his own the Life o' th' World to spare VII Teach the World Child and make his Israel know Whence their Salvations mighty Source does flow That from Remission of their Sin The mighty Source does first begin Through our God's tender Mercy who the Way To Pardon does by Penance lay Penance which does the glories of his Grace display VIII That Grace whereby the Day-spring from on High Now visits us with Streams which ne're shall die Streams of pure Aethereal Light To shine on those who in darkness sit Which Death 's pale shadow shall with Rays encrease And hopes long Pris'ners thence release And both theirs guide and our feet into th' way of Peace V. HYMN The ANGELIC Hymn Gloria in Altissimis c. GLORY be to God on High i th' Highest Great Jehovah bless Good will tow'rds Men on Earth be Peace Glory to God on High And may this Round begun thus last eternally VI. HYMN The Song of SIMEON Nunc dimittis servum tuum c. I. ENOUGH my God enough I beg no more Nor Thou tho begg'd canst greater Grace bestow My Prayers at length are answer'd and I ' adore The Word which from thy Mouth did go The Word which like thy Self no change does know And now Thy Servant is content to die Now as the best time since Thy Word and Life 's so nigh II. Nigh is the Word which Thou to me didst pass Nor has Death come me and Thy CHRIST between As nigh is Life Thy other Word which I embrace And who that has thus happy been In two great Words fulfill'd one t'other seen Would not like me desire in peace to die And mortal Life exchange for Immortality III. In Peace I die and Thou dismissest me My God in Peace since with these very Eyes Before their change I Thy Salvation see And lack not from the Dead to rise As Prophets must to ' approve their Prophecies By Faith they only at a distance saw What in my Arms I hold the end of all their Law IV. Hail blest Salvation of the Eternal King Hail Thou who hither bringst it Blessed Child In whom as holy Bards inspir'd do sing Those wondrous Truths shall be fulfill'd Which to Immortal Verse shall subject yield Hail to you both prepar'd of God to be This Worlds Redemption Heav'ns and Angels scrutiny V. Such is the great Behest such is Thy Will Who now before all Nations dost prepare What shall with joyous Praise all Nations fill As in Him all have equal share Thy Son who shall to those who ' in darkness are Rise as the World's Sun does with scattered Light But Israels Glory be with Rays like ' his own Flames bright Comiato To Sir Nicholas Stuart Baronet SONGS made in lieu of many more And more than Songs which to his Love I owe Who when your Master waited at the Door First let him in and sacred Honours did bestow You blessed Songs i th' Temple first to sing And then to Descant on an humbler thing To his and your lov'd Patron go And tho you ne're can recompence The ease and leasure both of us have thence Proffer the utmost service Verse can do And as He is your Ornament Be of my grat'itude and his Virtue the fixt Monument The VIII Great HYMNS of the Apocalyps I. HYMN The Adoration of the XXIV ELDERS Gratias agimus tibi Domine Deus Optime I. WORTHY Thou art all Honour to receive Thrice Honour'd we who may that Honour give Blest King who in One undivided now The scatter'd Parts of Time collected hast The Future Present and the Past And every Time and Age dost in one moment know II. We praise Thee ' Almighty God for that Thou ' hast tane To Thee thy great Power and at length dost Reign Thou Reign'st and tho the Nations troubled are Thy Wrath is come and therewith come the Time When Thou wilt sentence every Crime And all the Dead shall for the Great Assize prepare III. Up shall they rise and as their Works have been Or Shame or Glory on all Brows be seen Thy Prophets and Thy Saints shall shout for joy And all who fear Thy Name both small and great But Vengeance from Thy Judgment Seat Th' Earths bold Destroyers shall eternally destroy II. HYMN The Acclamation of Heaven upon MICHAEL's overthrow of the Dragon and his Angels Nunc facta est Salus Virtus c. I. NOW is Salvation now is come the Hour That long expected never shall be done Now Reigns our God with whom in equal Power And strength Enthron'd sits his Anointed Son They Reign and Judg and having Judgment past The Brethrens great Accuser or'e the Bar have cast II. Both Night and Day the Brethren he accus'd Heav'ns common Barrettor with Charge unjust Their Patience and the Judges Grace abus'd Tho from them the forg'd Calumny they thrust And his false Evidence or'e-rul'd bore down By the Lambs Blood in Court attested and their own III. These were the Pleas whereby they overcame And these the Witnesses call'd and allow'd Which ev'n the Devil their slanderer heard with shame And self-condemn'd to the just Sentence bow'd Greater their Word was than could be deni'd But greater yet their Testimony that they Di'd IV. For this O Heav'ns rejoyce and ye who there In Sacred Bliss uninterrupted dwell Rejoyce and a part with you let them bear Who from below shall of your Justice tell With joy shall Sing how the' Dragon overthrown From Heav'ns high-top to th' Earth was tumbled down V. But wo worth you to whom in wrath he 's come Of Earth and Sea the miserable ' out-cast On whom he 'll seek to be aveng'd the Doom Was on himself and curs'd Abettors past With rage he comes and whole Hells last effort Fury incenst because he knows his time 's but short III. HYMN The Happy Dead Beati mortui qui in Domino moriuntur I. BLEST are the Dead who in the Lord depart From henceforth Blessed write them down For Labours tho and Pain they have known Of neither feel they more the irksome smart II. So says the Spiri't for but to ' enjoy full rest From all their Toils are they remov'd And of their Works by God approv'd That follow close in Bliss they are possest IV. HYMN The Song of MOSES and of the LAMB Magna Mirabilia sunt opera c. I. GREAT are thy Works and marvelous thy Praise Lord God Almighty just and true Thy Ways Blest King of Saints who would not fear In Thy dread Presence to appear Whom Angels and attending Thrones revere II. Who would not Fear Thee Lord and Glorifie That Name of Thine which Thou hast rais'd so high Thy Holy Name by which Thou art known For Holiness is Thine alone But better than each single Man by ' his own III. Take then Blest King what is Thy proper due And through all Landâ— and Coasts Thy Right persue That eve'ry Coast and every Land Who wondring
