85

Yet fhall he live in ftrife, and at his door
Devouring war shall never cease to roar :
Yea it fhall be his natural property
To harbour those that are at enmity.
What pow'r, what force, what mighty spell, if not
Your learned hands, can loose this Gordian knot? 90

The next Quantity and Quality spake in prose, then Relation was call'd by his name.

R

IVERS arife; whether thou be the fon
Of utmost Tweed, or Oofe, or gulphy Dun,
Or Trent, who like fome earth-born giant fpreads
His thirty arms along th' indented meads,
Or fullen Mole that runneth underneath,
Or Severn fwift, guilty of maidens' death,
Or rocky Avon, or of fedgy Lee,

Or coaly Tine, or ancient hallow'd Dee,
Or Humber loud that keeps the Scythian's name,
Or Medway fmooth, or royal towred Thame. 100
[The reft was profe.]

95

III.

On the MORNING of CHRIST'S NATIVITY, Compos'd 1629.

I..

T

HIS is the month, and this the happy morn, Wherein the Son of Heav'n's eternal King, Of wedded Maid, and Virgin-Mother born, Our great redemption from above did bring; For fo the holy fages once did fing,

That he our deadly forfeit should release, And with his Father work us a perpetual peace.

That

II.

That glorious form, that light unfufferable,
And that far-beaming blaze of majesty,

Wherewith he wont at Heav'n's high council-table To fit the midst of Trinal Unity,

He laid afide; and here with us to be,
Forfook the courts of everlasting day,
And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay.

III.

Say heav'nly Muse, shall not thy facred vein
Afford a prefent to the Infant God?

Haft thou no verfe, no hymn, or folemn strain,
To welcome him to this his new abode,

IV.

See how from far upon the eastern road
The ftar-led wifards hafte with odors fweet :
O run, prevent them with thy humble ode,
And lay it lowly at his bleffed feet;
Have thou the honor firft, thy Lord to greet,

II

Now while the Heav'n by the fun's team untrod,

Hath took no print of the approaching light, 20 And all the spangled host keep watch in fquadrons bright?

The HY M N,

I.

I

T was the winter wild,
While the Heav'n-born child
All meanly wrapt in the rude manger

15

And join thy voice unto the Angel quire, From out his fecret altar touch'd with hallow'd fire,

lies

25

30

3

Nature

Nature in awe to him
Had dofft her gawdy trim,

With her great Mafter fo to fympathize:
It was no feason then for her

To wanton with the fun her lufty paramour.

II.

Only with speeches fair
She woo's the gentle air

To hide her guilty front with innocent fnow,
And on her naked shame,
Pollute with finful blame,

The faintly veil of maiden white to throw,
Confounded, that her Maker's eyes
Should look so near upon her foul deformities.
III.

35

45

But he her fears to cease,
Sent down the meek-ey'd Peace;

She crown'd with olive green, came foftly fliding Down through the turning sphere

His ready harbinger,

With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing, 50 And waving wide her myrtle wand,

She strikes an univerfal peace through sea and land.

IV.

No war, or battel's found
Was heard the world around:

The idle spear and shield were high up hung, 55 The hooked chariot stood, Unftain'd with hoftile blood,

The trumpet fpake not to the armed throng, And kings fat ftill with awful eye,

As if they furely knew their fovran Lord was by. 60

But

V.

But peaceful was the night,
Wherein the Prince of light

His reign of peace upon the earth began :
The winds with wonder whift
Smoothly the waters kist,

Whifp'ring new joys to the mild ocean,
Who now hath quite forgot to rave,
While birds of calm fit brooding on the charmed wave,

VI.

The stars with deep amaze
Stand fix'd in ftedfast gaze,

65

70

Bending one way their precious influence,
And will not take their flight,
For all the morning light,

75

Or Lucifer that often warn'd them thence;
But in their glimmering orbs did glow,
Until their Lord himself befpake, and bid them go.
VII.

And though the shady gloom
Had given day her room,

The fun himself withheld his wonted speed,
And hid his head for fhame,
As his inferior flame

The fhepherds on the lawn,
Or e'er the point of dawn,

Sat fimply chatting in a rustic row;
Full little thought they then,
That the mighty Pan

80

The new inlighten'd world no more should need; He faw a greater fun appear Than his bright throne, or burning axletree could bear, VIII.

85

Was kindly come to live with them below; 99

Per

Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep,
Was all that did their filly thoughts so busy keep.
IX.

When fuch music sweet
Their hearts and ears did greet,

As never was by mortal finger ftrook,
Divinely-warbled voice
Anfwering the ftringed noise,

As all their fouls in blissful rapture took :
The air fuch pleasure loath to lose,
With thousand echo's ftill prolongs each heav'nly close.

99

X.

Nature that heard fuch found,
Beneath the hollow round

Of Cynthia's feat, the aery region thrilling,
Now was almost won

95

To think her part was done,

And that her reign had here its lafst fulfilling; She knew fuch harmony alone Could hold all Heav'n and Earth in happier union. XI. At laft furrounds their fight A globe of circular light,

110

That with long beams the fhame-fac'd night array'd;
The helmed Cherubim,
And worded Seraphim,

Such mufic (as 'tis faid)
Before was never made,

105

Are feen in glittering ranks with wings display'd,
Harping in loud and folemn quire,
With unexpreflive notes to Heav'n's new-born Heir.

115

XII.

But