Page:The poetical works of William Blake; a new and verbatim text from the manuscript engraved and letterpress originals (1905).djvu/62

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
20
Poetical Sketches

And now the raging armies rush'd 69
Like warring mighty seas;
The Heav'ns are shook with roaring war,
The dust ascends the skies!

Earth smokes with blood, and groans and shakes 73
To drink her children's gore,
A sea of blood; nor can the eye
See to the trembling shore!

And on the verge of this wild sea 77
Famine and death doth cry;
The cries of women and of babes
Over the field doth fly.

The King is seen raging afar, 81
With all his men of might;
Like blazing comets scattering death
Thro' the red fev'rous night.

Beneath his arm like sheep they die, 85
And groan upon the plain;
The battle faints, and bloody men
Fight upon hills of slain.

Now death is sick, and riven men 89
Labour and toil for life;
Steed rolls on steed, and shield on shield,
Sunk in this sea of strife!

The god of war is drunk with blood; 93
The earth doth faint and fail;
The stench of blood makes sick the heav'ns;
Ghosts glut the throat of hell!

O what have Kings to answer for 97
Before that awful throne;
When thousand deaths for vengeance cry,
And ghosts accusing groan!

78, 80 doth] do WMR, EY.