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.