The Earthquake: in memory of departed worth. Illustrating ... the great doctrine of a particular providence in the entire overthrow of the city of Cape Haytien ... May the 7th, 1842, etc

Front matter

THE EARTHQUAKE: IN MEMORY OF DEPARTED WORTH. ILLUSTRATING and DEFENDING THE GREAT DOCTRINE of a Particular providence, in the entire overthrow" of the city of cape HAYTIEN, AVHICH OCCURRED MAY THE 7th, 1842, IN THE REPUBLIC OF HAYTI. "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." M. B. BIRD, Wesleyan Missionary. 3to*B : C LE FEUVRE, PRINTER, BOOKSELLER, &c, BEEESFOED LIBKAKY. 1870. f b If IN MEMORY OE DEPARTED WORTH. ILLUSTRATING AND DEFENDING THE GREAT DOCTRINE OF A PARTICULAR PROVIDENCE IN THE ENTIRE OVERTHROW OF THE CITY OF CAPE HAYTIEN, WHICH OCCURRED MAY THE 7th, 1842, IN THE REPUBLIC OF HAYTI. "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." BY M. B. BIRD, Wtsleyaii Missionary. JtMleS : C. LE FEUVRE, PRINTER, BOOKSELLER, &c. BKRESFORD LIBRARY. 1870. IS INTENDED AS A TRIBUTE OF AFFECTION TO A DEVOTED FEMALE MISSIONARY.

NOW DECEASED, MRS. S . BIRD, FOBJIEELY MIS9 SUSAN GUITOX, OF ST. HELIER'S, JERSEY, WHOSE POSITION IN THIS GREAT EVENT WAS MOST TOUCHING, AND WHOSE MEMORY WILL EVER BE PRECIOUS IN HAYTI. BY HER HUSBAND, 31. B. BIRD, WHO, WITH HERSELF AND WHOLE HOUSEHOLD, CONSISTING OF THE TWO PARENTS, THREE CHILDREN, AND TWO SERVANTS, MAY BE SAID TO HAVE BEEN ALL MIRACULOUSLY SAVED, WHILE SIX THOUSAND PERISHED AROUND THEM, RESPECTFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO THE REV. H. DE JERSEY.

Preface

. The effort on the Earthquake, -while it is intended as an humble and devout acknowledgement of an overruling and particular Providence, and at the same time an attempt to express in poetic form the feelings of a grateful heart, for so signal a deliverance from peril, is also intended as a tribute to the memory of an affectionate Wife, now deceased, whose unswerving faith in God, became the stronger by the over whelming event which forms the subject of the present volume. It has bee n my aim to make the piece as literally historical as possible, following tip and developing each phase in this fearful drama as it occurred, and I venture to hope, that however feeble the production as a poem, the details thus brought out, with as many of their lights and shades as possible, will prove both interesting and edifying to the Christian reader.

As far as my memory serves me, as to my general impres sions in the awful moment of the shock, which brought me from the upper floor of our house to the ground, I think the leading ideas, feelings, and facts, are brought out in the piece. Truly, it was a supreme moment : it would take a Seraph's pen, fully to decribe thoughts and feelings, which seemed to be so near eternity.

PREFACE.

. The notes explanatory of some of the leading occurrences, will, I trust, be found helpful in making the historical character of the piece more complete. I trust the extraordinary and touching circumstances which originated this production, " Dread moments which stir all the soul, " will serve as a mantle of apology for its many imperfections, and great poverty. A bare prosaic statement of the astounding facts connected with the Earthquake in question, might perhaps in the estimation of many have sufficed; it must, however, be admitted, that the enthusiasm of poetic language, even though not perfect, would become the highlywrought feelings which would inevitably be peculiar to such an event ; in fact, such feelings would naturally take their most legitimate form of expression, and seek such latitude as cannot be found in ordinary prose.

The subject, in its bearings on the great truth of a minute and particular Providence, is vast and sublime, throwing open to us a wide and interesting field of thought, which when rightly pursued through all its astonishing details, must tend to strengthen our faith in that ever-present and ever-watchful Providence, which does and must exist in a Being of infinite intelligence and power. To one saved as I was, with my whole household, mere theories become very empty things ; here are facts, requiring the presence and interference of one, whose power, wisdom, justice, and goodness, are equal with his infinite nature. I think I may say, that the strongest promptings of grati tude have brought forth this humble offering of praise to God. I have felt that as a saved sinner, in that overwhelming and ever-memorable event, I was called upon to pour out the broken effusions of my soul, in praise and gratitude to God,

PREFACE.

