"Its rage, though terrible, may soon subside, "Nor into mountains lash th' unruly Tide:

"These leaks shall then decrease—the sails once

"more

"Direct our course to some relieving Shore."

Thus while he spoke, around from man to man
At either Pump a hollow murmur ran:
For while the Vessel through unnumbered chinks,
Above, below, th' invading water drinks,
Sounding her depth they eyed the wetted scale,
And lo! the Leaks o'er all their powers prevail:
Yet at their post, by terrors unsubdued,
They with redoubling force their task pursued.

And now the senior Pilots seemed to wait
ARION's voice, to close the dark debate;
Not o'er his vernal life the ripening Sun
Had yet progressive twice ten Summers run:
Slow to debate, yet eager to excel,

In thy sad school, stern NEPTUNE! taught too well:
With lasting pain to rend his youthful heart,
Dire Fate in venom dipt her keenest dart;
Till his firm Spirit, tempered long to ill,
Forgot her persecuting scourge to feel:

But now the Horrors that around him roll,
Thus roused to action his rekindling Soul:

"Can we, delayed in this tremendous Tide,
"A moment pause what purpose to decide;
"Alas! from circling Horrors thus combined,
"One method of relief alone we find:

"Thus water-logged, thus helpless to remain "Amid this hollow, how ill judged! how vain! "Our sea-breacht Vessel can no longer bear "The floods, that o'er her burst in dread career; "The labouring Hull already seems half filled "With water through an hundred Leaks distilled; "Thus drenched by every Wave, her riven deck

Stript, and defenceless, floats a naked Wreck; "At every pitch th' o'erwhelming billows bend "Beneath their load the quivering Bowsprit's end; "A fearful warning! since the Masts on high "On that support with trembling hope rely; "At either Pump our Seamen pant for breath, "In dire dismay, anticipating Death;

"Still all our powers th' increasing Leaks defy, "We sink at sea, no shore, no haven nigh:

"One dawn of hope yet breaks athwart the gloom "To light and save us from a watery tomb,

"That bids us shun the death impending here, "Fly from the following blast, and shoreward steer. ""Tis urged indeed, the fury of the Gale "Precludes the help of every guiding sail; "And, driven before it on the watery waste, "To rocky shores and scenes of death we haste; "But haply FALCONERA We may shun,

"And long to Grecian coasts is yet the run: "Less harassed then, our scudding Ship may bear "Th' assaulting Surge repelled upon her rear, "And since as soon that Tempest may decay "When steering shoreward,-wherefore thus delay? "Should we at last be driven by dire decree "Too near the fatal margin of the Sea, "The Hull dismasted there awhile may ride "With lengthened cables, on the raging tide; "Perhaps kind Heaven, with interposing power,

May curb the Tempest ere that dreadful hour; "But here ingulfed and foundering, while we stay "Fate hovers o'er and marks us for her prey."

He said: PALEMON saw with grief of heart
The Storm prevailing o'er the Pilot's art;
In silent terror and distress involved,
He heard their last alternative resolved:
High beat his bosom-with such fear subdued,
Beneath the gloom of some enchanted wood,
Oft in old time the wandering Swain explored
The midnight Wizards, breathing rites abhorred;
Trembling approached their incantations fell,

And chilled with horror heard the Songs of hell.
ARION Saw, with secret anguish moved,
The deep affliction of the friend he loved,
And all awake to Friendship's genial heat
His bosom felt consenting tremors beat:
Alas! no season this for tender love,

Far hence the music of the myrtle grove-
He tried with soft persuasion's melting lore
PALEMON's fainting Courage to restore;

His wounded Spirit healed with friendship's balm,
And bade each conflict of the Mind be calm.

Now had the Pilots all th' events revolved

And on their final refuge thus resolved

When, like the faithful Shepherd, who beholds
Some prowling Wolf approach his fleecy folds,
To the brave Crew, whom racking doubts perplex,
The dreadful purpose ALBERT thus directs:

"Unhappy partners in a wayward fate!

"Whose courage now is known perhaps too late; "Ye! who unmoved behold this angry Storm "In conflict all the rolling Deep deform, "Who, patient in Adversity, still bear

"The firmest front when greatest ills are near; "The truth, though painful, I must now reveal,

"That long in vain I purposed to conceal :

66

Ingulfed, all help of art we vainly try

"To weather leeward Shores, alas! too nigh: "Our crazy Bark no longer can abide

"The Seas, that thunder o'er her battered side; "And, while the leaks a fatal warning give

"That in this raging Sea she cannot live,

"One only refuge from despair we find―

"At once to wear and scud before the wind:

Perhaps e'en then to ruin we may steer,

"For rocky Shores beneath our lee appear;

"But that's remote, and instant Death is here: