 | The battle of Niagara |  |
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The Thunderer's bolt—to lay him low,
Sent forth by heaven in wrath!
The lightning shaft, that fiercely thrown,
Hath brought the mountain spoiler down,
In ruins o'er his path!
Have mercy heaven!—his desperate course,
Is like the stormy torrent's force,
When forth from some high, cloudy steep,
In foaming light 'tis seen to leap:—
Now bursting on the eye!
Now flashing darkly on its way
And flinging now, its fiery spray—
In rainbows to the sky!
Thus—thus the ravisher went forth;
Like meteors o'er the cloudy north:
Thus—thus the desperate boy went down,
In splendour o'er the mountain's brown:
His vestment streaming far behind,
And glittering in the rushing wind:
His dancing plumage tipped with light,
Like eaglets in their loftiest flight—
As now he darted on the sight,
And met the sun's last rays:—
Now hidden in the forest shade—
Emerging now—and now betrayed
By plumes that in the sunset played;
And robe that seemed to blaze!
| The battle of Niagara | |