A poem on the earthquake at Lisbon — Context and Discussion

Calm was the Sky, the Sun serenely bright, Shot o’er the Sea long dazzling Streams of Light. Thro’ Orange Groves soft breathing Breezes play’d, And gather’d Sweets like Bees where e’er they stray’d. In fair Relievo stood the lofty Town, 5 Set off by radiant Lights and Shadows brown; While ev’ry Dome, each Cupola and Spire, Shone doubly gilt by the Sun’s lambent Fire. And where beneath, the Silver _Tagus_ flow’d, In many a stately Row tall Vessels rode; 10 So smooth it flow’d that all the various View, Reflected there, was downward seen anew, And as it softly stole along the Plain, Carry’d a floating Landskip to the Main.

Within the Town gay Crowds were seen to stray, 15 While full Processions grac’d the festive Day. Mechanicks by their honest Labour fed, With chearful Visage earn’d their daily Bread; Misers were counting o’er their ill-got Store, But not contented meditating more. 20 Spendthrifts were just awak’d from Golden Dreams; Projectors were inventing Lottery Schemes; Merchants were storing Goods from _India_ brought; Clients were selling Lands which Lawyers bought. Behold a Youth, and sitting by his Side, 25 A Damsel new-betroth’d, his destin’d Bride; Around them throngs a Train of Virgins gay, Preparing Garments for the Marriage-day. Alas!--And now rings out the Matin Bell, The pious Matron issuing from her Cell, 30 Inspir’d by true Devotion joins the Crowd, And aw’d with Reverence seeks the House of God; There humbly prostrate kneels upon the Ground-- Happy the Few that watching so are sound!

Ill-fated City! there were Revels kept, 35 Devoid of Fear, they eat, they drank, they sleep’d. No friendly Voice like that of antient _Rome_, Was sent to give them Warning of their Doom: No Airy Warriours to each other clung, Such as ’tis said o’er destin’d _Sion_ hung; 40 But like a nightly Thief their dreadful Fate, Unlook’d for came and undermin’d their State.

For with a sudden Shock the solid Ground, In dreadful Waves came rolling all around; Not those rough Seas beneath the frozen Pole, 45 Impell’d by Winds, more furious Billows roll. Earth’s Womb was heard to groan with hollow Roar, The Dwellings trembled--but Men trembled more. Aghast they reel like Drunkards here and there, And all distracted fly they know not where. 50 Destruction drives them from their dear Abodes, And where their Safety was, fell Ruin nodds. Husbands are here seen pressing thro’ the Throng, Nor know they drag their clinging Wives along. Coy Virgins of their Lovers once afraid, 55 Now hang on Strangers Necks and court their Aid. And there a ghastly Group of Women see! A Picture of the Ghosts they soon must be, Wringing their Hands, sad solemn Silence keep, While Infants wonder why their Mothers weep. 60

And now a Moment’s Pause, Fate’s Heralds lend, A dreadful Pause like that when Time shall end.

Lo what a sudden Change! On Ruin’s Brink, The Proud turn humble, and the Thoughtless think. 65 Dark gloomy Sadness overclouds the Gay, And Hypocrites for once sincerely pray. In their own proper Shapes now Crimes appear, For Danger touching like _Ithuriel_’s Spear, Does by its Power the fatal Magic end; 70 Down falls the Vizor, and upstarts the Fiend! Atheists no longer can themselves deceive, And now too late they tremble and believe. But the good Man looks boldly on his Fate, Alone unshaken in a shaking State. 75 Again the Storm with double Fury rolls, And from the dreadful Deeps the Tempest howls. With thicker Throws now groans the lab’ring Earth, The sure Fore-runners of the fatal Birth. 80 The City loosen’d with repeated Shocks, Now to and fro from her Foundations rocks. Amaz’d, confounded, of all Sense bereft, The shipwreck’d Souls behold their Vessels cleft. Down from on high the shatter’d Tacklings rush, 85 And big with rattling Ruin Thousands crush. There gapes the vast Abyss with hideous Roar, And in its Entrails swallows Thousands more. Where should they run for Help? the gushing Tide Breaks in above, below, on every Side: 90 From Danger unto Danger they retreat, And while they shun one Death, another meet.

So Mariners, _Charybdis’_ Rock to shun, Have into _Sylla_’s Whirlpools headlong run. But they between those Rocks and Pools might steer; 95 Ten Thousand Rocks and Whirlpools threaten here.

For those that ’scap’d the Caverns gaping wide, In endless Night the falling Ruins hide; And those the Ruins had denied a Tomb, The Fires on Funeral Piles alive consume. 100

Lo! where the Gulphs wide yawning round the Town, In swiftest Eddies drink the River down, With it the Navy down impetuous flies, And to the Centre a new Passage tries.