POETRY. 951 



Three brothers murder'd, and a father's curse : 

 Go, rear the musnud o'er the gasping mound 

 Of trampled hosts, while India weeps around : 

 On Hindoo shrines thy bigot fury pour, 

 And quench the darts of sharp Remorse in gore. 



'Tis done. Lo Persecution lights from far 

 Her streaming fires, and terrors worse than war ; 

 Where mystic hymnings awed the midnight air, 

 Strange sounds, that breathe or that inflict despair. 

 Are heard. The despot, throned in blood, presides 

 O'er havock's work, and all the ruin guides. 

 As from the realms that own stern Yama's* sway, 

 Some fierce Asura rushes to the day ; 

 While swift his wheels divide the deeps on high, 

 The clouds, like wreaths of foam, around them fly : 

 Wide as he glares, his eyeballs scatter woe, 



And terror lightens from his clanging bow. 

 Alas ! how dark the baleful ruins spread ! 



What filial tears the sons of Science shed ! 



While in each bower the widow'd Arts repine, 



And Learning clasps her violated shrine. 



Sad on his staff, mid Casi's+ blasted scenes. 



Himself how fallen ! the aged Pandeet + leans, 



Exalts th* insulted Vedas § high in air, 



And prays, and pours his soul into the prayer : 



" Say why, Narayen, |1 while thy votary weeps, 



" Thus wrapt in dumb repose thy thunder sleeps . 



" Oh, where that arm, with countless trophies crown'd, 



" In heaven's dread lists o'er vanquish'd Gods renown'd : 



" Whose vengeance dash'd proud Rahu's f impious crest, 



" And tore, with lion ** fangs the tyrant breast?" 



In vain, O sage, thou weep'st thy country's fate : 



E'en now new woes her wasted plains await. 



'Tis ever thus, — one ravage urges more ; 



Warriors, like vultures, track the scent of gore. 



Still fight to fight, to battle battle leads, 

 Still conqueror to conqueror succeeds; 



* Yanw is the judge of Hell. The Asuras, or evil Genii, are under his donvnioa. 

 t cS is u n Jc of Benares, the principal seat ot Ilmcioo learnu.g. 



\^^^::;J^^'::s\^:lrz1^s:::^^^^ are supposed to h.ve 



'ri^:Z;^r^^:f^S^^^^ or ... HindooTnad, which is com- 

 PT'^^t":;rofth;lt^:nvho, in order .drink the .norce. or nectar, 

 n ^ imo.l the shape of a good Genius, but was slam by \ ishnu. 



•Alle Lrth descentof the Dcky incarnate, in Hindoo mythology, was m a . 

 form half lion, half mao, for the destruction of a tyrant rajali, 



3 P 4 ^Vhile 



