Wesley Corpus

Page 15 The roaring of Abaddon's sons, The shoutings, and the dying groans, The shrieks of anguish and dismay, (A picture of that final day) Horrible sympathy impart, And thrill with fear the boldest heart! Where'er we turn our blasted eyes, The torrent roars, the flames arise: The old, the sick, the women fear, Or die thro' dread of death so near! Swiftly the catching fire proceeds, From house to house destruction spreads, And streets entire are doom'd to fall, And vengeance vows t' o'erwhelm us all. Unhappy Langdale!13 Who could see Unmov'd his mournful tragedy, Enough to mollify the nature Of the most stern Associator! His num'rous babes, an helpless throng, They deprecate the cruel wrong; The father sad, with fruitless prayer, Intreats the savages to spare, (Whom wine inflames, and fury blinds) Talks to the waves, and courts the winds; In vain to magistrates applies, Before his house in ashes lies, To aldermen most humbly suing, While trembling on the verge of ruin, He instantaneous aid requires, Or to prevent, or quench the fires. Newgate-Street, c. 13Roman Catholic owner of a large distillery in Holborn that was destroyed in the riot. Page 16 Compassion steals into their breast, And W 14 assents to his request, (That hero in tumultuous fights, That champion for the city's rights!) "Let's save him then," he cries, "from murder But all things must be done in order, Let's save him from the mob so curst But let us call a council first!" Vain help, alas, which never came! Consum'd by the voracious flame His all is lost! And numbers more His ruin, and their own deplore, Recalling oft with fresh affright The havock of that dreadful night! At morn we see the fiery void, And glorying o'er their foes destroy'd, We shrink from the assassin band, Possest of absolute command: The nation's scum together rise, To swell their host with new supplies, From smoking gaols15 a desp'rate crew, Who rob the gibbet of its due, Vile instruments of depredation Let loose on an abandon'd nation, Incendiaries from every side Heighten the wild tumultuous tide: Hibernians join to rend and tear, And Papists last, the spoils to share, (As vultures to the carcase fly, Smelling the bloody banquet nigh) 14MS Protestant Association reads "Wilkes"; i.e., John Wilkes (1725-97). 15Ori., "goals."