Enmities off-shake For of such jarring Parts it was contriv'd And of such contrarieties did partake That it by Discord and Confusion liv'd A life such as it was with Death to be surviv'd XLVII So strove they thus would they have striven ever Till pittying their debate the Spirit of Love Calm'd the discordant Mole and did dissever Th' Eternal Combatants plac'd some above Others did to the deep Abysse remove Fast to be held in Adamantine Chain Whilst those few Parts that did more ductile prove Into Four Principles which all contain Themselves in all contain'd were solely left to reign XLVIII FIRE which as lightest took the highest place And upward rais'd its towring Head then AIR That followâ—d it but with unequal pace And tho it vy'd to be and look as fair Forc'd in the midst to hang self-ballanc'd there Next WATER which the Surface cover'd o're That pregnant Mother of the EARTH less rare In its vast Womb conceiv'd but which before It could emerge lackt mighty Love to force the Door XLIX And so it did but LIGHT was first to shine And an whole Day for that which makes the Day But little enough was thought i th' Mind Divine Through Darkness palpable to clear its way And all its various Beauties to display Darkness which tho but counted Privative Such claims to th heap whence 't was call'd out did lay That Love like equal shares to both did give Alternately each Day in Day and Night to live L. But harder were the teeming Waters Throes When on the second Day Earth nearer came To its great Birth like weight that heavier grows Long born and to break through disjoynts the frame The Waters pangs compar'd thus were the same When they divided burst but ne're to close Stopt by the solid FIRMAMENT whose Name Immoveable Partition does suppose By ' whose Shoar disjoyn'd upper and nether Ocean flows LI. And now the third Day of her Monstrous Child Half way deliver'd the Great Mother was Monstrous unsightly yet with Horrour fill'd Which in its Oasy Arms it did embrace And half supprest to the' Birth would ne're let pass But with it joyn'd one Monstrous Body made Above DRY GROUND below a confus'd Mass Part Earth with Briny Hatchments overlaid Part unmixt Water upon empty Nothing staid LII And called SEA as what appear'd was LAND Rough bare mishape't tho dry unbeautifi'd It self unbeautiful vast plains of Sand More horribly deform'd with terrors Pride Mountains that to ' Heav'n aspir'd and gaping wide With rais'd up Jaws threatned to swallow down In gorge unsatiate glories there envy'd And wrinkled Forehead which scarce made did frown And Omens give of Future War from cause unknown LIII Nor could there cause be gi'ven for a new Face From the' Love Divine it took and Nakedness Was cloath'd upon with all the Charming Grace Of Fruit and Flower and the grim Gyantess Its own Eternal Goodness to express Kind Heav'n illumin'd with a double Light The fourth Day made the greater and the less By Day the SUN with vital heat and bright To warm the MOON with starry Robe to ' invest at night LIV. Nor was this all but at the fifth Days dawn Earth and her Mother Sea replenished With new Inhab'itants were and every Laune And every Hill scar'd Solitude thence fled Legions of FOWL produc'd and kindly bred Which on large Wings above the Ground did fly But perching on some Tree made that their Bed Whilst Lakes and Streams and the huge Sea fast by With mighty WHALES were fill'd and with the lesser FRY LV. Fill'd were the Floods with these but still the Earth As whose Wing'd-People most partook of th' Air Their haunt impregnate with a second Birth For which disclos'd 't had room enough to spare Did on the sixth Day to disclose prepare And out all BEASTS and REPTILS in their kind Sprang from the fertile Womb proportion'd fair Each to its Nature but with Look declin'd To th' Earth whence tane to th' Earth whereto confin'd LVI Of these and other Works of God they sang In Lays harmonious as Love utterance gave Yet these and others which they lowdly rang Were but as Praeludes which with Mast'ry brave Their Voice shew'd and what compass Verse might have Verse which then triumpht in Recitative When they all other Grounds resolv'd to wave Sang of themselves and Him who at once did give One power to Sing thus to Him and like Him to live LVII A wondrous Work it was from Nothing thus All things in weight and measure up to raise And perfect Order form'd most beauteous Subordinate as different were the Ways Whereby their Maker would direct his Praise But none so Wondrous did and strange appear Of Power and Beauty with so rich displays As Mans Formation made the Rule to bear And sublim'd Earth equal to highest Heaven rear LVIII That Dust could Live in what was done before Was plainly told but that it too could love As Love all life in it contains and more All that or Reason knows or can improve Th' Eternal Treasures only were enough To drein and to be drein'd For God but spake And all below and all the Hosts above Being and Life from the great Word did take But Hands Divine Man's model were employ'd to make LIX By Hands Divine his Body first was wrought The full Abridgment of this World to be With curious Art to ' its last perfection brought But infinitely base in its degree To th' Soul the Pourtraict of the Deity Into his Nostrils breath'd