. IX for so signal and manifest a deliverance from the open jaws of death, while a whole City, with more than one half of its population, fell prostrate in universal ruin. With regard to the general style, size, and appearance of the City of Cape Haytien, its population, &c, the leading facts will be found in the text, accompanied by notes, which I trust will be found sufficiently minute and clear for the informa tion needed. Mrs. S. Bird, myself, and our eldest son, who still lives, but who at the time of the Earthquake was scarcely three years of age, landed at Cape Haytien in the early part of January, 1840. Here divine Providence seems distinctly to point to the memory of the first worthy sharer of my affections, Mrs. S. Bird, formerly Miss Susan Guiton, of St. Helier's, Jersey, in Europe, whose devotion to her divine Master's work, as a true Christian Missionary, reflects high honour on her family, her native land, and the Church of Christ ; her position in the Earthquake was touching beyond expression, but her firm heart did not sink ; as a Mother, her soul yearned over the sorrows of her suddenly destitute children, to whom for a time, she could afford no help, not even to offer them a morsel of bread, yet although she could only gaze on them with anguish, her soul was full of faith, and her reliance on God was unwavering.

Hayti was dear to her, as she proved, not only by many years of unsparing labour, but in the fact, that returning to her own lovely native Island, to her family and friends, from whom she had been absent more than twenty years, she declined entering upon that ease, which so many years of hard and persevering toil might have justified, but she unflinchingly persisted in returning with the partner of her life to the scene of her former toils, where she had been so long and so deservedly beloved ; but her Master said it was enough, and called her to himself. She nobly fell on her way X

PREFACE.

. back to Hayti, and although she fell not on her own Mission field, yet she fell far from the dear friends of home, and her remains now sleep in Greenwood Cemetery, where she was buried by the noble-hearted Methodists of New York. It might be enquired, with regard to the present production, how a question of such great moment should have been so long delayed ; the reply is simply, that it was not until a long time after the event that the thought of writing anything on the subject occurred to me, and even when it did, I had no thought of writing a piece of this nature, but commencing, I soon found myself in a vast field of thought, not only as to the facts and their details, but the great principles of a minute and particular Providence seemed, as I advanced, to unfold themselves to my mind in increasing grandeur, and to claim as I had never felt before, the attention of my heart, my conscience, and my understanding ; and when I had done, I was far from satisfied ; a feeling, which although it must ever remain, yet it led on to revision on revision, and in fact all thought of publication was for a long time abandoned.

Should however this humble effort to "justify the ways of God to men" be deemed of any utility, the great purpose of its publication will be answered. St. Helier's, Jersey, May 5th, 1870. v Mkt totlmtalu : OK, A TRIBUTE TO DEPARTED WORTH.

Section I

A deep prophetic gloom had mantl'd o'er The nearing hour, and nature awful symptoms Seem'd to feel, as of some fear'd catastrophe, Some burst of pow'r, by which Omnipotence Was just about to strike the earth, yet nought The elements foretold, saving the stillness, Which ofttimes ushers in the mighty storm. O ! thou dread pow'r, so oft made visible In the devouring earthquake, pest, or sword, Thy sov'reignty we own. Thrice blest is he, Who through the winding labyrinths of time, Delights to see and own, that God is just, And knows the points at which frail reason yields Her reign. Oft from the compass' varied points Are seen, rolling in pomp and majesty Swell'd, mighty masses of dark low'ring clouds, Tipt with bright splendours, and in rapid march Onward, to some remote and destin'd scene, Where light'nings fiercest strike their rending fires, And thunders send their all-confounding bolts : Not so in this dark hour, for silence reign'd ; But confidence in nature's gentle calm, Oft lulls us into happiness and ease, And leads us to forget, that as a thief, The day of God shall come, and end our dreams, So here, nought blew the thund'ring trumpet of Alarm, no grand prelim'naries of aught To come, nor warning flash of heav'n's artiU'ry, Was seen or heard, even the glorious orb Of cheering day, already seem'd in gray Half mourning clad, awaiting as behind An evening veil, the grand event, that should Affright the world, and to his knees, fling rebel Man !

