His onward path Charybdis’ gulph opposed; The double danger he alternate viewed, And cautiously his arduous track pursued: Thus, while to right and left destruction lies, Between the extremes the daring vessel flies; With terrible irruption bursting o’er The marble cliffs, tremendous surges roar; Hoarse thro’ each winding creek the tempest raves, And hollow rocks repeat the groan of waves: Should once the bottom strike this cruel shore, The parting ship that instant is no more; Nor she alone, but with her all the crew Beyond relief are doomed to perish too: But haply she escapes the dreadful strand, Though scarce her length in distance from the land; Swift as the weapon quits the Scythian bow, She cleaves the burning billows with her prow, And forward hurrying with impetuous haste, Borne on the tempest’s wings the isle she past: With longing eyes, and agony of mind, The sailors view this refuge left behind; Happy to bribe with India’s richest ore A safe accession to that barren shore— When in the dark Peruvian mine confin’d, Lost to the cheerful commerce of mankind, The groaning captive wastes his life away, For ever exiled from the realms of day, Not half such pangs his bosom agonize When up to distant light he rolls his eyes! Where the broad sun, in his diurnal way Imparts to all beside his vivid ray, While, all forlorn, the victim pines in vain For scenes he never shall possess again. V. But now Athenian mountains they descry, And o’er the surge Colonna frowns on high: Where marble columns, long by time defaced, Moss-covered on the lofty cape are placed; There reared by fair devotion to sustain Tn elder times Tritonia’s sacred fane; The circling beach in murderous form appears, Decisive goal of all their hopes and fears: The seamen now in wild amazement see The scene of ruin rise beneath their lee; Swift from their minds elapsed all dangers past, As dumb with terror they behold the last. And now, while winged with ruin from on high, Through the rent cloud the ragged lightnings fly, A flash, quick glancing on the nerves of light, Struck the pale helmsman with eternal night: Rodmond, who heard a piteous groan behind, Touched with compassion gazed upon the blind; And, while around his sad companions crowd, He guides th’ unhappy victim to the shroud: ‘Hie thee aloft, my gallant friend!’ he cries; ‘Thy only succour on the mast relies.’ The helm, bereft of half its vital force, Now scarce subdued the wild unbridled course; Quick to th’ abandoned wheel Arion came, The ship’s tempestuous sallies to reclaim: The vessel, while the dread event draws nigh, Seems more impatient o’er the waves to fly; Fate spurs her on!—Thus, issuing from afar, Advances to the sun some blazing star,