“As he the sylvan scene with pleasure views, By gentle motion dress’d in various hues, A hollow wind comes whispering through the leaves; The solid rock with dire convulsions cleaves; The largest bush, and fairer than the rest, He saw in harmless flames, and lambent lightnings dress’d. Though strange, though wondrous strange the sight appear, He to the burning bush approaches near; When from the flames a voice like thunder broke, And Moses in these awful words bespoke: ‘Thy sandals quickly loose, bold mortal, and retire; This place is holy ground, and God is in the fire!’” The lines following refer to the giving of the ten commandments:— “Hark! how insufferable thunders tear Both earth and heaven! while forky lightnings glare! Trembles the camp; the solid mountain shakes; The earth, beneath it, to the centre quakes— The Lord descends, the Thunderer’s voice is known! And holy myriads stand around his throne. The ten dread words from Sinai he recites, Which his own hands in marble tables writes; Great Nature’s transcript, and eternal law, Whence future sages shall their models draw; Wise Greece and haughty Rome are here surpass’d, Each word, each tittle here, shall earth and heaven outlast.” The next extract is taken from the piece describing the pestilence, which was sent on account of David numbering the people. David having laid aside his crown, clothes himself in sackcloth, puts ashes on his head, falls prostrate on the ground and begins to pray:— “Mild Pity heard, and prostrate at the throne Presents his prayers, and added of her own; The Father smiles and grants; she shoots away Beyond the confines of eternal day; On her own peaceful rainbow swerving down, She stands confess’d above the sacred town; Seizes the destroying angel’s flaming brand, Seals in its sheath, and stops his lifted hand.” The next lines are descriptive of the angel destroying the one hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians:—