Nature, her forces for the coming storm Arraying, as in martial pomp, fills oft The mind which God in all things sees, with awe, But here, Nature's prophetic silence fail'd To strike the heart, none her deep silence felt Or understood, none had, or eyes or ears, For aught but time's mere straws. 0 ! what is man Bounded by dreaming vanities and lies ! Death, hell, and judgement, well he knows are near, But whirls and dances on, nor heeds the gulf Down which the rush of folly urges him, Until, ejei open, he swift jtlunges in, And thus, with all his vague, though brilliant hopes Of highest and most dazz'ling fortune, sinks ; Yea, in our honest toils, death hovers near, And often all confounds of mortal hope. 'Twas seventh day's great mart where thousands met, And all impatiently urg'd on their course,* Unconscious of the future moment's doom, They barter'd, bought and sold, in marriage gave And took, and of all anxious care and thought Were full, save that of swiftly nearing death, Eternity and God yea, life and all Its carking cares went on, some bending 'neath The load of life's long years, while others spread Their gay proud sails, and ran with bounding joy, Before the glowing smiles, and swelling gales, Of fortune's treacherous hopes, as though beyond The reach of woe ; vain dreams, delusion sad, As the grand stroke from heav'n's uplifted hand, Shall in a moment, with confounding prove.

Some for the giddy ball's high mirth prepar'd, Yea, fancy at the cheerful nuptial feast, Already had arriv'd and seated seem'd, Th' enraptur'd bridegroom and the happy Bride, With the gay bounding train of greeting friends, All now on eager tip -toe, thought they touch'd * The Earthquake occurred on Saturday, in the afternoon about five o'clock on the 7th of May, 1842. At this date, Sunday Markets had not been abolished in Hayti, so that great multitudes had assembled from the neighbouring country for the great weekly market, which occupied the two days of Saturday and Sunday, the largest market being on the Christian Sabbath ; it is, however, gratifying to record, that this deep national stain was entirely effaced by the Government of President Geffrard, many had been the efforts to sweep away this evil, but the Protestant Methodist Mayor of the City of Port-au-Prince, who, in 185'.! presided over the Municipal interests of this capital, was doubtless of great use in bringing about this truly praiseworthy measure.

The trembling strings of highest earthly bliss, Yea each one thought, already he had grasped The golden cup, which to the brim seem'd fill'd With human happiness, but ere it reach'd Th' expectant lips, was spoil' d, and dash'd Into the ever gaping greedy grave.* All ! all below, upon uncertainty Is built, and in a least-expected hour, The tow'ring pride and vanity of man, Are call'd to wind up all, and cease the whirling Follies of mortal' ty, grand moment, When man by heav'n is sumrnon'd thus to bow, Unstring his being, and at once yield up The worshipp'd interests of life and time ; Yet on this frightful precipice of death, All danc'd, and with untiring whirl, The wheel of human life spun swiftly round, With all its cares and fears aud rending woes, While the descending sun of Sabbath eve, Led on to nature's welcome nightly pause ; Sweet Sabbath ! little known in these dark realms, Blest gift of heav'n ! to ease our mortal toils, Alas ! how oft are e'en the sweets of heav'n, Embitter'd by foul man, he quenches oft The torch of truth, and substitutes the rush-light Of his philosophic dreams. * The hour of the Earthquake had been appointed for the marriage of a young Lady just returned from France, where she had completed her education ; she was beautiful and gay, the pride of her family and friends.

The parties were well known to our family. At the time of the shock, it is said, that some of them were dressing for the occasion. The Father of the young Lady was killed, the intended husband was severely wounded, but the young Lady about to be married escaped quite unhurt, and, singular to say, very narrowly escaped at Guadaloupe, in a very severe Earthquake, but a short time afterwards. Alas ! those burning truths Which melt all moral chains and sanctify The soul, are even yet to come.* Heav'n's long-forbearing mercy seems to pause, And holds the long-deserved thunderbolt ; Nature to her unswerving law is true, And all her low'ring forces seems to draw, To some grand point, which shall as purchase serve, For the all-rending effort she designs. The mighty moment nears ! and to her task, Nature in solemn majesty now seems To bend ; sure, and unerrin g, is the well- Aim'd blow.

