Here from distempered heavens erewhile arose A piteous season

    Here from distempered heavens erewhile arose

  A piteous season, with the full fierce heat

  Of autumn glowed, and cattle-kindreds all

  And all wild creatures to destruction gave,

  Tainted the pools, the fodder charged with bane.

  Nor simple was the way of death, but when

  Hot thirst through every vein impelled had drawn

  Their wretched limbs together, anon o'erflowed

  A watery flux, and all their bones piecemeal

  Sapped by corruption to itself absorbed.

  Oft in mid sacrifice to heaven- the white

  Wool-woven fillet half wreathed about his brow-

  Some victim, standing by the altar, there

  Betwixt the loitering carles a-dying fell:

  Or, if betimes the slaughtering priest had struck,

  Nor with its heaped entrails blazed the pile,

  Nor seer to seeker thence could answer yield;

  Nay, scarce the up-stabbing knife with blood was stained,

  Scarce sullied with thin gore the surface-sand.