grief is easily beguil'd)

ink th' infection of my sorrows loud ce of mourners on some pregnant cloud.

t the Author finding to be above the years he en he wrote it, and nothing satisfied with what in, left it unfinished.

ON TIME.*

us Time, till thou run out thy race, e lazy leaden-stepping hours,

eed is but the heavy plummet's pace; thyself with what thy womb devours, no more than what is false and vain, 5

ing] Jeremiah, ix. 10. For the mountains will weeping,' &c. Warton.

ton's MS. written with his own hand,-' On Time. n a clock-case.' Warton.

stepping hours] Carew's Poems, p. 78, ed. 1642. y [the hours] move with leaden feet. A. Dyce.

For when as each thing bad thou hast intomb'd And last of all thy greedy self consum'd,

Then long Eternity shall greet our bliss

With an individual kiss;

And Joy shall overtake us as a flood,

When every thing that is sincerely good

And perfectly divine,

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With truth, and peace, and love, shall ever shine About the supreme throne

Of him, t' whose happy-making sight alone

When once our heav'nly-guided soul shall clime, Then all this earthly grossness quit,

Attir'd with stars, we shall for ever sit,

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Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee, O Time.

UPON THE CIRCUMCISION.

YE flaming Pow'rs, and winged Warriors bright,
That erst with music, and triumphant song,
First heard by happy watchful shepherds' ear,
So sweetly sung your joy the clouds along

12 individual] Inseparable. P. L. iv. 485. v. 610.

1 flaming] So P. Lost, ix. 156. xi. 101.

Warton

Warton.

MISCELLANEOUS POEMS.

181

he soft silence of the list'ning night; 5 n, and if sad share with us to bear

essence can distil no tear,

our sighs, and borrow

from our deep sorrow :

ith all heav'n's heraldry whilere

he world, now bleeds to give us ease;

soon our sin

oth begin

Enfancy to seize!

xceeding love, or law more just? indeed, but more exceeding love! y rightful doom remediless

t in death, till he that dwelt above ɔn'd in secret bliss, for us frail dust his glory, ev'n to nakedness;

10

15

20

- great covenant which we still transgress satisfied,

full wrath beside

eful justice bore for our excess,

Is obedience first, with wounding smart,

-, but O ere long,

angs and strong

l pierce more near his heart.

diless] P. Lost, ix. 919. Sams. Agon. v. 648. 'all 5. Warton, Todd.

BLEST pair of Sirens, pledges of heav'n's joy,
Sphere-born harmonious sisters, Voice and Vers
Wed your divine sounds, and mix'd pow'r emplo
Dead things with inbreath'd sense able to pierce
And to our high-rais'd phantasy present
That undisturbed song of pure concent,
Aye sung before the sapphire-colour'd throne
To him that sits thereon,

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With saintly shout, and solemn jubilee,
Where the bright Seraphim in burning row
Their loud up-lifted angel-trumpets blow,
And the cherubic host in thousand quires
Touch their immortal harps of golden wires,
With those just Spirits that wear victorious palms,
Hymns devout and holy psalms

Singing everlastingly:

That we on earth with undiscording voice
May rightly answer that melodious noise;
As once we did, till disproportion'd sin

* There are three copies of this ode, all in Milton's own hand writing.

concent] So the Cant. MS. not consent.' Ed. 1645, 'content;' 1673, concent.' Warton.

12

And Cherubim, sweet winged Squires.' So Cant. MS.

15

Todd.

lestial

_th him, and sing in endless morn of light.

PITAPH ON THE MARCHIONESS OF

WINCHESTER.

ch marble doth inter

our'd wife of Winchester,

punt's daughter, an Earl's heir, what her virtues fair

to her noble birth,

han she could own from earth.

ers three times eight save one

d told; alas too soon,

so short time of breath,

use with darkness, and with death.

ad the number of her days

as complete as was her praise, -e and Fate had had no strife wing limit to her life.

ature's chime] Jonson's Epithal. vol. vii. 2.

To do their offices in nature's chime. Warton.

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