The valiant prince still plies the hostile crew, He kill'd two brothers, and the father slew : On strong O'BRIEN next inflicts a wound, And lay proud THOMPSON gasping on the ground: While he lay foaming on the purple plain, The far fam'd villain, BARRINGTON by name, Wing'd with wild fears, he strove in vain to fly, The ships too distant and the foe too nigh: He fled, or seem'd to fly swift as the wind, But as he fled he left his life behind.
The eager dart now sings along the skies,
Transfix'd the ruffian as the ruffian flies :
At BRINTON next he launch'd his spear profound, The chief rush'd on, regardless of the sound,
Till in his breast he felt the fatal wound;
The pointed death amid his bowels stood, Infix'd within, and drank the vital blood, He drops, he pants, and scarcely draws his breath And round about him stands the monster death : The golden light now languish on his eyes, From his fair cheeks the rosy colour flies, He grinds the dust with agonizing pain, And lies neglected on the crimson plain; In thick short sobs the flutt'ring spirit flies, The soul alas, as the frail body dies:
The prince thus raging, spreads the slaughter round Some foes expire some welter on the ground; Some fly, but fly in vain, swift as the wind, His dreadful lance arrests them from behind. Not less elate all ZANGA's royal boys, And ev'ry chieftain all his force employs : As wasps provok'd by children in their play, Pour from their mansions by the broad high way; In swarms the guiltless traveller engage,
Whet all their stings, and call forth all their rage; All rise in arms, and with a gen'ral cry, Assert their waxen domes, and progeny. Thus from the town the angry chieftains swarms So loud their clamours and so keen their arms, The brave intrepid prince MONDINGO nam'd, For virtue much, but more for valor fam'd; He fought, he conquer'd, prodigal of breath, And sought the certain glorious path to death: Some pierc'd by him with many a ghastly wound, Lay cold in death and press'd the sable ground: He animates the brave victorious throng, Prince urg'd on prince, and chief drove chief along. Thus brave MONDINGO shouting to the skies, On all th' embroider'd Christian squadron flies. First cruel отто cross'd him in his way, He lopp'd his proud, imperious head away : The stroke so just, that still the body stood, Then fell, and ting'd the yellow sand with blood. The powder'd scull rolls dreadful on the shore, And mix'd the batter'd brains with purple gore. Next proud o'CONNER at his squadron's head, Proud was the chief, and proud the men he led. The foe beheld the dreadful prince before, Rush'd from his fate toward the sandy shore : " Proud as he is, our arms he scarce will try," MONDINGO cries, while all the dastards fly. " Now then let others bleed," he spake aloud, And as he spake enflames the 'vengeful crowd. " Oh friends," he cries, and ev'ry band alarms, " Join battle, man to man, and arms to arms; 'Tis not in me, though favor'd of the sky, To mow whole troops, and make whole squadrons fly; But whatsoe'er MONDINGO can inspire,
Whate'er of active force, or active fire; Whate'er this heart can frame, or hand obey, All, all, (MONDINGO) friends, is yours to day." Now all on fire his breast, his flaming eyes Marks ev'ry foe, and singles ev'ry prize. Next SIR JOHN SANDFORD dead to virtuous fame, A deer in heart, with an illustrious name, Succeeds to fate; the sword his belly rends, And to the shades his guilty spirit sends. His sword all starr'd with gems, bestrew the shore, With his grand epaulets, all drench'd in gore. A ruffian stopp'd, and TAYLOR was his name, To meet this dreadful terror of the plain; For the proud foe the prince directs his course, All pale with fear, he dreads superior force. Full in his eye he drove the flying spear, The ruffian stood with agonizing fear;" Whose loose head tott'ring, as with rum oppress'd, Obliquely drops, and nodding strikes his breast; Pow'rless to move, his stagg'ring feet deny The coward wretch the privilege to fly : Swift his broad-sword the fierce MONDINGO spread, And from his shoulders lopp'd his nodding head; To earth at once the head and jav'lin fly, The quiv'ring lance still sticking in the eye; The prince now seiz'd it, and aloft he shook, While to his myrmidons the hero spoke : " Ye far fam'd Africans behold your foe, Such is the fate proud Christians soon shall know." He spake no more, but toss'd the head on high, The tyrants see, they tremble, and they fly. Now haughty BRIDGES met the flying death, Fate sends the lance, his guilt demands his breath His noble birth no succour could impart,
Death, horrid death, o'ertakes him on the dart'; Swift to perform heav'n's righteous will it fled, Just on the juncture of the neck and head; It struck the joint, and cut the nerves in twain, Hat, wig and head all tumbled to the plain. Thus from his mighty hand there flies no dart, But wing'd with death pants in some ruffian's heart. The hissing spears by sable heroes flung, And feather'd arrows from the bow-string sung. Some drink the spouting blood of tyrants slain, Some miss the mark, and thirst for blood in vain. The brave LOUVERTURE, gloomy as the night, Forbids to plunder, and commands to fight; Furious he spake, and as he spake he flies, "Who dares to linger, by this hand he dies; No weeping sister his cold lips shall close, No friendly hand his funeral pile compose; Who stops to plunder on this signal day, The birds shall tear him, and the beasts shall slay." The Christians hear the voice with wild despair, Confus'd each face, and fill'd each heart with fear; Th' exhort their men with threats and with commands, With falt'ring voices, and with trembling hands. Around each prince a mount or mighty wall Of carnage raises, as the tyrants fall. MONDINGO rush'd amid his sable crew, And sent his voice before him as he flew, Loud as wild winds, or as the bellowing roar Of mighty surges, thund'ring on the shore : And as he flies triumphant o'er the plain, A tyrant stopp'd, and DUNCAN was his name. He stopp'd and saw the prince come furious on, While he, the ruffian, proudly thus began:
" Pierc'd by my sword to endless darkness go, Thou proud black savage, to the realms below." At this the hero cast a dreadful look
On the vain man, as thus he briefly spoke: "Come tyrant, meet thy fate!" He spake no more, But struck the boaster gasping on the shore; He fix'd an arrow to the well strung bow, And sent the flying veng'ance at the foe; His frowning face it enter'd, and betwixt The mouth and nose, the guilty ruffian fix'd: Headlong he falls, and falling bites the ground, Hell groans to meet him in the dark profound: He sees the monster death with wild affright, The soul with shrieks rush'd to the realms of night.. Another shaft the raging hero drew, The other shaft another tyrant slew. Again he twangs the strong, the veng'ance flies, Death on its point, and sung along the skies; An honorable villain's face it tore, And dipp'd its feathers in illustrious gore; Between the cheek and eye the arrow went, The scull it shatter'd, and the tongue it rent; And as he foams and bites the bloody plain, The mournful son beheld his father slain; He sees, and rushes furious through the fight, And saw his sire, but sicken'd at the sight; And he th' intrepid conqueror defy'd, With base reproaches and unmanly pride: And lo, the youth defy'd th' intrepid foe, While from his eyes the silver torrents flow; And as he weeps the 'vengeful weapon flies, But erring, sings along the purple skies; He sees it fall, and deprecates his woe, And curs'd the lance that spar'd the savage foe.
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