What means that seeming pause, so still With awe ? f 'Tis as though Nature, by a breath Unutterably deep, and to her centre Lab'ring, drew in at once the whole four winds Of heav'n, which a fierce subterranean conflict Should create, till all the pent up elements Elastic, swell'd by heat, to bursting fill'd As if by agonies and throes, prognostic * The Haytians nobly broke their chains, and long lived free while all was slavery around them, but it is nevertheless a singular fact, that the Sunday market, which was a true relic of slavery, was not abolished until more than fifty years of liberty had been enjoyed, so thoroughly reluctant is man. whether enlightened or ignorant, to obey the moral law of God, even when it is, in all senses and respects, both as to time and eternity, his truest interest to do so. t Great Earthquakes are generally preceded by a subterraneous rumb ling noise ; it is true that in this case I heard nothing of the kind ; it is however possible that this might have escaped my notice, as I was engaged in reading at the moment, and the noise might have been weak, but I distinctly remember a peculiar stillness, just before the shock, as I sat in our balcony.

Of a coming fate, by burning judgments Suddenly should ease her fiery womb. Full oft The laws immutable of nature serve, To deal out justice to rebellious man. 0 ! rise eternal truth, thy sov'reignty Maintain ; assert thy right, to drive through hearts And understandings long spell bound, by sin And error bolted up ; sweep out thy foes, Uproot, tear down, and overwhelm, the high, The deep enchantment of long ven'rated Lies, spare nought ; 0 ! righteous pow'r, say but yet Once again, o'er these dark realms let there be Light ! and ev'ry cloud of error shall be gone.

Triumphantly had sin led on its course, In deep dy'd crimes and deeds, which e'en th' ancient Cities of the plain had never learnt, foul Was the dreadful climax of iniquity.* Ah ! judgement long had linger'd to come forth, But now, the solemn moment is at hand, And justice on her gleaming sword lays hold, The hour of unthought reckoning now sounds ; 0 ! how 'midst all the terrors of an hour * An individual long resident at the Cape (Capt. T.), and well known as having himself drunk deep into every kind of licentiousness, avowed to me, as we both stood on the deck of the brig Active, where we had taken refuge, that such crimes and immoralities had been practiced at Cape Haytien, as are but rarely ever heard of amongst mankind ; crimes from the nature of which I was led to infer, that only those who had studied and practised the deep secrets and mysteries of iniquity would understand ; horror seized me at his description ; but such is man, whether at Cape Haytien, London, Africa, or elsewhere, shut up, either in the cellars of the great City just named, or by any other means, excluded from the sanctifying power and influence of true and living Christianity. ■> So grand, doth all the roaring pride of man, To silence and confusion yield, Yet still, With ling'ring deep regret, the rending blow Comes down. 0 ! that dark hour, when Nature seem'd To cringe, affrighted 'neath the frown of God, All is aghast, while to the dreadful shock, The loftiest, proudest, firmest mountains nod, And Cities, Villages, and Towns, all now With shiv'ring seiz'd, start from their ancient seats.

And in the twinkling of an eye, by one Grand shock, all with a universal crash, Fall prostrate to the reeling earth, forming At once, of long lov'd homes, chaotic graves, Dug by Omnipotence, in which the half dead Groan'd in frantic woe, with limbs now mangl'd, And long doom'd alas ! to sigh out useless Prayers for human aid, beneath the pond'rous Ruins of their fall'n homes. Nature still reels ! The mighty blow is given, now hath just heav'n, The vial of her wrath upturn'd, and pour'd Her righteous judgements on the guilty earth ; Yea thus hath Nature at a given hour, By her own changeless laws, the grandeur of Eternal truth maintain'd. Nor ever can The claims of justice sink. Woe to the man Who Nature's law defies, nor aught is here Unjust, for Nature nothing yields nor can ; Nor are the moral glories of the Deity Aught less ; hence daring pride in man, which from His flinty unbelieving heart, drives out The God of truth and love, brings th' oblivious Stroke of righteous heav'n on himself and all His toys of van'ty and pomp.

