But here, alas! no Omens fly, No secret Whisper of their Destiny Was heard; none cou'd divine When Fate wou'd spring the Mine: Safe and secure the Mortals go, Not dreaming of a Hell below; In the dark Caverns of the gloomy Earth, Where suffocating Sulphur has its Birth, And sparkling Nitre's made, Where _Vulcan_ and his _Cyclops_ prove; The Thunderbolts they make for _Jove_; Here _Æolus_ his Winds has laid, Here is his Windy Palace, here 'tis said His Race of little puffing Gods are bred, Which serve for Bellows to blow up the Flame, The dire ingredients are in order plac'd, Which must anon lay Towns and Cities waste. Strait the black Engineer of Heaven came, His Match a Sun-beam was, He swift as Time unto the Train did pass, It soon took Fire; The Fire and Winds contend, But both concur the Vaulted Earth to rend; It upwards rose, and then it downwards fell, Aiming at Heaven, it sunk to Hell: The Neighb'ring Seas now own no more, The sturdy Bulwarks of the Shoar, The gaping Earth and greedy Sea, Are both contending for the Prey; Those whom the rav'nous Earth had ta'ne, Into her Bowels back again Are wash't from thence by the insulting Main. IV. The Old and Young receive alike their Doom, The Cowards and the Brave, Are buried in one Grave; For Fate allows 'em all one Common Tomb. The Aged and the Wise Lose all their Reason in the great Surprise. They know not where to go, And yet they dare not stay, There's Fire and Smoak below, And the Earth gaping to receive the Prey: If to the Houses Top they Crawl, These tumble too, and downwards fall: And if they fly into the Street, There grizly Death they meet; All in a hurry dye away, The wicked had not time to pray. The Soldier once cou'd teach grim Death to kill, In vain is all his Skill, In vain he brandisheth his Steel: No more the Art of War must teach, But lyes Fates Trophy underneath the Breach: The good Companions now no more Carouse, They share the Fate of the declining House, Healths to their Friends their Bumpers Crown'd: But while they put the Glasses round, Death steps between the Cup and lip, Nor would it let 'em take one parting Sip. V.