Page:Betelguese, a trip through hell.djvu/39

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A TRIP THROUGH HELL
31

Where fiends in hissing Cesspoles burn

'Mid howls of pain from vassals flow

That rake each skull-blown vale and dell.


Where syrt sucks jargling javels mad,

And carcants cast a luring light

From mildewed screes and mounts that scyle

Veiled augueries of battling Hell,

A charnel shard assails the damn'd

Thro' vapours green and siffling night;

Monastic caverns rasp each isle;

A poisoned skink croaks from a well.

And mournfnl wraiths sob hard and loud,

A smotheréd sigh proclaims more woe,

The lounging imps grasp tomes of old

And rant therefrom each damn'd one's name.

And horrors, snarling at each crowd,

Assail each kingdom with its show:

A noctivagous dragon bold,

Hastes thro' the aisles of death and shame

And haunts the cajons of the dead.