Upon Sennacherib within the temple, And how, he being dead, they left him there; Displayed the ruin and the cruel carnage That Tomyris wrought, when she to Cyrus said, 'Blood didst thou thirst for, and with blood I glut thee!' Displayed how routed fled the Assyrians After that Holofernes had been slain, And likewise the remainder of that slaughter. I saw there Troy in ashes and in caverns; O Ilion! thee, how abject and debased, Displayed the image that is there discerned! Who e'er of pencil master was or stile, That could portray the shades and traits which there Would cause each subtile genius to admire? Dead seemed the dead, the living seemed alive; Better than I saw not who saw the truth, All that I trod upon while bowed I went." _Longfellow._ "I now my leader's track not loath pursued; And each had shown how light we fared along, When thus he warned me: 'Bend thine eyesight down: For thou, to ease the way, shalt find it good To ruminate the bed beneath thy feet.' As, in memorial of the buried, drawn Upon earth-level tombs, the sculptured form Of what was once, appears, (at sight whereof Tears often stream forth, by remembrance waked, Whose sacred stings the piteous often feel,) So saw I there, but with more curious skill Of portraiture o'erwrought, whate'er of space From forth the mountain stretches. On one part Him I beheld, above all creatures erst Created noblest, lightening fall from heaven: On the other side, with bolt celestial pierced, Briareus; cumbering earth he lay, through dint Of mortal ice-stroke. The Thymbræan god, With Mars, I saw, and Pallas, round their sire, Armed still, and gazing on the giants' limbs Strewn o'er the ethereal field. Nimrod I saw: At foot of the stupendous work he stood, As if bewildered, looking on the crowd Leagued in his proud attempt on Sennaar's plain. O Niobe! in what a trance of woe Thee I beheld, upon that highway drawn, Seven sons on either side thee slain. O Saul! How ghastly didst thou look, on thine own sword Expiring, in Gilboa, from that hour Ne'er visited with rain from heaven, or dew. O fond Arachne! thee I also saw, Half spider now, in anguish, crawling up The unfinished web thou weavedst to thy bane. O Rehoboam! here thy shape doth seem Lowering no more defiance; but fear-smote, With none to chase him, in his chariot whirled. Was shown beside upon the solid floor, How dear Alcmæon forced his mother rate That ornament, in evil hour received: How, in the temple, on Sennacherib fell His sons, and how a corpse they left him there. Was shown the scath, and cruel mangling made By Tomyris on Cyrus, when she cried, 'Blood thou didst thirst for: take thy fill of blood.'