And Indian lancers, in white-turban'd ranks
From the far SINDE, or ATTOCK's sacred banks,

2

With dusky legions from the Land of Myrrh, 2
And many a mace-arm'd Moor and Mid-Sea islander.

Nor less in number, though more new and rude
In warfare's school, was the vast multitude
That, fir'd by zeal, or by oppression wrong'd,
Round the white standard of th' Impostor throng'd.
Beside his thousands of Believers, — blind,
Burning and headlong as the Samiel wind,-

Many who felt, and more who fear'd to feel
The bloody Islamite's converting steel,

Flock'd to his banner; - Chiefs of the' UZBEK race,

3

Waving their heron crests with martial grace;
TURKOMANS, countless as their flocks, led forth
From the aromatic pastures of the North;

4

Wild warriors of the turquoise hills, - and those

Who dwell beyond the everlasting snows

2 Azab or Saba.

3" The chiefs of the Uzbek Tartars wear a plume of white heron's feathers in their turbans."- Account of Independent Tartary.

4 In the mountains of Nishapour and Tous (in Khorassan) they find turquoises. Ebn Haukal.

Of HINDOO KOSH, in stormy freedom bred,

Their fort the rock, their camp the torrent's bed.
But none, of all who own'd the Chief's command,
Rush'd to that battle-field with bolder hand,

Or sterner hate than IRAN's outlaw'd men,

6

Her Worshippers of Fire - all panting then
For vengeance on the' accursed Saracen ;

}

Vengeance at last for their dear country spurn'd,

Her throne usurp'd, and her bright shrines o'erturn'd.

From YEZD's' eternal Mansion of the Fire,

Where aged saints in dreams of Heav'n expire;

5 For a description of these stupendous ranges of mountains, v. Elphinstone's Caubul.

6 The Ghebers or Guebres, those original natives of Persia, who adhered to their ancient faith, the religion of Zoroaster, and who, after the conquest of their country by the Arabs, were either persecuted at home, or forced to become wanderers abroad.

7" Yezd, the chief residence of those ancient natives, who worship the Sun and the Fire, which latter they have carefully kept lighted, without being once extinguished for a moment, above 3000 years, on a mountain near Yezd, called Ater Quedah, signifying the House or Mansion of the Fire. He is reckoned very unfortunate who dies off that mountain." - Stephen's Persia.

From BADKU, and those fountains of blue flame

8

That burn into the CASPIAN, fierce they came,

Careless for what or whom the blow was sped,
So vengeance triumph'd, and their tyrants bled!

Such was the wild and miscellaneous host, That high in air their motley banners tost Around the Prophet-Chief- all eyes still bent Upon that glittering Veil, where'er it went, That beacon through the battle's stormy flood, That rainbow of the field, whose showers were blood!

Twice hath the Sun upon their conflict set, And ris'n again, and found them grappling yet; While steams of carnage, in his noon-tide blaze, Smoke up to heav'n-hot as that crimson haze, By which the prostrate Caravan is aw'd,

In the red Desert, when the wind's abroad!

8" When the weather is hazy, the springs of Naptha (on an island near Baku) boil up the higher, and the Naptha often takes fire on the surface of the earth, and runs in a flame into the sea to a distance almost incredible.".-Hanway on the Everlasting Fire at Baku.

"On, Swords of God!" the panting CALIPH calls, — "Thrones for the living-Heav'n for him who falls!”— "On, brave avengers, on," MOKANNA cries,

“And EBLIS blast the recreant slave that flies !"

Now comes the brunt, the crisis of the day-
They clash

way!

they strive the CALIPH's troops give

MOKANNA's self plucks the black Banner down,
And now the Orient World's imperial crown
Is just within his grasp—when, hark, that shout!
Some hand hath check'd the flying Moslems' rout,

And now they turn

they rally at their head

A warrior, (like those angel youths, who led,

In glorious panoply of heav'n's own mail,

The Champions of the Faith through BEDER's vale,),

Bold as if gifted with ten thousand lives,

Turns on the fierce pursuers' blades, and drives

At once the multitudinous torrent back,

While hope and courage kindle in his track,
And, at each step, his bloody falchion makes
Terrible vistas through which victory breaks!

9 In the great victory gained by Mahomed at Beder, he was assisted, say the Mussulmans, by three thousand angels, led by Gabriel, mounted on his horse Hiazum-v. The Koran and its Commentators.

In vain MOKANNA, midst the general flight,

Stands, like the red moon, on some stormy night, Among the fugitive clouds that, hurrying by,

Leave only her unshaken in the sky! —

In vain he yells his desperate curses out,
Deals death promiscuously to all about,

66

To foes that charge and coward friends that fly,
And seems of all the Great Arch-enemy!
The panic spreads -"a miracle!" throughout
The Moslem ranks, "a miracle!" they shout,
All gazing on that youth, whose coming seems
A light, a glory, such as breaks in dreams;
And every sword, true as o'er billows dim
The needle tracks the load-star, following him!

Right tow'rds MOKANNA now he cleaves his path, Impatient cleaves, as though the bolt of wrath He bears from Heav'n withheld its awful burst From weaker heads, and souls but half-way curst, To break o'er Him, the mightiest and the worst! But vain his speed-though, in that hour of blood, Had all God's seraphs round MOKANNA stood,

With swords of fire, ready like fate to fall,

MOKANNA'S Soul would have defied them all;