Dies
Novissima
:
OR
,
THE
LAST
EPIPHANY
.
A
Pindarick
Ode
,
on
Christ's
Second
Appearance
to
Judge
the
World
.
I.
Adieu
,
ye
toyish
Reeds
,
that
once
could
please
My
softer
Lips
,
and
lull
my
Cares
to
Ease
;
Be
gone
;
I'll
waste
no
more
vain
Hours
with
you
,
And
smiling
Sylvia
too
,
Adieu
,
A
brighter
Pow'r
invokes
my
Muse
,
And
loftier
Thoughts
,
and
Raptures
,
does
infuse
,
See
!
beck'ning
from
yon
Cloud
,
He
stands
,
And
promises
Assistance
with
his
Hands
,
I
feel
the
heavy
rolling
God
,
Incumbent
,
revel
in
his
frail
Abode
,
How
my
Breast
heaves
,
and
Pulses
beat
!
I
sink
,
I
sink
,
beneath
the
furious
Heat
,
The
weighty
Bliss
o'erwhelms
my
Breast
,
And
over-flowing
Joys
profusely
waste
;
Some
nobler
Bard
,
O
Sacred
Pow'r
,
inspire
,
Or
Soul
more
large
,
th'
Elapses
to
receive
,
And
,
brighter
yet
,
to
catch
the
Fire
,
And
each
gay
following
Charm
,
from
Death
,
to
save
,
—
In
vain
the
Suit
—
the
God
inflames
my
Breast
,
I
rave
,
with
Extasies
opprest
,
I
rise
,
the
Mountains
lessen
,
and
retire
,
And
now
I
mix
,
unsing'd
,
with
Elemental
Fire
,
The
leading
Deity
,
I
have
in
view
,
Nor
Mortal
knows
as
yet
,
what
Wonders
will
ensue
;
II
.
We
pass'd
thro'
Regions
of
unsully'd
Light
,
I
gaz'd
,
and
sicken'd
at
the
blissful
Sight
,
A
shudd'ring
Paleness
seiz'd
my
Look
,
At
last
the
Pest
Flew
off
,
and
thus
I
spoke
;
"
Say
,
Sacred
Guide
,
shall
this
bright
Clime
"
Survive
the
fatal
Test
of
Time
,
"
Or
perish
,
with
our
Mortal
Globe
below
,
"
When
yon
Sun
no
longer
shines
?
Straight
I
finisht
,
—
veiling
low
;
The
Visionary
Pow'r
rejoins
,
"
'Tis
not
for
you
,
to
ask
,
nor
mine
,
to
say
,
"
The
Niceties
of
that
tremendous
Day
,
"
Know
,
when
o'erjaded
time
his
Rounds
has
run
,
"
And
finish'd
are
the
radiant
Journeys
of
the
Sun
,
"
The
great
Decisive
Morn
shall
rise
,
"
And
Heaven's
Bright
Judge
appear
in
opening
Skies
,
"
Eternal
Grace
,
and
Justice
,
He'll
bestow
"
On
all
the
trembling
World
below
;
III
.
He
said
;
I
mus'd
,
and
thus
return'd
,
What
Ensigns
,
courteous
Stranger
,
tell
,
Shall
the
brooding
Day
reveal
?
He
answer'd
mild
—
"
Already
,
stupid
with
their
Crimes
,
"
Blind
Mortals
,
prostrate
to
their
Idols
,
lie
,
"
Such
were
the
boding
times
,
"
E'er
Ruin
blasted
from
the
Sluicy
Sky
,
"
Dissolv'd
they
lay
,
in
fulsom
Ease
,
"
And
revell'd
in
luxuriant
Peace
,
"
In
Bacchanals
,
they
did
their
Hours
consume
,
"
And
Bacchanals
led
on
,
their
swift
,
advancing
Doom
;
IV
.
Adult'rate
Christs
already
rise
,
And
dare
to
'swage
the
angry
Skies
,
Erratick
throngs
,
their
Saviour's
Blood
deny
,
And
from
the
Cross
,
alas
!
He
does
neglected
sigh
,
The
Anti-Christian
Pow'r
has
rais'd
his
Hydra-Head
,
And
Ruin
,
only
less
than
Jesus
,
Health
,
does
spread
,
So
long
the
Gore
thro'
poison'd
Veins
has
Flow'd
,
That
scarcely
ranker
is
a
Fury's
Blood
,
Yet
specious
Artifice
,
and
fair
Disguise
,
The
Monster's
Shape
,
and
curst
Designs
,
belies
,
A
Fiend's
black
Venom
,
in
an
Angel's
Mien
,
He
quaffs
,
and
scatters
the
contagious
Spleen
,
Straight
,
when
He
finishes
his
lawless
Reign
,
Nature
shall
paint
the
shining
Scene
,
Quick
,
as
the
Light'ning
,
which
inspires
the
Train
;
V.
Forward
Confusion
shall
provoke
the
Fray
.
