UPON THE CIRCUMCISION. YE flaming Powers, and winged Warriours bright, Seas wept from our deep sorrow ; He, who with all Heaven's heraldry whilere Sore doth begin His infancy to seise! O more exceeding love, or law more just? Were lost in death, till he that dwelt above, And that great covenant which we still transgress Entirely satisfied; And the full wrath beside, Of vengeful justice bore for our excess; And seals obedience first, with wounding smart, This day; but O! ere long, Huge pangs and strong Will pierce more near his heart. ON THE DEATH OF A FAIR INFANT,1 DYING OF A COUGH. I. O FAIREST flower, no sooner blown but blasted, Summer's chief honour, if thou hadst out-lasted That did thy cheek envermeil, thought to kiss, II. For since grim Aquilo,2 his charioteer, By boisterous rape the Athenian damsel got, Of long-uncoupled bed and childless eld, Which, 'mongst the wanton gods, a foul reproach was held. III. So, mounting up in icy-pearled car, Through middle empire of the freezing air But, all unawares, with his cold-kind embrace IV, Yet art thou not inglorious in thy fate; For so Apollo, with unweeting hand, Whilom did slay his dearly-loved mate, 'On the Death of a Fair Infant:' this was written when the author was seventeen. The child was a daughter of his sister Phillipps. Boreas, the north wind, ravished Orithyra; see Ovid, Met. vi. 24 Aquilo,' or Young Hyacinth, born on Eurotas' strand, But then transform'd him to a purple flower: Alack, that so to change thee Winter had no power! v. Yet can I not persuade me thou art dead, VI. Resolve me then, O Soul most surely blest, VII. Wert thou some star which from the ruin'd roof Of shak'd Olympus by mischance didst fall; Of sheeny Heaven, and thou, some goddess, fled, VIII. Or wert thou that just Maid,2 who once before And cam'st again to visit us once more? เ เ 1 Earth's sons:' the Giants.-2 Maid: 'Justice. Or wert thou that sweet-smiling youth ?1 Or that crown'd matron sage white-robed Truth? Let down in cloudy throne to do the world some good? IX. Or wert thou of the golden-winged host, ; To scorn the sordid world, and unto heaven aspire ? X. But oh! why didst thou not stay here below To stand 'twixt us and our deserved smart? XI. Then thou, the Mother of so sweet a Child, That, till the world's last end, shall make thy name to live. Youth: ' Mercy. ON TIME.1 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 entomb'd, Then long Eternity shall greet our bliss With an individual2 kiss; And Joy shall overtake us as a flood, When every thing that is sincerely good And perfectly divine, With Truth, and Peace, and Love, shall ever shine About the supreme throne Of Him, to whose happy-making sight alone When once our heavenly-guided soul shall clime; Then, all this earthly grossness quit, Attir'd with stars, we shall for ever sit, Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee, O Time! 1 On Time:' this was meant to be set on a clock-case.-'Individual:' inseparable. |