that in his Brain Might be infixt the Heav'nly Ima'gry And Life with Vital Blood in every Vein To th' Parts extream convey'd the Character retain LX. Love was that Character in Holiness And perfect Purity exemplifi'd And Innocence which that first state did bless And Reason with them Empire to divide And o're th' Inferiour Appetite preside Which it restrain'd and furnisht with true Skill It self in all its Acts to curb and guide At least had power to do so and fulfil The Charge Divine close backt by Freedom of the Will LXI Blest Qualities which made him Lord and King Of all this lower World and Majesty On his Erected Countenance stampt did bring Heav'n down to Earth and Earth that flat did lie Advance'd to be for Angels Company Nay farther and what Angels did admire For its Aetern Exemplar the Most High Who with his Work delighted would retire Frequent from Heav'n as to divert and view it nighe'r LXII Himself hereby Man dexterously did guide And o're himself so absolutely reign The greatest Kingdom in the World beside And which all other Kingdoms did contain In ' it self in Chief or Vassalages Chain That only Peace and only what was Good And only Love was given for Love again With Charms that by no force could be withstood And centred in one Point Indivisible GOD. LXIII Hail happy state of Innocence thrice Hail Hail to Thy Love and Thee And may my Verse From thence inspir'd with generous Souls
holy boldness gives That Word of Thine which like Thy self is sure And through all Ages shall endure True as its Speaker who for ever Lives The God of Truth who cannot Lye Nor his own Goodness promis'd thus to his Child deny XV. Please it Thee therefore may it please Thee Lord Thy Servant and Thy Servants House to bless With Blessings that may never cease Blessings as fixt as Thy Eternal Word For Thou my God canst bless alone Thus bless and once thus blessing me indeed I ' have done The last words of DAVID Dixit David filius Isai dixit vir c. Terzetti THUS David Jesse's Royal Son did sing Thus spake the Man who the great Promise had That from his Loyns the CHRIST of God should spring On whose Eternal Shoulders should be laid The Government Psalmist of Israel Thus sang he thus from Heav'n inspir'd he said The Spirit of God in Vision on me fell And by my Mouth Himself th' Almighty spake His Words they are which I his Prophet tell His who the Care of Israel does take And hitherto ne're falsifi'd His Trust Nor will tho Heav'n and Earths Foundations shake The Man who rules o're others must be Just Ruling himself and them i th' sacred Fear Of Heav'ns dread King to whom account he must For all the wrongs he does or makes them bear By an Impartial Judgment to be tri'd Whose Doom definitive he forc'd shall hear Thrice happy Prince who e're that Oyes cry'd The God within his Brest his Conscience Appealing and appeal'd has satisfi'd There first absolv'd with approv'd Innocence His Righteousness shall shine as Morning Light When th' early Sun his Glories to dispense New guilds the Sullys of the murky Night And without Cloud between his Beams to pass As higher he ascends appears more bright So shall he shine or as the tender Grass Shooting its verdant Head above the Ground With gems of pearly Dew midst Flowers takes place This I 'll not say that in my Rule I 've found A perfect and uninterrupted Bliss For what 's my House or Rule thus to be own'd Yet for my Kingdoms Justice I 'll say this That with me God a lasting Cove'nant made In all things sure as His great promise is Order'd and sure nor e're to be oâ—resway'd Tho I too oft have forfeited His Love And when I should have rul'd my Lusts obey'd But even then did I and do now reprove The Follies I so passionately pursu'd And whose remembrance greater Passions move Blest God forgive me be Thy Word renew'd For all before Thee is my whole desire All in Thy sight as it by me is view'd Confirm Thy Promise humbly I require Not for my sake O Lord but for Thine own And double Zeal into my Son inspire So shall he grow up as a Plant alone And in his Fame tho dead I too shall grow The happy Father of an happier Son Whilst those who will not to his Scepter bow As Thorns shall all of them be thrust away Thorns which th' unguarded Hand tho they pierce through To th' Hook and Fire shall be an easie Prey Justice which in his time from th' Earth shall spring And Peace from Heaven descending meet half way The Song of HEZEKIAH Ego dixi in dimidio dierum meorum I. REVOLVING the sharp Sentence past And how an end e're thought was on me come How soon said I have I approacht my last And unawares reacht Natures farthest Home Ah! now I to the Grave must go No more or Life or Pleasure know But a long doleful Night in darkness deep below II. No more my God shall I see Thee Nor the great Works of Thy Almighty Hand No more a Votary at Thy Altar be Nor in the crouds of them who praise Thee stand Mankind no more shall I behold Nor tell nor of Thy Love be told Eve'n mine to Thee shall like my ashes Lord be cold III. Lo as a Tent am I remov'd And my lives thread which I thought wondrous strong Too weak to bear the Looms extension prov'd i th' midst broke off too sleasie to run long With Sickness I am pine'd away And feel each moment some decay All Night in Terrors and in Grief die all the Day IV. For as a Lion hasts to ' his Prey And havieg gripe'd it breaks the yielding Bones So on me came th' Almighty whilst I lay In vain expecting help but from my Groans O take said I Thy Hand away See how I feel my Loins decay All Night in Terrors and in Grief die all the Day V. Then like a Swallow or a Crane I chatt'red o're my Fears his Heart to move The widow'd Turtle does not more complain When in the Woods she ' has lost her faithful Love My Eyes O God with waiting fail Why shouldst Thou thus a Worm assail I 'm Thine O let for once th' Almighty not