And
Nature
,
from
her
antient
Order
,
stray
,
Black
tempests
,
gath'ring
from
the
Seas
around
,
In
horrid
Ranges
shall
advance
,
And
as
they
march
,
in
thickest
Sables
drown'd
,
The
Rival
Thunder
from
the
Clouds
shall
sound
,
And
Light'nings
join
the
fearful
Dance
,
The
blust'ring
Armies
o'er
the
Skies
shall
spread
,
And
universal
terror
shed
,
Loud
issuing
Peals
,
and
rising
Sheets
of
Smoke
.
Th'
encumber'd
Region
of
the
Air
shall
choke
,
The
noisy
Main
shall
lave
the
suff'ring
Shore
,
And
from
the
Rocks
the
breaking
Billows
roar
,
Black
Thunder
bursts
,
blue
Light'ning
burns
,
And
melting
Worlds
to
Heaps
of
Ashes
turns
,
The
Forests
shall
beneath
the
Tempest
bend
,
And
rugged
Winds
the
nodding
Cedars
rend
;
VI
.
Reverse
,
all
Nature's
Webb
shall
run
,
And
spotless
Misrule
all
around
,
Order
,
its
flying
Foe
,
confound
,
Whilst
backward
all
the
threads
shall
haste
to
be
unspun
,
Triumphant
Chaos
,
with
his
oblique
Wand
,
(
The
Wand
,
with
which
,
e'er
time
begun
,
His
wand'ring
Slaves
he
did
command
,
And
made
'em
scamper
right
,
and
in
rude
Ranges
run
.
)
The
hostile
Harmony
,
shall
chace
,
And
as
the
Nymph
resigns
her
place
,
And
panting
to
the
neighb'ring
Refuge
,
flies
,
The
formless
Russian
slaughters
with
his
Eyes
,
And
following
,
storms
the
perching
Dame's
Retreat
,
Adding
the
terror
of
his
threat
;
The
Globe
shall
faintly
tremble
round
,
And
backward
jolt
,
distorted
with
the
wound
;
VII
.
Swath'd
in
substantial
Shrowds
of
Night
,
The
sick'ning
Sun
,
shall
from
the
World
retire
,
Stript
of
his
dazling
Robes
of
Fire
,
Which
dangling
once
shed
round
a
lavish
Flood
of
Light
No
frail
Eclipse
,
but
all
Essential
Shade
,
Not
yielding
to
Primæval
Gloom
,
Whilst
Day
was
yet
an
Embryo
in
the
Womb
,
Nor
glimmering
in
it's
Source
,
with
Silver
Streamers
play'd
.
A
Jetty
Mixture
of
the
Darkness
,
spread
O'er
murmuring
Ægypt's
Head
,
And
that
,
which
Angels
drew
O'er
Nature's
Face
,
when
Jesus
dy'd
,
Which
sleeping
Ghosts
for
this
mistook
,
And
rising
,
off
their
hanging
Funerals
,
shook
,
And
fleeting
pass'd
,
expos'd
their
bloodless
Breasts
to
View
,
Yet
find
it
not
so
dark
,
and
to
their
Dormitories
glide
.
VIII
.
Now
bolder
Fires
appear
,
And
o'er
the
palpable
Obscurement
sport
,
Glaring
and
gay
as
falling
Lucifer
,
Yet
mark'd
with
Fate
as
when
he
Fled
th'
Etherial
Court
;
And
plung'd
into
the
op'ning
Gulph
of
Night
;
A
Sabre
of
Immortal
Flame
I
bore
,
And
,
with
this
Arm
,
his
Flour'shing
Plume
I
tore
,
And
straight
the
Fiend
retreated
from
the
Fight
.
IX
.
Mean
time
the
lambent
Prodigies
on
high
,
Take
gamesome
Measures
in
the
Sky
,
Joy'd
with
his
future
Feast
,
the
Thunder
roars
In
Chorus
to
th'
enormous
Harmony
;
And
hollows
to
his
Off-spring
from
sulphurious
Stores
,
Applauding
how
they
tilt
,
and
how
they
fly
,
And
their
each
nimble
Turn
,
and
radiant
Embassy
.
X.
The
Moon
turns
paler
at
the
sight
,
And
all
the
blazing
Orbs
deny
their
Light
;
The
Light'ning
,
with
its
livid
Tail
,
A
Train
of
glitt'ring
Terrors
,
draws
behind
,
Which
o'er
the
trembling
World
prevail
,
Wing'd
,
and
blown
on
,
by
Storms
of
Wind
,
They
shew
the
hideous
Leaps
on
either
Hand
Of
Night
,
that
spreads
her
Ebon
Curtains
round
,
And
there
erects
her
royal
Stand
,
In
seven-fold
winding
Jett
,
her
conscious
temples
bound
.
XI
.
