University of Virginia Library

Horror my trembling Soul invades, some great
Pernicious Mischief present Ill does threat.
How vast a Rage her swelling Grief dilates!
Its own Incendiary! Integrates
Her lapsed Powers! with Fury oft possest
I've seen her charge the Gods, attempt to wrest
Heav'n with her Charms: some more prodigious Act
Than these yet works she; for as hence she packt
With frighted Steps, and her dire Conclave enter'd,
Forth all her Spells she pours, and what t've ventur'd
On, her self long fear'd, there broaches, a whole Hell
Of Ills let loose, close kept in that dark Cell.
And whilst she with sinister Hand, prepares
Th'infaustous Work, sh' invokes with Magick Pray'rs
Whatever Poisons Libya's scalding Sands
Create; what Taurus (where cold Winter stands
Cloath'd with perpetual Snow,) in's frozen Veins
Congeals; and every Monster. At whose strains
Crawl scaly Multitudes from under-ground,
And as officious Agents wait her round.
Thither an aged Serpent trails along
His o'ergrown Bulk, and darts his forked Tongue;
Seeking on whom t'inflict a Death; at sound
Of her dire Charms, his pois'nous Length in round
And complicated Orbs he folds; she cries
Poor are the Ills, and base the Weapons rise
From this low Earth; I'll from the Heav'ns fetch down
Poisons to serve my turn; this instant crown
With Ills worthy thy self; Now, now's the time
Something to act above a vulgar Crime.
Hither descend the Snake that seems to lie
Like a huge Torrent rolling cross the Skie,
In whose immense Folds either Bear is ty'd,
The great th'Achaians, th'less Sidonians guide.
His griping Hands let Ophiuchus loose,
And the squeez'd Venom of his Snake infuse.
Hither repair, drawn by these Charms of ours,
Python that durst assail two Heav'nly Pow'rs.
Hydra, with all the Serpents were subdu'd
By Hercules, in their own Death renew'd.
And thou the Colchians wakeful Spy, whose Eyes
In drowzy Sleep our Spells did first surprize.

Then (having call'd of Serpents all the kinds,)
Sh' in one mass all pernicious Simples binds.
Whatever on impervious Eryx grows,
What Caucasus, (where sit continual Snows)
Stain'd with Promethean Blood, brings forth; whate'er
The Warlike Medes in charged Quivers bear.
What flying Parthians use; with what the Points
Of his keen Shafts the wealthy Arab 'noints.
Those Juices which the noble Sweves inclin'd
Near the cold North, in Groves Hercynian find.
Whate'er the Earth i'th' procreating Spring
Begets, or in the Winter forth doth bring,
When rigid Cold in Ice hath all things bound,
And Forests of their Summer's Pride uncrown'd.
Those Herbs that bloom with a pestiferous Flow'r
She culls, the Juice indu'd with baneful pow'r
From Roots distorted wrings. From Pindus some,
Some Drugs from high Æmonian Athos come.
These tender Sprigs as on Pangæus top
They grew, did her blood-canker'd Sickle crop.
These Tygris nourish'd, whose swift Streams oppress
His gulphy Channel; these Danubius; these
The sam'd Hydaspes, whose warm Current laves
Dry India's Sands with Gem-inriched Waves.
And Bætis, whence its Land a name did get,
Whose languid Streams 'gainst Seas Hesperian beat.
These felt the Edge of Knife at birth of Day,
In dead of drowzy Night; this slender Spray
Was from his Stalk cut down. This ripen'd Blade
She did with her charm-tainted Nail invade.
The deadly Weeds she takes, and forth doth squeeze
Her Serpents putrid Venom, and with these
She mixes Birds of inauspicious flight,
The Heart o'th' solitary Owl; th'hoarse Night-
Ravens Entrails whilst alive exsected.
These the pernicious Artist, thus selected,
In parcels puts; Flames rav'nous Force these hold,
Those th'Icy Chilness of benumming Cold.
Words to her Poisons adds, of no less dread
Than Poisons are. See! she begins to tread
Her frantick Dance, her Rites infernal makes;
Now charms; the World at her first Accents quakes.