THETHREEGRAVES

thethreegraves

(1820)

closebytheever-burningbrimstonebeds

wherebedloe,oatesandjudas,hidetheirheads,

isawgreatsatanlikeasextonstand

withhisintolerablespadeinhand,

ingthreegraves.ofcoffinshapetheywere,

forthosewho,coffinless,mustenterthere

withunblestrites.theshroudswereofthatcloth

whichclothoweavethinherblackestwrath:

thedismaltinctoppress'dtheeye,thatdwelt

uponitlong,likedarknesstobefelt.

thepillowstothesebalefulbedsweretoads,

large,living,livid,melancholyloads,

whosesoftnessshock'd.wormsofallmonstroussize

crawl'dround;andone,upcoil'd,whichneverdies.

adolefulbell,inculcatingdespair,

wasalwaysringingintheheavyair.

andallaboutthedetestablepit

strangeheadlessghosts,andquarter'dforms,didflit;

riversofblood,fromlivingtraitorsspilt,

bytreacherystungfrompovertytoguilt.

iask'dthefiend,forwhomtheseritesweremeant?

"thesegraves,""hhe,"whenlife'sbriefoilisspent,

whenthedarknightcomes,andthey'resinkingbedwards,

—imeanforcastles,oliver,andedwards."