prevail VI. Yet do Thy Will I must confess Worse Plagues than these my Sins deserve from Thee The Sentence past is than my Crimes far less And only Hell a fit reward can be Ah! let my Prayers that Doom prevent My age in Mournings shall be spent And all the Years Thou giv'st shall be but to repent VII On Thy great Pleasure all depend During which only I and Mankind live To teach us this Thou dost Diseases send And daily claim'st the Life which Thou didst give Yet such is Thy resistless Power That when our age is quite past o're What Thou at first didst give Thou canst our Life restore VIII And thus with me Lord hast Thou dealt Tho I for peace had only bitterness Th' effects of mighty Goodness thus have felt Beyond what words or numbers can express For from the Pit Thou drew'st me back And that I might no pleasures lack Upon Thy Self the burden of my Sins didst take IX Triumphant Saviour the still Grave For so great Love Thy Name can never praise Nor in the Pit canst Thou Memorial have Thy Truth or hop'd for or ador'd Thy Ways The Living Lord the Living are The Men who must Thy Power declare And of them chiefly such whom Thou like me shalt spare X. They to their Children shall make known As I do now the Wonders of Thy Hand How when we eve'n to Hell did head-long run To stop our passage Thou i th' way didst stand Lord since Thou ' hast thus deliver'd me Thus made me Thy Salvation see My Life and Harp and Song I 'll consecrate to Thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 III. ID NOV 1667. Three Psalms according to the old Version and Meeter ordinarily used in Churches a little alter'd PSAL. I. Beatus Vir qui non abiit THE Man is blest whose doubtful Paths Unrul'd by Sinners are Who in their Council never stood Nor sat i th' Scorners Chair But in the Law of God the Lord Hath fixt his whole delight And in that Law does exercise Himself both Day and Night He shall be like a Tree which grows Close
or Night be ' it Ev'ning or the Morn From th' Years account let it be ever torn To me it self and Heav'n and all be lost And from the number of the Days be crost O had it never been or had that Hour But barr'd the Gate and damn'd the fertil Door Unhappy Gate but Hour unhappy more Sorrow I ne're had known nor had these Eyes Beheld the Light which none but Fools can prize Rather why di'd I not making the Womb At once my busie tyring House and Tomb But by the Knees I must perverted be And live more Deaths than one to act more Plagues to see Draw th' hated Brests only to fetch supply After ten thousand Deaths new deaths to try And at the last with greater sense and torment die Had I then dy'd still as the Night or Grave My Voice had been without a Death to crave Still had I lain and in Oblivion's brest Enjoy'd a sweeter sleep and sounder rest The Earth which does in its cold Lap enfold All Arts and Arms Princes and all their Gold Which Sepulchers does for their Tombs prepare Great in their Dust and in their Ruines fair For me to Die then had I been allow'd Had markt a place amidst the awful Crowd There where untimely Births i th' Pit are thrown And through the Earths soft pores the Plains with verdure crown An awful place it is with Company The best and great'st where in appartments lie Kings and their Counsellors each in his Bed With each his Sword clapt underneath his Head For there the proud Usurpors terrors cease And there the weary are at perfect ease And the whole Region riots in the spoils of Peace Pris'ners enjoy their Liberty at least know No other Chains than what their Jaylors do Both small and great there undistinguisht be Undisturb'd by outworn Authority Masters and Servants throw those Names aside And for a nobler freedom both provide No fear of the Oppressor's there no wrong No Clamours no Reproach amidst that throng But a deep silence fills the profound wast Deaf to all calls but the last Trumpets blast Ah might I rest there Why is Death deni'd To him who seeks it in those shades to hide Who for it digs and would more gladly find That Treasure than the mines he leaves i th' way behind Light and this Life will but encrease his pain Light and this Life of which he does complain And would for ' one Death exchange but all in vain Why is Life thrust on such a Man who 's dead Dead to himself and God all comfort fled Me why is 't thrust on who the Gift despise As th' worst of this Worlds great impert'nencies Nay more its greatest Curse unwelcome Guest That never le ts me never be at rest Nor Bed nor Board their just refreshment give Which who would thus thus I 'd not always live Too long already to feel what I fear'd Sadder than can be told too doleful to be heard At rest I ne're was but compar'd with this All former Grief as gone and vanisht is And all but very Hell would be a kind of Bliss 1660. The Prayer of HABAKKUK Hab. 3. Domine audivi auditionem I. MY God I have Thy Wonders heard And their report like those who saw them feard I heard what Thou of Old hast done Revive Thy Work nor let it die But since to make us hope Thou hast begun Let our Deliverance too draw nigh Lord in the midst of th' Years appear Nor ever ever thus forbear To put an happy issue to our Fear i th' midst of th' Years Thy Greatness show For we are ready if Thou ' art but so Let us in Wrath Thy Mercy see Remembred this let that forgotten be What tho with us the full Time 's not expir'd With Thee 't is ended and by us desir'd Ages to come and Ages long since past In Heav'n where Thou art present are 'T is ever now and now will ever last O Now from Heav'n Thy Power declare And let it once be here what it is ever there II. Deus ab Austro veniet God came from Teman and the Holy One Descended from Mount Paran with a mighty Train The Earth to Heav'n did dart the Rays again And as He past the Skie with Glory shone Refined Light without allay Such as above makes Angels