Further, in illustration of continued drought inducing famine with its other evils, disease and mortality, we may quote Tasso’s beautiful description of the sufferings of the Christian army under the walls of Jerusalem:
“The leaves grew wan, upon the wither’d sprays
The grass and growing herb all parched were;
Earth cleft in rifts, in floods each stream decay,
And barren clouds with lightning bright appear.
Still was the air, the rack nor came nor went,
But o’er the land, with lukewarm breathing flies
The southern wind, from sun-burnt Afric sent,
Which thick and warm, his interrupted blast,
Upon their bosoms, throats, and faces cast.