The central gazette. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1820-1827, 1825-08-27

DARKNESS my LoRp nyno,

had dream, which not all a dream
The bright cx,ingutsh'd. and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space,
Ntyiess, aud painless, and the icy earth
Swung blind and black enng the moonlcss air:
Aiorn came, and went-and came, and brought 10
day,
And they live by watchfircs-and the thrones
The palaces of crowned kings-thc huts
The habtatons of all things which dwell,
Were burnt for bcacons cities were consumed
And mcn were gathcr'd round their bla z inr homes
10 look once more into each others face
Happy were those who dwct within the eye
VI the volcanoes. and their mourtaintorch;
a 'earful hope was all tho world CONTAINED:
Forests were set on fire-but hour by hour
,Ihcy Tell and faded and the crack killing trunks
E.xtinguish'd with crash and all was black
l The brows OF men by the desPairing light
Wore an uncarthiy aspect, as by fits
The flashes fell upon them some lay down
, And hid their eyes and wept and some did rest
Their ehins upon their clenched hands and smil'd
And others hurred to and FRO and ted
Their funeral piles with fuel, and look d M
With mad disquietude the dull skv
Ihe Pal OF past world, aud then again
NJth, curses cast them down upon the dust.
AM snash'd thei' teeth aud howl'd the wild birds
&f ~ shiick'd,
And, Terrified, did hutter on the ground,
And Has their useless wings the widest brutcs
Came tame and tIemulous and vipers crawpd
And twncd themselves among the multitude,
Hi'smg, but sting lcss-they we're slain for food
And War, which for Il moment no more
= Did slut himself again; meal was bought
Wit" blood, and each safe sulenIy apart
Gorgin2 him ,elf in gloom II love was left
All ea,th was bot one thought and that was death
lmmedatc aud ing lorious; and the pang
Oi famine fed upon all ent, ails--mcn
Died, ana their bones were tombess their flesh:
The meagrc by the measrc were devour'G,
Even dogs assaid their masters, all save one,
And he was faithful to corse. and kept
The birds and beasts and famiSh d men a bav,
III hunger chung them, or the dropping dead
IIurcd their ank avs himself sou: ht out food
But with piteous and perpetual moan
And quick de- olate cry, licking the hand
Which answered not with he died
The crowd was famish'd by degrees ; but two
Ol an enormous city did survive,
And they were enemies they met beside
The dying cnbers OF an altar place
Where had been heap'd mass OF holy things
For an unholy usage; they raked up,
And shiyrinS scraPed with their cold skeleton
hands
The feeble ashes and their feeble breath
Blew for a little lie, and make fame
Which was mockery then they lifted up
Their eyes as it grew lighter, and behcld
Each others aspcctssaw and Shrek d, and died
Even OF their mutual hideousness they died.,
Enknowing who he upon whose brow
FAMINE had written Fiend. The world was void,
The popuious and powerful was lump,
Seasonless, herbless, treeless, manless, liteless
lump oil dcath-a chaos OF hard clay,
The rivers lakes and ocean all stood STILL
And nothing stirred within their silent depths;
Ships sailorless lay rottng the sea,
And their masts fell down pcaccmeal; ashley droPpd
The dead the tides in their
grave,
The moon their mistress had expired before;
The winds whcrd in the stagnant air,
And The clouds pcrish'd Darkness had Rced
Oh all from them-Shc was the universe.