Day Such was His Brightness and such was His Way He was all Light but from His Side Shot forth a Beam so clear and pure That none to see it could endure And there as in the dark He did His Glories hide The Pestilence before Him went Gathering new Poysons as the old were spent Ruine and Desolation at His Feet Never to part again did meet But sworn to execute His Wrath on Man Kist and embrac'd each other close as they before Him ran III. Stetit mensus est Terram He stood and in His Hand He held a Line and measuring Wand Both to mete out and to destroy his Land Over the Earth the fatal Line He threw And that it level on all sides might lie He smote the Nations and they ' in haste withdrew Th' affrighted Earth that fain would flie Seeing it could not stir the Line did take But did with horrour and amazement shake The Rocks as it came o're their Backs did quake Bow'd down their Heads and griev'd they were so high The everlasting Mountains scatt'red lay And the perpetual Hills sank down and stole away IV. Pro iniquitate vidi Tentoria I saw the Tents of Egypt in distress Methoughts I heard their doleful groans The Land did tremble and its emptiness An hollow murmur added to its moans And shriekt a deadly eccho from the wounded Stones When not content to see their First-born slain Conquer'd on Land they once again Would try the fortune of the Main Since they the Tenth Shock could so stoutly brave They scorn'd to fear the Eleventh Wave Till they themselves and that saw buried in a Grave What ail'd the Rivers Lord what ail'd the Flood That Thou shouldst make their streams true Veins of Blood What could the Sea against Thee do So small against so great a Foe Exalted Thou so high and that so low Could it deserve Thy Wrath or roar so loud From Heav'n Thy Throne to call Thee down Or in its swellings was it grown so proud It ' sdeign'd a check from a single frown Unless in Triumph God would o're it ride And Seas from Seas below as first from those above divide V. Suscitans suscitabis Arcum So on the Sea i th' Air his Bow was seen Not by Reflection like the Rain-bow made Where all the pleasing Colours are together laid That Man might be no more afraid Of a new Deluge to be unsherd in And once more drown what it could never purge his Sin That is his Bow of Peace but this of War The Skie about it was with Darkness spread Slaughter and Gore had stain'd it red Ghastly and terrible it glistned from afar A poysoned
But in all else more secret Snares than we Till by them Caught shall ever know From this to clear it and restore To th' Garden what it had before And perfect Innocence add one Beauty more As there fall'n Man his Life first forfeited There to Redeem him first the Blood of God was shed VI. How grievous were his Pains there and how great Burning tho in the frosty shades of Night Shivering with Cold but in a Bloody Sweat And all dissolv'd at his approaching Passions Sight Thrice did He his Disciples leave And thrice to his Great Father pray'd Thrice to himself He answer made And by an Angel did support receive But O! th' Assaults that were within Compar'd with which his Bodies Flame Was temperate heat and scarce deserv'd the Name When in his Soul the Burning did begin And Hell to ' encrease the Fire did Mines of Brimstone bring A thousand Fiends about him flew And Coals and bailful Firebrand threw That seiz'd at length the noblest Part Beyond the weak defence of Nature or of Art And unconsum'd did only leave the Heart VII The Heart did unconsum'd remain By the Arch-Fiend With its own Grief to burst design'd When in the Judgment Hall again He should the Charge renew but all in vain Thither betray'd by 'a Kiss the Traytors bring With Fetters bound Heav'ns Sacred King Where being Cited and Blasphem'd Flouted Scourg'd Spat upon Derided and Contemn'd By them Revil'd deny'd by ' His own A Reed in ' his Hand his Head with Thorns they Crown And lead to Golgotha their God whom they ' had Condemn'd VIII Follow Muse if thou hast the heart and see What other Torments they prepare I know the utmost of their Cruelty And from thy Mouth had rather hear The sad Report than a Spectator be Yet that thou mayst not stand thy self surpriz'd Stript off his Clothes in Nakedness disguiz'd To th' Cross they 'll nail his Hands 't is said And bore with Nalls his tender Feet Then all his Sufferings to upbraid Cry If Thou art the Son of God let 's see 't Now from the Tree triumphantly come down Or reign thence like Thy self alone Or any other Wonder show Whereby Thy De'ity may be known And to its Scepter we will bow As if there greater Miracle could be Than all that Patience which they do but will not see IX Nor is this all but when He 's Dead His Side they 'll open with a Spear Approach the Wound and look what Blood is shed For it Mysterious will appear And be another Argument for thee next Year A better Spring will thence arise Than Helicon so Fam'd of old There bath thy self if thou art wise Nor fear in those chast Streams to be too bold But see be sure too long thou dost not stay For all the while Thou art away Tears only from these Eyes will flow And in my Fancy I shall double o're All that I have told thee now before And all that thou return'd will'st tell again and more Beside my Verse will fetter'd be and slow And want both Wings to flie and Feet to go 10. Martii 166â— EPIGRAM WHen my God Di'd I first began to Live And Life which he refus'd Heav'n me did give Unlike that Day O how unlike we were Him dead the Cross me ' alive the Knees did bear But may not I die too This life of mine I can as well as Thou dispise if not like Thine Ah dearest Lord this Legacy bestow A double Life then to Thy Death I 'll owe And sanctifi'd thus in my Birth by Thee A living Death my dying Life shall be 5. Decemb. 