering go, | |
| And seem to crush the shrinking rocks below: | |
| Then the thick rain in gathering torrents poured, | |
| Higher the river rose, and louder roared; | 40 |
| And on its dark, quick eddying surface bore | |
| The gathered spoils of Earth along its shore; | |
| While trees, that not an hour before had stood | |
| The lofty monarchs of the stately wood, | |
| Now whirling round and round with furious force, | 45 |
| Dash ’gainst the rocks that break the torrent’s force, | |
| And shiver, like a reed by urchin broke | |
| Through idle mischief, or with heedless stroke; | |
| A hundred cataracts, unknown before, | |
| Rush down the mountain’s side with fearful roar; | 50 |
| And as with foaming fury down they go, | |
| Loose the firm rocks and thunder them below, | |
| Blue lightnings from the dark cloud’s bosom sprung, | |
| Like serpents menacing with forked tongue, | |
| While many a sturdy oak that stiffly braved | 55 |
| The threatening hurricane that round it raved, | |
| Shivered beneath its bright resistless flash, | |
| Came tumbling down amain with fearful crash. | |
| Air, Earth, and Skies seemed now to try their power, | |
| And struggle for the mastery of the hour; | 60 |
| Higher the waters rose, and blacker still, | |
| And threatened soon the narrow vale to fill. | |
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