The City, Wliere intensest mirth its high'st gusts of wild Delirium once spent, uncheck'd by fear Or thought of God or man, with light'ning's speed Is hurl'd into the dust, and to a wide Waste howling wilderness reduc'd, where nought But death and groans and agonies abound. Ah ! is it thus ? Is all indeed wound up ; Was that grand universal crash just heard, The frightful knell of both the city and Its death-struck cit'zens, who all as, in A moment, have thus vanish'd and fled off The stage of life ! Even imagination, At this scene, her pencil drops, confounded, But soon, hearts, eyes and ears, to dread real'ties Awoke, and the deep groans of near six thousand* Souls were heard and felt, together with the Piercing cries of living throngs, heartwrung, bereav'd, * It has been computed generally that six thousand souls fell victims in this awful catastrophe ; by many this has been doubted ; a few reflections however will help, in this painful reckoning.

Let it be remembered, that the population of the Cape was considered to be ten thousand, then let it be noted, that it was market day, that therefore a much greater number than usual were in the City that day, and that the streets of the Cape were very narrow, and consequently must have been very much crowded at this time. With these considerations, I think it will appear plain, that the loss of life cannot have been much less than has been generally stated, especially with the dreadful fact before us that the whole City fell. And writhing 'neath the dreadful climax of Their woes. All, all is dread reality ! Thus fell the splendour of the Haytian realms,* Now a mere wretched wreck, where anguish, death And agony ran wild, unhappy fate, Where gasping life, deep hid, still lab'ring To hold on, at last, beneath the fallen City's mountain heaps, went out, hedg'd in by Leaning walls, whose grim defiance, warn'd off All approach, which well-meant sympathy with Deepest yearnings urg'd ; eternal justice Did its work, and dar'd, the succour of the Arm of flesh, at best but weakness.

All sinks, 0 ! What is man, when once the weight of all His crimes, comes driving down on his own pate ; Nought, but a helpless heap of vanity And pride, lies here. Come foul idolatry ! Thou loathing worshipper of all but God, Come, look upon the scene which here unveils ; Some, in the high tide of o'erflowing wealth, Now in an instant feel a thousand woes, Which all their being overwhelm in death, And then the swell, the bursting swell of grief, * The Cape was considered at one time, so handsome, although com paratively small, that it was called by the former French Colonists, " Petit Paris" ! and even up to the time of its overthrow in 1842, not withstanding it had been dreadfully battered by War, and left in compa rative ruin by the French, in their vain efforts to subdue the Haytians ; the bold, lofty, and well-built edifices, which presented themselves to my own admiring view on my arrival there in 1840, fully convinced me of what it once had been ; in fact, I could, even at that time, easily have imagined myself to have been in some neat town in France.

The anguish and the wild despair, of those Whom the destroying angel, in that hour, The victims of disease already found, Mysterious lot ! 0 ! ye afflicted ones, Already by long wasting sickness, rivetted To weary beds of languishing and pain, Where your now long-fled strength had left ye prostrate, Waiting the final hour, with every hope Cut off. Ah ! thus alone, sunk many a heart, Without one solitary friend near by, To soothe the dying sorrows of that hour. Yea, hither ! vaunting unbelief, that would The Infinite blot out, bend knee and eye, And look into these depths of sorrow, yet Untold, true, myst'ry here presides, but 'tis The finite, pale, before the Infinite. 0 ! those grand woes, which, in that hour drove on The rending pangs, by which humanity Is usher'd into life, when by the power Of fright, pang upon pang, and throe on throe, Amidst the awful whirl, urge on with dread Rapidity, th' alarming crisis of Untimely birth, driving into, or out Of life.

Ah ! who can tell, how many in That hour, at once, the pang of giving life And dying felt ? nor pencil, thought, or tongue, Could e'er the shades of such a picture touch, A complication vast, of direst woe, The blind, the pregnant, lame and sick, now faint, And, 'neath the swelling billows of their griefs They sink, o'erwhelm'd, thus feeling, in that moment Of all moments dark, all, all that mortal Can conceive of woe. E'er yet this reeling Blow was given, a Pastor lone upon An outer floor, musing, reclin'd, where oft* Was felt the cooling breeze of morn and eve, Nor of remotest danger thought, but while The lull serene prevail'd, a blow was felt That all confounds, and flings into amaze, Sending like swiftest light'ning through the soul, Such thrilling and confounding fear, as all Of language or imagination into Silence strikes, and leaves in dark amaze.