1668. An Extasie of Divine Love Aquesta Divina Vnion c. I. THat sacred Bond of Charity Wherein I uncorrupted Live Makes God the Captive Chain receive But my pinion'd Heart sets free Tho causing still such love in me To see Heav'ns King my Pris'ner lie That I die 'cause I cannot die II. How teadious now this Life is grown The way to Death how hard and long How dark the Dunge'on th' Ir'ns how strong With which my ' unwilling Soul 's kept down And has no trust but hope alone These thoughts my Troubles raise so high That I die 'cause I cannot die III. Bitter Life shalt thou be to me Where I my God can ne're enjoy But if my Love has no alloy My hope as try'd and pure may be Ah! come my Lord and set me free Take off this weight which makes me cry That I die 'cause I cannot die IV. By hope alone it is I Live Hope that I bear the seeds of Death And dying once a second Birth Secures that Hope and Life do's give O Death I 'll ne're thy coming grieve When Life succeeds through hope so nigh That I die 'cause I cannot die V. Who can the Charms of Love refuse Ah Life no more my Heart betray 'T is only thou stand'st in my way Which rather than my Love I 'll loose And Death for my great Champion choose So much alate thy Enemy That I die 'cause I cannot die VI. The Life alone that 's hid above Can of true Life the Title claim That Toy which here usurps the Name Its pleasure hides and deads our Love And a worse Foe than Death does prove Death for whose sake I Life so flie That I die 'cause I cannot die VII What can I give frail Life but thee To th' God who in me deigns to live Yet how can I the nothing give Till he first grants me Liberty O let me die his Face to see But that 's so distant from my Eye That I die 'cause I cannot die VIII Beside my God from thee away Who would not of a Life complain That terrible and full of pain Suffers a thousand Deaths each Day A Mortal but a slow decay And this so swells my Misery That I die 'cause I cannot die IX All Creatures love their Element And pleasure there enjoy and rest And if by Death they are disseas'd To their first nothing they are sent But I 'm beyond kind Death's extent And yet so many hardships try That I die 'cause I cannot die X. When in the Eucharist my dull Soul Eating thy Flesh it self would ease A thousand thoughts for entrance press And there not to enjoy Thee whole Whole and alone I a ' new condole For 't is the Voice of every Sigh That I die cause I cannot die XI I please my self i th' Hopes 't is true E're long my God of seeing Thee But fearing lest they false should be My Torments with my Fears renew And both so close my Soul pursue Hoping mid both so heartily That I die 'cause I cannot die XII Lord from this Death deliver me And Life thus beg'd at length bestow Why should I still be kept below Look how I die for love of Thee And since enjoy'd Thou canst not be In this Lifes death regard my cry That I die 'cause I cannot die XII My dying Life
can get free has vowd 'T will that and all things else for Thee discard 'T will more than ever eye th' ador'd Reward And purg'd with sacred Flame JESU to Thy great Name No cost of Wit or Verse being basely spar'd Its Life and Hymns and Service dedicate To Thee own its chang'd desires Kiss the soft Fires and blame it self that 't was so late XI JESU to whom that Name as the Prize is given Of all Thou didst and sufferedst without measure The mighty Dowry which Thou broughtst Thy Wife Deaths plague Hells spoil but whose exstatic Pleasure Is for the Marriage Feast reserv'd in Heav'n Whither I haste to be than hope more rife And plentiful Lo the short Day of Life Posts swiftly on and flies JESU in my Agonies Tho now with Death and Hell I am at strife Let me experience this Names healthful ease And after a long War With Truces rare in ' it Conquer and depart in Peace Comiato Thus tho with different heat of Spirit and Verse What Petrarch sang to another JESU Thy Virgin Mother The stops in part chang'd I to Thee rehearse I chang'd the stops for under Thy Broad Seal Thou givest us no Commission Her to Petition and from her to Thee appeal Altro Comiato And now be pleas'd to accept this humble Praise Other and better Fruit JESU of all my Suit I dare not beg eve'n Pardon here is Bays And for the Prayers dropt more from my Heart than Pen Since their least part 's the Rime And words which chime say as I to them say AMEN I 'l Terzo When I sent it to Sir Kingsmil Lucy At London Song Thy Russet and Thy Freeze Will seem I fear but course Jesu they 'll cry or worse See! the dull fleghm of Solitude and Trees Thus will the Fops treat Thee those Wits by Rote Yet one Thou ' lt know e're long Who will own Thee Song and see Thy Beauties through Thy Coat An HYMN for Vespers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 JESU CHRIST blest Light of Light Th' Immortal Fathers chearful shine Ray of Glory all Divine Equally with Him fair and bright When we see the Day decline Calling the sluggish Evening on We praise the Father and the Son And in our Lauds the Spirit joyn Worthy art Thou O God we say Worthy O Son of God art Thou And Thou of Life the Lord and Giver Worthy to be Prais'd for ever Great THREE and ONE to Thee we bow And with th' whole World thus Crown each Day LENT Sestina al' Italiana Convertimento a Dio. I. WELCOME great Queen of Fasts thrice welcome Lent With solemn Penance and Devotion crownd Sweet Abstinence clean thoughts and chaste desires The Wings whereby th' unpinion'd Soul does flie Above this lower Circle and exchange Substantial Cares for Joys unmixt and pure II. I well remember when with thoughts less pure Nor more to Piety a Friend than Lent Pleas'd I could well have been ne're to exchange My course of Living no tho to be Crown'd With Bays Immortal and Exalted rise In hopes as large as are my chang'd desires III. But that time 's gone and with it those desires Which held me down and in their stead a pure Ethereal Flame which upward