On the Destruction of Lisbon, 1756

[From the MSS. The great earthquake of Lisbon occurred on November 1, 1755, and seems to have made considerable impression on our poet, who alludes to it in his sermons. The poem occurs in two shapes. The first form will be found in a note, and is headed " Verses made in a dream or slumber; for I was turning them in my thoughts when I found myself awake. " The second, here adopted, is headed " The same, with alterations. " ]
O NE moment overturns the toils of man,
And humbles greatness: Lisbon sinks in dust.
Earthquakes, and floods, and fires, and falling towers,
Thunder among the scatter'd crowds! Rich, poor,
Young, old, slave, peasant, prince, unheeded, fly,
From the swift rage of death, and strive to grasp
At wretchedness! When I consider these;
When I consider scenes of ancient times,
Ruins on ruins, thrones on buried thrones;
And walk on earth as on a globe of graves;
When the high heavens I view, and there behold
Planets, stars, comets, worlds innumerous,
To splendour rising, and from splendour fall'n;
My spirits shrink within me: what is man!
How poor a worm! — but, when I meditate
His boundless cogitations, high desires;
And th' infinite Creator, all in all,
Gracious and wise; — each gloomy fear retires,
And heaven's eternal light revives my soul.