]
[Footnote 232: Though Bossuet was capable of uttering and even of
feeling such a sentiment, his conduct towards Fenelon, the fairest
apparition that Christianity ever presented, was ungenerous and unjust.
While the diocese of Cambray was ravaged by Louis, it was spared by
Marlborough, who said to the Archbishop that, if he was sorry he had
not taken Cambray, it was chiefly because he lost for a time the
pleasure of visiting so great a man. Peterborough, the next of our
generals in glory, paid his respects to him some years afterward.]
GEORGE, LORD BYRON.
(1788-1824.)
LVIII. THE VISION OF JUDGMENT.
_The Vision of Judgment_ appeared in 1822, and created a great
sensation owing to its terrible attack on George III., as well as
its ridicule of Southey, of whose long-forgotten _Vision of
Judgment_ this is a parody.
I.
Saint Peter sat by the celestial gate;
His keys were rusty, and the lock was dull,
So little trouble had been given of late:
Not that the place by any means was full,
But since the Gallic era "eighty-eight",
The devils had ta'en a longer, stronger pull,
And "a pull all together", as they say
At sea--which drew most souls another way.
II.
The angels all were singing out of tune,
And hoarse with having little else to do,
Excepting to wind up the sun and moon,
Or curb a runaway young star or two,
Or wild colt of a comet, which too soon
Broke out of bounds o'er the ethereal blue,
Splitting some planet with its playful tail,
As boats are sometimes by a wanton whale.
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