ON TIME.* FLY envious Time, till thou run out thy race, So little is our loss, So little is thy gain! For when as each thing bad thou hast intomb'd, With an individual kiss; And Joy shall overtake us as a flood, 5 10 When every thing that is sincerely good And perfectly divine, With truth, and peace, and love, shall ever shine Of him, t' whose happy-making sight alone Attir'd with stars, we shall for ever sit, 15 20 Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee, O Time. * In Milton's MS. written with his own hand,-On Time. To be set on a clock-case.' Warton. 2 leaden-stepping hours] Carew's Poems, p. 78, ed. 1642. "They [the hours] move with leaden feet.' A. Dyce. 12 individual] Inseparable. P. L. iv. 485. v. 610. Warton. UPON THE CIRCUMCISION. YE flaming Pow'rs, and winged Warriors bright, Seas wept from our deep sorrow: He who with all heav'n's heraldry whilere Enter'd the world, now bleeds to give us ease; Sore doth begin His infancy to seize ! O more exceeding love, or law more just? And that great covenant which we still transgress And the full wrath beside Of vengeful justice bore for our excess, 1 flaming] So P. Lost, ix. 156. xi. 101. Warton. 5 10 15 20 17 remediless] P. Lost, ix. 919. Sams. Agon. v. 648. All remediless.' Warton, Todd. And seals obedience first, with wounding smart, 25 This day, but O ere long, Huge pangs and strong Will pierce more near his heart. AT A SOLEMN MUSIC.* BLEST pair of Sirens, pledges of heav'n's joy, With saintly shout, and solemn jubilee, Singing everlastingly: 5 10 15 * There are three copies of this ode, all in Milton's own hand writing. 6 concent] So the Cant. MS. not 'consent.' Ed. 1645, 'content ;' 1673, 'concent.' Warton. 12 And Cherubim, sweet winged Squires.' So Cant. MS. Todd. That we on earth with undiscording voice Jarr'd against nature's chime, and with harsh din 19 To their great Lord, whose love their motion sway'd In perfect diapason, whilst they stood, In first obedience, and their state of good. O may we soon again renew that song, And keep in tune with Heav'n, till God ere long 25 To live with him, and sing in endless morn of light! AN EPITAPH ON THE MARCHIONESS OF WINCHESTER. THIS rich marble doth inter The honour'd wife of Winchester, A Viscount's daughter, an Earl's heir, Added to her noble birth, More than she could own from earth. After so short time of breath, To house with darkness, and with death. 20 nature's chime] Jonson's Epithal. vol. vii. 2. "To do their offices in nature's chime. Warton. Yet had the number of her days Her high birth, and her graces sweet But with a scarce well-lighted flame; And in his garland as he stood, Ye might discern a cyprus bud. Το greet her of a lovely son, And now with second hope she goes, But whether by mischance or blame Spoil'd at once both fruit and tree: 19 He] See Ov. Metam. x. 4. 'Adfuit ille quidem: sed nec solennia verba, Nec letos vultus, nec felix attulit omen: Fax quoque, quam tenuit, lacrymoso stridula fumo, Usque fuit, nullosque invenit motibus ignes.' Jortin. 33 womb] Browne's Brit. Past. b. ii. s. 1. ed. 1616. 'Where never plowshare ript his mother's wombe To give an aged seede a living tombe.' Todd. 15 20 25 30 |