seven dry and dusty vales disclos'd.
Now Hebrus dries, and Strymon, Thracian floods:
And streams Hesperian, Rhine; and Rhone; and Po;
And Tiber, destin'd all the world to rule.
Asunder split the globe, and through the chinks
Darted the light to hell: the novel blaze,
Pluto and Proserpine with terror view'd.
The ocean shrinks;--a dry and scorching plain
Where late was sea appears. Hills lift their heads
Late by the deep waves hid, and countless seem
The scatter'd Cyclades. Deep crouch the fish;--
The crooked dolphins dare not leap aloft,
As, custom'd in the air; with breasts upturn'd
The gasping sea-calves float upon the waves:
Nereus, with Doris and her daughter-nymphs
Deep plung'd to seek their low, but tepid caves.
Thrice Neptune ventur'd to upraise his arms
Grim frowning,--thrice the flames too fierce he found,
And shrunk beneath the waters. Earth at length,
(By streams and founts encircled,--for her womb
Trembling they sought for refuge) rais'd on high
Her face omniferous, dry and parch'd with heat;
Her burning forehead shaded with her hand;
Shook all with tremor huge; then shrank for shade
Beneath, and gasping, thus to heaven she plain'd:

"Almighty lord! if such thy sovereign will,
"And I deserve it, why thy lightenings hold
"Thus idle? If by fire to perish doom'd,--
"Be it by thine,--an honorable fate!
"Scarce can my lips now utter forth my pains!--
Volumes of smoke oppress'd her--"See, my hair
"Sing'd with the flames! Behold my face,--my eyes,
"Scorch'd with hot embers! Is no better boon
"Due for the fruits I furnish? Such reward,
"Suits it my fertile crops? or cruel wounds
"Of harrow, rake, and plough, which through the year
"Enforc'd I suffer? For the herds I bring
"Green herbs and grass; bland aliments, ripe fruit
"For man; and incense for ye mighty gods:
"Faulty is this? But grant thy wrath deserv'd,
"How do the waves, thy brother's realm offend?
"Why does the main, to him by lot decreed,
"Shrink and retreat from heaven? Thy brother's weal,
"Say it concerns thee not, nor my distress;
"Care for thy own paternal heaven may move.
"Thine eyes cast round,--black smoke from either pole
"Mounts!--soon the greedy flames your halls will seize.
"Lo! Atlas labors;--scarcely he sustains
"The burning load. If earth and ocean flame,
"And heaven too perish, all to chaoes turn'd,
"Confounded we shall sink. Sn