Prone falls the staggering wretch:  the wary foe
    With added strength inflicts a second blow;
    Then heaves his prostrate bulk with forceful strain,
    And hurls him headlong in the flashing main. 
    High o’er his head the booming surges sweep,
    And his soul bursts amidst the roaring deep.

      Now on the deck distain’d with recent blood,
    Involv’d in thought the silent victor stood,
    And turn’d to Harfagar—­when on his view
    Successive wonders burst, and all around him grew. 
    Faint and more feint the billowy roar became,
    And sunk, and died at last.—­With lessening flame
    The starry host along th’ ethereal way,
    Unknown the cause, successive die away. 
    For yet the morn was far, nor had the sky
    With reddening blush proclaimed the solar glory nigh. 
    Amidst the swiftly-changing scene, amazed,
    They stood, and on the brightening ether gazed: 
    They gazed, but trembled not:  some power unseen
    Confirmed their hearts to meet the awful scene. 
    O’er the wide skies, and o’er the ocean’s bed,
    A growing stream of wavy splendor spread,
    As if another sun with bright control
    Had changed heaven’s motions, and revers’d the pole. 
    Nature was in alarm:  with sudden dread }
    To his dark nook the screaming sew-mew fled:  }
    The murmurs of the midnight breeze were dead. }
    Wider and wider spread th’ unusual glare,
    And the last cloud at length dispers’d in air. 
    When, as a flame bursts broad thro’ azure smoke,
    From the bright cloud a dazzling vision broke. 
    Like some tall dome, that shoots its towers on high,
    His airy stature mingled with the sky: 
    Terror and might stood blended in his mien,
    And his blue eye-balls shone with flames serene. 
    A wreath of light his fulgent brows array’d,
    That, shifting, with a thousand colours play’d. 
    His star-bespangled robe, of sparkling blue,
    O’er sea and air reflected glories threw: 
    The moon, the skies, the golden stream of rays,
    Seem’d lost and dimm’d in that all-conquering blaze. 
    His yellow locks sail’d on the clouds afar,
    And o’er his temples flamed the northern star. 
    His better hand sustain’d a spacious shield,
    Round as nocturnal Cynthia’s argent field;
    On whose enormous surface stood emblazed
    A mighty realm, with towers and turrets rais’d. 
    Here, a broad lake in mimic waves extends;
    There, a tall mountain’s sloping summit bends. 
    O’er many a river many a navy rode,
    With commerce rich, and thro’ the yielding flood
    With outspread sails proceeded—­all around,
    Huge untamed rocks, and giant castles frown’d. 
    The vault above serenely calm appear’d,
    And cloudless light the short-lived summer cheer’d. 
    Here, fell marauders wasting