still does rise Kind thoughts of what 's esteem'd severe in Lent My Soul the Victim has for the Alter Crownd And ee'n burnt up nor would I ' again exchange IV. This was Thy Work Lord Thou 't was didst exchange What was beyond my power to curb stubborn desires Making them subject to the Head Thou ' hadst Crownd And now I 'm Victor with Robes clean and pure Pure to what once I wore and this new Lent To ' attend the Triumph rich in Spoils does rise V. And as that rises such hope I to rise When on the Fasts great close I shall exchange For Easters Sun the dewy Pearls of Lent Bathing like Oar with frequent Tears desires Which only such a Flame can render pure Fin'd from all Dross and worthy to be Crown'd VI. Hast Thee blest Day wherein with Glory crownd The Worlds great Saviour from the Grave did rise And credence gives His Spouse that like Him pure She shall rise too and all her Spots exchange For Glories larger than her vast desires And the' Pious Resveries of an holy Lent Were Lent and Primitive Institutes thus Crown'd With purgd Desires and Lives their Fame would rise And none the Church exchange to be more Pure Sent to my Excellent Patron Sir Nicholas Stuart Baronet 1672 3. The Song of the ANGELS At the Fall of Lucifer I. SON of the Morning First-born of the Light The once bright Phospher of the Day Divine How art Thou hurld into eternal Night And hid in Flames who didst with Glory shine The bold Usurper of th' Almighty's Crown Proud Lucifer to Hell is thrown And sing'd the Heav'ns as he from thence fell headlong down II. Above the Heav'ns he said I will ascend And there above the Stars exalt my Throne My Conquests in the North I will extend And God a parted Rule shall have or none Above the heights ne're reacht before I 'll flie And equal made with the Most High Or gain an honourable Fall or Victory III. Scarce said a pointed Thunderbolt was sent From th' Hand Divine which pierc'd him to the heart In vain he sought the Vengeance to prevent And to Almighty Strength oppos'd his Art But down he sank and down the Monster fell The stroke nor bore nor could repel And exil'd once the Heav'ns the next descent was Hell IV. Hell from beneath to meet him rais'd its Head And now no longer shall we empty be Since Thou art come the pale Abyssus said Look How we dress our Flames to welcome Thee And all with Flames they Circled him around With Flames their Princes Temples bound An Heav'n of Flames they made him strewd with Flames the Ground V. Rejoyce O Heav'ns for your Oppressor's ceast And tho e're long there shall from Earth ascend An unknown Race which shall disturb your rest Rejoyce and their Triumphant Arms attend For when by these you shall invaded be With Tears and Importunity Thus to be Conquer'd is to gain the Victory VI. Son of the Morning First-born of the Light The once bright Phospher of the Day Divine How art Thou hurld into eternal Night And hid in Flames who didst with Glory shine The bold Usurper of th' Almighty's Crown Proud Lucifer to Hell is thrown And sing'd the Heav'ns as he from thence fell headlong down L'Envoy SONG that long since wert finished And for another Place design'd Than what Thou here dost find In a long Work and long since promised Say that the Piles Foundations laid The ' unwary Builder all his Charge has lost For till begun As a Wise Man should first have done He did not as was fit sit down Throughly the Ground had not survey'd His Friends or Strength had tri'd or reckned up the cost Convertimento á Dio. LORD my
Cheats which Ignorance betray III. To make Vile Anagrams was its best Art And lewdly then to descant on the Text Whose Gloss was evermore the dullest part And all the Wit to seem and be perplext IV. Then motly Metaphors at length stole in And that the Poet might his Treasures boast Rubies and Pearls were in each couplet seen And a poor Sonnet would an Empire cost V. But still the Sun to th' hardest Task was prest And wearied with his Journey all Day long I' th' Sea at Night enjoy'd but confus'd rest For less the World could want him than a Song VI. These were the Vices captive Verse obey'd With thousand worse to which it did submit Till you the Enemies weakness open laid And to its ancient Grandure ransom'd it VII 'T was you great Sir who like the Redcrosâ— Knight To save the Damsel Poesy arose Like him did with th' Enchanted Dragon fight And made her Reign a Queen amidst her Foes VIII Wit from your Pen was quite another thing Than what the Ignorant imagin'd it And in your manner skilfully to Sing More than to make rich Rimes and Noises hit IX T was Manly Grave and full of sprit'ely Fire The same that it was sixteen Centuries past Able the very Reader to inspire And whose fixt Monument shall ever last X. But sacred Poesy lay all this while Scorn'd or Neglected as it was before As if it were no Sacriledg to spoil But what from God was once Robb'd to restore XI Any thing for the Temple would suffice No matter how ill drest the Service were To th' Institution it did nearer rise More like th' unpolisht Altar and Goats Hair XII Waiting your help it lay who to redeem The Credit which it long unjustly lost Have rais'd it to a more enlarg'd esteem Lov'd of the best and Courted by the most XIII From you the Jewish Psalmist has receiv'd The latest Glory which he could expect And all who at his barbarous Sufferings griev'd With Pleasure on them thus expir'd reflect XIV You were that Worthy for whom all did look To ' attempt and execute this bold Design Nor was there other Way than what you took By Humane Poesy to restore Divine XV. For as i th' Revolutions of Great States Civility Religion did produce The Muses Kingdoms too have born like Fates By ' you first made Civil then Religious L'Envoy Full often Song I 've griev'd thou staydst at Home Nor kiss'dst those Hands for which thou wert design'd Sure hadst Thou ever