CXI. The eldest was a true and tameless Tartar, Who only saw the black-eyed girls in green, CXII. And what they pleased to do with the young khan CXIII. Your houris also have a natural pleasure In lopping off your lately married men, Before the bridal hours have danced their measure, To wish him back a bachelor now and then. CXIV. Thus the young khan, with houris in his sight, Thought not upon the charms of four young brides, But bravely rush'd on his first heavenly night. In short, howe'er our better faith derides, Whereas, if all be true we hear of heaven CXV. So fully flash'd the phantom on his eyes, On his soul, like a ceaseless sunrise, dart :- CXVI. But with a heavenly rapture on his face, The good old khan, who long had ceased to see Houris, or aught except his florid race Who grew like cedars round him gloriouslyWhen he beheld his latest hero grace The earth, which he became like a fell'd tree, CXVII. The soldiers, who beheld him drop his point, As he before had done. He did not heed CXVIII. But 'twas a transient tremor:—with a spring Against the light wherein she dies: he clung Unto the bayonets which had pierced his young; And throwing back a dim look on his sons, In one wide wound pour'd forth his soul at once. CXIX. 'Tis strange enough—the rough, tough soldiers, who Were melted for a moment; though no tear Flow'd from their bloodshot eyes, all red with strife, They honour'd such determined scorn of life. (1)" Ces cinq fils furent tous tués sous ces yeux: il ne cessa point de se battre, répondit par des coups de sabre aux propositions de se rendre, et ne fut atteint du coup mortel qu'après avoir abattu de sa main beaucoup de Kozaks des plus acharnés à sa prise; le reste de sa troupe fut massacré."-Hist. de la N. R. p. 215.] CXX. But the stone bastion still kept up its fire, At length he condescended to enquire If yet the city's rest were won or lost; And being told the latter, sent a bey To answer Ribas' summons to give way. (1) CXXI. In the mean time, cross-legg'd, with great sang-froid, Among the scorching ruins he sat smoking Tobacco on a little carpet;- Troy Saw nothing like the scene around; yet looking With martial stoicism, nought seem'd to annoy CXXII. The town was taken-whether he might yield Ismail's no more! The crescent's silver bow (1) [" Quoique les Russes fussent répandus dans la ville, le bastion de pierre résistait encore: il était défendu par un vieillard, pacha à trois queues, et commandant les forces réunies à Ismaël. On lui proposa une capitulation; il demanda si le reste de la ville était conquis; sur cette réponse, il autorisa quelques-uns de ces officiers à capituler avec M. de Ribas." Hist. de la N. R. p. 215.] (2) ["Pendant ce colloque, il resta étendu sur des tapis placés sur les ruines de la forteresse, fumant sa pipe avec la même tranquillité et la même indifférence que s'il eût été étranger à tout ce qui se passait." Ibid. p. 215.] Sunk, and the crimson cross glared o'er the field, CXXIII. All that the mind would shrink from of excesses; All that we read, hear, dream, of man's distresses; As hell -mere mortals who their (1) [No man could describe, nor, if it were possible, could humanity bear the recital of, the horrors which ensued. The ferocious victors, instead of being struck with admiration or respect by the noble defence of the brave garrison, were so enraged at the great slaughter of their fellows which had taken place, that no bounds could be prescribed to the excess of their fury, nor did it seem that any amount of destruction, or any quantity of human blood, could satiate their revenge. The undistinguished carnage which then took place was rendered more dreadful by the continual heavy firing, the darkness of the night, the groans of the dying, and the lamentable shrieks of the women and children. All order and command seem to have been entirely at an end during the horrors of that terrible night: the officers could neither restrain the slaughter, nor prevent the general plunder, made by the lawless and ferocious soldiers. Thousands of the Turks, incapable of enduring the sight of the horrid scenes of destruction in which all that was dear to them was involved, rushed desperately upon the bayonets of the enemy, in order to shorten their misery; while those who could reach the Danube, threw themselves headlong into it for the same purpose. The streets and passages were so choked by the heaps of dead and dying bodies which lay in them, as considerably to impede the progress of the victors in their eager search for plunder. DR. LAURENCE, in Ann. Reg. for 1791.] |