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(illegible text) moments of ſuſpence, and when almoſt ſunk by ⟨despair⟩, we prayed for more frequent lightning to (illegible text) the walls, for more heavy thunder to out-roar ⟨the⟩ blafſ, in the philoſophic conſolation that they (illegible text)ght purge the atmoſphere, and diſperſe the ⟨storm⟩: but alas! they were but ſeldom ſeen, or (illegible text)ly heard, as if afraid of combining the influence (illegible text)ight with the deſtruction of ſound, and of raiſ(illegible text) upon the ground of terror, the ſuperſtructure ⟨of⟩ ⟨deſpair!⟩
When the night was paſt, and our minds hung ⟨suspended⟩ between the danger we had eſcaped, and ⟨the⟩ anticipation of what we might expect to enſue; ⟨when⟩ the dawn appeared as if unwilling to diſcloſe ⟨the⟩ devaſtation that the night had cauſed; when the ⟨sun⟩ beams peeped above the hills, and illuminated ⟨the⟩ ſcene around—juſt God! what a contraſt was ⟨here⟩ exhibited between that morning and the day ⟨before⟩! a day which ſeemed to ſmile upon Nature, ⟨and⟩ to take delight in the proſpects of plenty that (illegible text)ed around, and which produced, wherever the ⟨eye⟩ could gaze, the charms of cultivation, and the ⟨promiſe⟩ of abundance; but which fallacious ⟨appearances⟩, alas! were to be at once annihilated by (illegible text) extenſive and melancholy view of deſolation ⟨and⟩ deſpair, in which the expectations of the mo(illegible text)ate, and the wiſhes of the ſanguine, were to be (illegible text)oon ingulphed. The horrors of the day were ⟨much⟩ augmented by the melancholy exclamation of ⟨every⟩ voice, and the energetic expreſſion of every (illegible text)d: ſome of which were uplifted in acts of ⟨execration⟩; ſome wiped the tears that were flowing from (illegible text) eye: while ſome, considering from whence the (illegible text)tation came, were ſeen to ſtrike their breaſts, as ⟨if⟩ ⟨to⟩ chide the groans which it was impoſſible to ⟨refrain⟩. An uncommon ſilence reigned around: it ⟨was⟩ the pauſe of conſternation; it was a dumb ora-