Rous'd by the dreadful shock, which Nature's deep Foundations seem'd to shake, the awe-struck Pastor, Shot a wild eager glance o'er all, and thus Beheld and felt his own abode, in high And fearful swing, as if yet held in trembling Hesitation, whether to stand or fall, For frighted nature, seem'd to quiver o'er The wide stretch 'd gulf, of yawning woe, 0 ! what A brink to overlook, breathing here halted, Time, to eternity at once gave way, And seem'd to leave the heart to burst in death, Yea, all within aghast now seem'd to ask, * Nearly all the houses at the Cape, had balconies projecting from the upper floors ; this was the " outer floor " here referred to being on the out side of the house ; it was here that I was reading when the shock came on. Where fly, where look for help or hope ? thought fled Full wing'd, and for a moment from her centre Broke, yea, e'en rapid thought far slower seem'd Than the electric shock, which all idea, Feeling, sight, or e'en imagination, With bewild'ring smote.

O ! what a moment, When heav'n's high justice, and deep mercy met, And sunk their touching strokes into the soul, Engraving there, such scenes, as neither time, Nor death, nor e'en eternity, can e'er Efface ! The Pastor, by strong instinct urg'd Seiz'd with a deathly grasp, the trembling bars On which he stood, and e'er he plung'd himself,* Into the yawning ruin now beneath, Beheld along the line of shiv'ring walls, Which in the misty distance stretch'd far out, In bursting clouds of dust, the first grand moment Of this mighty wreck, which, from between The startl'd roofs and walls began, then was The mighty climax which began this woe, All now was in full reel, and stoutest hearts, Astounded, swell'd, and paus'd, the Pastor felt As though at heav'n's frown, the earth beneath Him fled, he knew not where, then was the mighty Wrench, when all, with one tremendous crash Gave way, and with him sunk below into * The bars here referred to, was the entire balcony on which I stood at this moment, which was entirely of iron, and at the moment of the great shock, I instinctively seized upon the top part of it, and was thus holding on when all gave way, and precipitated me beneath.

This awful sea of woe ; he to the earth Was hurl'd with stunning pow'r, or rather to The quiv'ring heaps, which e'er he fell, had reach'd The earth, and cover'd now, the dying and The dead, yea now, the king of terrors strode, As if in raging haste, entombing all. Full many a strong one in high fright, leapt off The stage of life, and fell into the jaws of death ; Some of cool heads, and stony hearts, with air, Of stoicism, ape at times, the brave ! And nearing danger, seem to dare, but here, E'en proud philosophy, was forc'd to bend The knee, yea man is man, and when the voice Of God is heard, or when his vengeful hand Is seen, the loftiest spirit, shrivels to A worm. Heav'n's servant flung upon the heaps Beneath, found himself seated on the new Form'd tombs, and safe, though dumbstruck and amaz'd.* * I was never able, in the slightest degree, to remember the act or sensation of falling, yet I clearly remember the first sensation of the balcony's giving way, and starting from the wall, from which the bars projected, but I could never remember any more, until I found myself sitting upon the heap of ruin, which must have been formed a second or two before my own faD.

Had the houses on the other side of the street fallen before those on our own side, I must have been buried alive under them, and in all probability killed, a fact which has always had great power upon my own mind. It must be remembered that the streets of the Cape being very narrow, the ruins of each side, either fell across each other, or mingled together in the middle, and thus formed a high mound, in the centre of the street, my fall therefore, from the place where I stood, being the instant after the central heap was formed, was the pro vidential means by which, through the mercy of God, I was saved from being crushed under the ruins, and thus delivered from an awful death. To those whose blind faith, is in blind chance, this might be nothing, but to me it is everything. I cannot but, both see, and adore, eternal wisdom and goodness in this case !

Affrighted nature seem'd to pause, e'er yet Th' o'erwhelming blow came down, grand shocks, that seem'd To break off ev'ry tie of life, and leave Us hanging o'er the yawning gulf. Wrapt, On these heaving ruins, there he sat, with ev'ry Sense of thought, or sight, lock'd up, lost in deep Awe and smoke, with darkness which now all o'erwhelm'd, While round him, death unchain'd, ran wild, and flung Bis fatal darts, unheeding whom he hit ; Huge stones, and pond'rous beams, with horrid whirl, By laws immutable in lab'ring haste To dash out infant brains, tear off, or mangle Ancient limbs, or may be, end at once all Mortal woe.