There elephants, that once had roamed On Vindhya's mountains, vied With monsters from the bosky dells That shag Himalaya's side. The best of Brahmans, gathered there, The flame of worship fed; And, versed in all the Vedas' lore, Their lives of virtue led. By penance, charity, and truth, They kept each sense controlled, And, giving freely of their store, Rivalled the saints of old. Her dames were peerless for the charm And woman's gentle grace. Their husbands, loyal, wise, and kind, Were heroes in the field, And, sternly battling with the foe, Could die, but never yield. The poorest man was richly blest With knowledge, wit, and health; Each lived contented with his own, Nor envied other's wealth. All scorned to lie: no miser there His buried silver stored: The braggart and the boast were shunned, The slanderous tongue abhorred. Each kept his high observances, And loved one faithful spouse ; And troops of happy children crowned, With fruit, their holy vows. RAVAN DOOMED. "Lanka, or Ceylon, had fallen under the dominion of a prince named Ravan, who was a demon of such power that by dint of penance he had extorted from the God Brahma a promise that no immortal should destroy him. Such a promise was as relentless as the Greek Fate, from which Jove himself could not escape; and Ravan, now deeming himself invulnerable, gave up asceticism and tyrannized over the whole of southern India. At length even the Gods in heaven were distressed at the destruction of holiness and oppression of virtue consequent upon Ravan's tyrannies; and they called a council in the mansion of Brahma, to consider how the earth could be relieved from such a fiend."-MRS. SPEIR, Life in Ancient India. Thus to the Lord, by whom the worlds were made The Gods of Heaven in full assembly prayed : "O Brahma, mighty by thy tendered grace Fierce Ravan, leader of the giant race, Torments the Gods, too feeble to withstand The ceaseless fury of his heavy hand. From thee well pleased, he gained, in days of old, That saving gift by which he waxes bold; And we, obedient to that high behest, Bear all his outrage, patient and opprest. He scourges-impious fiend-earth, hell, and sky; And Indra, lord of Gods, would fain defy. And slay this fiend, for we are sore afraid." They ceased. Then, pondering in his secret mind, "One way," He said, "to stay this scourge, I find. Once, at his prayer, I swore his life to guard From God and angel, fiend, and heavenly bard: But the proud giant, in o'erweening scorn, Recked not of mortal foe, of woman born. Man, only man, this hideous pest may slay : None else can take his charmed life away." When Brahma's speech the Gods and sages heard, Their fainting souls with hope reviving stirred. Then, crowned with glory like a mighty flame, Lord Vishnu timely to the council came: Shell, mace, and discus in his hands he bore, Lost in deep thought he stood by Brahma's side, "O Vishnu, Lord divine, thine aid we crave, From the three wives of fair Ayodhya's king: High rank with saints that godly prince may claim, And those sweet queens, with Beauty, Grace, and Fame. Assume man's nature thus, and slay in fight. This common scourge, who laughs at heavenly might: Cp. Paradise Lost. Book III. 281. "Their nature also to thy nature join, B |