The Smoke Alas, Must Still Ascend

The smoke al­as

must still as­cend

And nev­er will their tor­ment end

No res­pite can the damned ob­tain

No in­ter­val of rest from pain;

Millions of years shall pass away

Nor short­en the eter­nal day

While still in blas­phe­mies they own

Their pun­ish­ment but just be­gun.

Vain

wretch­ed man

whose fond de­sire

Would quench the ev­erl­ast­ing fire

Or teach it will not al­ways last

After a course of æo­ns past;

O mayst thou nev­er

nev­er know

The dark abyss of end­less woe

Or in its lit­er­al strict­ness feel

The truth of an eter­nal hell.