In the meek garb of modest worth disguised, 330 The eye averted, and the smile chastised, With sly approach they spread their dangerous charms, And round their victim wind their wiry arms. So by Scamander when LAOCOON stood, Where Troy's proud turrets glitter'd in the flood, 335 Raised high his arm, and with prophetic call To shrinking realms announced her fatal fall; Whirl'd his fierce spear with more than mortal force, And pierced the thick ribs of the echoing horse; Two Serpent-forms incumbent on the main, 340 Lashing the white waves with redundant train, Arch'd their blue necks, and (hook their towering crests, And plough'd their foamy way with speckled breasts; Then darting fierce amid the affrighted throngs, Roll'd their red eyes, and shot their forked tongues,-- 345 --Two daring Youths to guard the hoary fire Thwart their dread progress, and provoke their ire. Round sire and sons the scaly monsters roll'd, Ring above ring, in many a tangled fold, Close and more close their writhing limbs surround, 350 And fix with foamy teeth the envenom'd wound. --With brow upturn'd to heaven the holy Sage In silent agony sustains their rage; While each fond Youth, in vain, with piercing cries Bends on the tortured Sire his dying eyes. 355 "Drink deep, sweet youths" seductive VITIS cries, The maudlin tear-drop glittering in her eyes; Green leaves and purple clusters crown her head, And the tall Thyrsus stays her tottering tread. --_Five_ hapless swains with soft assuasive smiles 360 The harlot meshes in her deathful toils; "Drink deep," she carols, as she waves in air The mantling goblet, "and forget your care."-- O'er the dread feast malignant Chemia scowls, And mingles poison in the nectar'd bowls; 365 Fell Gout peeps grinning through the flimsy scene, And bloated Dropsy pants behind unseen; Wrapp'd in his robe white Lepra hides his stains, And silent Frenzy writhing bites his chains. [_Vitis_. 1. 355. Vine. Five males, one female. The juice of the ripe grape is a nutritive and agreeable food, consisting chiefly of sugar and mucilage. The chemical process of fermentation converts this sugar into spirit, converts food into poison! And it has thus become the curse of the Christian world, producing more than half of our chronical diseases; which Mahomet observed, and forbade the use of it to his disciples. The Arabians invented distillation; and thus, by obtaining the spirit of fermented liquors in a less diluted slate, added to its destructive quality. A Theory of the Diabætes and Dropsy, produced by drinking fermented or spirituous liquors, is explained in a Treatise on the inverted motions of the lymphatic system, published by Dr. Darwin. Cadell.]