33 



As every wind its liquid treasure brings, 



Large drops at first are shaken from its wings : 



Singly they fall, till roll'd upon the wind 



The clouds at once their wat'ry stores unbind, 



Ari^ pour them downward, in continuous flow, 



On the wide desolated plain below : 



Thus, when the beaten tambourines begin 



Before the onset their sonorous din. 



With the deliberate march, their solemn sound 



In unison its ardour seems to bound ; 



Till, as they close, discordant, long and loud. 



The martial music fires the fighting crowd. 



From the swoln clouds with like tempestuous wrath, 



The driving deluge swept the field of death ; 



While the deep thunder, from the Stygian womb 



Of darkness, roar'd, and thro' the parting gloom 



Fierce lightnings quick dispell'd the cloudy veil. 



By sweeping rain pursued, and sounding hail. 



With teri'or seiz'd the Araucanian crew 



Disperse, and all a different course pursue ; 



For still the loud aerial war increast, 



And struck cold terror in the boldest breast. 



The few Spaniards that escape take refuge in a neighbouring 

 fort ; which they abandon the following day on liearing the fate of 

 Valdivia. Lautaro returns, and receives new honours and new 

 forces from his General, to march against a Spanish army, which 

 departs from the city of Penco under the command of Villagran, 

 an experienced officer, to revenge the death of Valdivia. The de- 

 parture of the troops from Penco is described, and the distress of 

 the women. Villagran mai'chcs with expedition towards the fron- 

 tiers of Arauco. He arrives at a dangerous pass, and finds Lautaro, 

 with his army of 10,100 Indians, advantageously posted on the 

 heights, and waiting with great steadiness and discipline to give hini 

 battle. 



CANTO V. 



LAUTARO with great difficulty restrains the eager Indians i« 

 their post on the rock. He suffers a few to<iescend and skirmish on the 

 lower ground, where sevcx-al distinguish themselves i ; single com- 



VoL. IL j: 