The
Stars
,
next
,
starting
from
their
Sphere
,
In
giddy
Revolutions
leap
and
bound
,
Whilst
This
with
double
Fury
glares
,
And
meditates
new
Wars
,
And
wheels
in
sportive
Gyres
around
,
It's
Neighbour
shall
advance
to
fight
,
And
while
each
offers
to
enlarge
its
Right
,
The
general
Ruin
shall
increase
,
And
banish
all
the
Votaries
of
Peace
;
No
more
the
Stars
,
with
paler
Beams
,
Shall
tremble
o'er
the
Midnight
Streams
,
But
travel
downward
to
behold
,
What
mimicks
'em
,
so
twink'ling
There
,
And
,
like
Narcissus
,
as
they
gain
more
near
,
For
the
lov'd
Image
,
straight
expire
,
And
agonize
in
warm
Desire
,
Or
slake
their
Lust
,
as
in
the
Stream
they
roll
;
XII
.
Whilst
the
World
burns
,
and
all
the
Orbs
below
,
In
their
viperous
Ruins
glow
,
They
sink
,
and
unsupported
leave
the
Skies
,
Which
fall
abrupt
,
and
tell
their
torment
in
the
Noise
,
Then
see
th'
Almighty
Judge
,
sedate
,
and
bright
,
Cloath'd
in
Imperial
Robes
of
Light
,
His
Wings
the
Winds
,
rough
Storms
the
Chariot
bear
,
And
nimbler
Harbingers
before
him
Fly
,
And
with
officious
Rudeness
brush
the
Air
,
Halt
as
he
halts
,
then
doubling
in
their
Flight
,
In
horrid
Sport
,
with
one
another
vie
,
And
leave
behind
quick-winding
tracts
of
Light
;
Then
urging
,
to
their
Ranks
they
close
,
And
shiv'ring
lest
they
start
,
a
Sailing
Caravan
compose
.
XIII
.
The
mighty
Judge
rides
in
tempestuous
State
,
Whilst
menial
Guards
of
Flame
his
Orders
wait
,
His
waving
Vestments
shine
,
Bright
as
the
Sun
,
which
lately
did
its
Beams
resign
,
And
burnish'd
Wreaths
of
Light
shall
make
his
Form
Divine
,
Strong
Beams
of
Majesty
around
his
temples
play
,
And
the
transcendent
Gaity
of
his
Face
allay
,
His
Father's
reverend
Characters
he'll
wear
,
And
both
o'erwhelm
with
Light
,
and
over
awe
with
Fear
;
Myriads
of
Angels
shall
be
there
,
And
I
,
perhaps
,
close
the
tremendous
Rear
;
Angels
,
the
first
and
fairest
Sons
of
Day
,
Clad
with
eternal
Youth
,
and
,
as
their
Vestments
,
gay
;
XIV
.
Nor
,
for
Magnificence
alone
,
To
brighten
and
enlarge
the
Pageant
Scene
,
Shall
we
encircle
his
more
dazling
throne
,
And
swell
the
Lustre
of
his
pompous
train
,
The
nimble
Ministers
of
Bliss
or
Woe
,
We
shall
attend
,
and
save
,
or
deal
the
Blow
,
As
He
admits
to
Joy
,
or
bids
to
Pain
.
XV.
The
welcome
News
,
Thro'
ev'ry
Angel's
Breast
,
fresh
Raptures
shall
diffuse
,
The
Day
is
come
,
When
Satan
,
with
his
Pow'rs
,
shall
sink
to
endless
Doom
,
No
more
shall
we
his
hostile
troops
pursue
,
From
Cloud
to
Cloud
,
nor
the
long
Fight
renew
;
XVI
.
Then
Raphael
,
big
with
Life
,
the
Trump
shall
sound
;
From
falling
Spheres
,
the
joyful
Musick
shall
rebound
,
And
Seas
and
Shores
shall
catch
,
and
propagate
it
round
,
Louder
he'll
blow
,
and
it
shall
speak
more
shrill
,
Than
when
,
from
Sinai's
Hill
,
In
Thunder
,
thro'
the
horrid
redd'ning
Smoke
,
Th'
Almighty
spoke
;
We'll
shout
around
with
Martial
Joy
And
thrice
the
vaulted
Skies
shall
rend
,
and
thrice
our
Shouts
reply
,
Then
first
th'
Arch-Angel's
Voice
,
aloud
,
Shall
chearfully
salute
the
Day
,
and
Throng
,
And
Hallelujahs
fill
the
Crowd
,
And
I
,
perhaps
,
shall
close
the
Song
.
XVII
.
From
it's
long
Sleep
,
all
Human
Race
shall
rise
,
And
see
the
Morn
,
and
Judge
advancing
in
the
Skies
,
To
their
Old
Tenements
,
the
Souls
return
,
Whilst
down
the
Steep
of
Heav'n
,
as
swift
,
the
Judge
descends
,
These
look
illustrious
bright
,
no
more
to
mourn
,
Whilst
,
see
!
distracted
Looks
yon
stalking
Shade
attend
,
The
Saints
no
more
shall
conflict
on
the
Deep
,
Nor
rugged
Waves
insult
the
lab'ring
Ship
,
But
from
the
Wreck
in
Triumph
they
arise
,
And
borne
to
Bliss
,
shall
tread
Empyreal
Skies
.