196
COWLEY'S POEMS.
[B. I.
And, now it broke his form'd design, to find 125
The gentle change of Saul's recovering mind;
He trusted much in Saul, and rag'd and griev'd
(The great Deceiver!) to be himself deceiv'd.
Thrice did he knock his iron teeth, thrice howl,
And into frowns his wrathful forehead roll; 130
His eyes dart forth red flames, which scare the night,
And with worse fires the trembling ghosts affright;
A troop of ghastly fiends compass him round,
And greedily catch at his lips' fear'd sound.
"Are we such Nothings then!" said he, "our will 135
"Crost by a shepherd's boy! and you yet still
"Play with your idle serpents here? dares none
"Attempt what becomes Furies? are ye grown
"Benumb'd with fear, or Virtue's spiritless cold,
"You, who were once (I'm sure) so brave and bold?
"Oh! my ill-chang'd condition! oh, my fate!
"Did I lose heaven for this?"
With that, with his long tail he lash'd his breast,
And horribly spoke out in looks the rest.
The quaking powers of night stood in amaze, 145
And at each other first could only gaze;
A dreadful silence fill'd the hollow place,
Doubling the native terror of hell's face;
Rivers of flaming brimstone, which before
So loudly rag'd, crept softly by the shore; 150
No hiss of snakes, no clank of chains, was known,
The souls, amidst their tortures, durst not groan.
The gentle change of Saul's recovering mind;
He trusted much in Saul, and rag'd and griev'd
(The great Deceiver!) to be himself deceiv'd.
Thrice did he knock his iron teeth, thrice howl,
And into frowns his wrathful forehead roll; 130
His eyes dart forth red flames, which scare the night,
And with worse fires the trembling ghosts affright;
A troop of ghastly fiends compass him round,
And greedily catch at his lips' fear'd sound.
"Are we such Nothings then!" said he, "our will 135
"Crost by a shepherd's boy! and you yet still
"Play with your idle serpents here? dares none
"Attempt what becomes Furies? are ye grown
"Benumb'd with fear, or Virtue's spiritless cold,
"You, who were once (I'm sure) so brave and bold?
"Oh! my ill-chang'd condition! oh, my fate!
"Did I lose heaven for this?"
With that, with his long tail he lash'd his breast,
And horribly spoke out in looks the rest.
The quaking powers of night stood in amaze, 145
And at each other first could only gaze;
A dreadful silence fill'd the hollow place,
Doubling the native terror of hell's face;
Rivers of flaming brimstone, which before
So loudly rag'd, crept softly by the shore; 150
No hiss of snakes, no clank of chains, was known,
The souls, amidst their tortures, durst not groan.