to His Presence come The known He ' had lov'd who to th' unknown was kind 1668. To Mr. Isaac Walton Publishing the Life of Mr. George Herbert ODE I. HEAV'NS youngest Son its Benjamin Divinities next Brother Sacred Poesy No longer shall a Virgin reck'ned be What e're with others 't is how e're call'd so by me A Female Muse as were the Nine But full of Vigor Masculine An Essence Male with Angels in shar'd Glories joyn With Angels first the Heav'nly Child was bred And while a Child instructed them to Sing The Praises of th' Immortal King Who Lucifer in Triumph led For as in Chains the Monster sank to Hell And tumbling Headlong down the Precipice fell By Him well shew'd and tutor'd well How art Thou fallen Morning Star they said Too fondly then we ' have fanci'd him a Maid We the vain Brethren of the Riming Trade A Female Angel less would Rafaels skill upbraid II. Thus 't was in Heav'n this Poesies Sex and Age And when He thence to 'our lower World came down He chose a Form most like his own And Jesses youngest Son inspir'd with holy Rage The sprightly Shepherd felt unusual Fire And up he took his Tuneful Lyre He took it up and strook ' it and ' his own soft touches did admire Thou Po'esy on Him didst bestow An Honour shew'd before to none And to prepare his Way to th' Hebrew Throne Gave'st him Thy Empire and Dominion The happy Land of Verse where slow Rivers of Milk and Groves of Laurel grow Wherewith Thou didst adorn his Brow And madst his first most flourishing Triumphal Crown Assist me Thy great Prophets Praise to Sing David the Poets and blest Israels King And with the dancing Eccho let the Mountains ring Then on the Wings of some auspicious Wind Let His great Name from Earth be rais'd on High And in the Starry Volume of the Skie A lasting Record find Be with His mighty Psaltery joyn'd Which taken up long since into the Air And call'd the Harp makes a bright Constellation there III. Worthy it was to be Translated hence And there in view of all Exalted hang To which so oft the Princely Prophet sang And sacred Ora'cles did dispence Tho had it still remain'd below More Wonders of it we e're now had seen How great the mighty Herberts Skill had been Herbert who could so much without it do Herbert who perfectly its Chords did know More perfectly than any Child of Verse does now Ah! had we known him half so well But then my Friend there had been left for you Nothing so fair and worthy Praise to undergo Who so exactly all his Story tell That tho we envy not his Bays Nor all the Piramids Verse can raise Your Hand and Pen we do that eternize his Praise Herhert and Donn again are joyn'd Here below as they ' are above The Friends are in their old Embraces twin'd And since by you that Enterview 's design'd Too weak to part them Death does prove But in one Book they greet again as in one Heav'n they love L'Envoy To Wotton too my Song A kind remembrance Thou dost owe With my Friends Name who made Thee know This great Triumvirate of Verse but long Too long I fear Thou then wouldst be If not o're-born with th' mighty subjects Dignity To the same Mr. Is. Wa. upon the Publication of the Reverend Mr. Richard Hooker's Life ODE I. HAIL Sacred Mother British Church all hail From whose fruitful Loyns have sprung Of Pious Sons so great a throng That Heav'n to ' oppose their force of Strength does fail And lets the mighty Victors o're Almighty Arms prevail How art Thou chang'd from what Thou wert of late When destitute and quite forlorn And scarce a Child of thousands with Thee left to mourn Thy Vail all rent and all Thy Garments torn With Tears Thou didst bewail Thine own and Childrens Fate Too much alas Thou didst resemble then Sion Thy Type Sion in Ashes laid Despis'd forsaken and betray'd Sion Thou dost resemble once again And rais'd like her the Glory of the World art made Threnes to Thee only could that time belong But now Thou art the happy subject of my Song II. Begin my Song and where the doleful Mother sat As it in Vision was the Prophet shown Lamenting with the rest her dearest Son Blest CHARLES who his Fore-fathers has out-run And to the Royal joyn'd the Martyrs brighter Crown Let a new City rise with beauteous State And
beauteous let its Temple be and beautiful the Gate See! how the sacred Fabrique up does rise The Architects so Skilful all So Grave so Humble and so Wise The Axes and the Hammers noise Is drownd in Silence or in Numbers Musical 'T is up and at the Altar stand The Reverend Fathers as of old With Harps and Incense in their Hand Nor let the Pious Service grow or Dumb or Cold. Th' Inferiour Priests the while To Praise continually employ'd or Pray Need not the weary Hours beguile Enough 's the single duty of each Day Thou thy Self Woodford on thy humbler Pipe mayst play And tho but lately ' admitted there So gracious those Thou Honour'st all appear So ready and attent to hear An easie part proportion'd to Thy Skill may'st bear III. But where alas where wilt Thou fix Thy choice The Subjects are so noble all So great their Glories and Thy Art so small They 'll judg I fear themselves disparag'd by Thy voice Yet try and since Thou canst not take A Name so dispicably low But 't will exceed what Thou canst do Tho Thou thy ' whole Mite away at once shouldst throw Thy Poverty a Vertue make And that Thou may'st Immortal live Since Immortality Thou canst not give From one who has to spare be ' ambitious to receive Of Reverend and Judicious Hooker Sing Hooker does to the Church belong The Church and Hooker claim Thy Song And inexhausted Riches to Thy Verse will bring So far beyond it self will make it grow That Life his Gift to Thee thou shalt again on him bestow IV. How great blest Soul must needs Thy Glory be Thy Joys how perfect and Thy Crown how fair Who mad'st the Church thy chiefest care This Church who owes so much to Thee That all her Sonâ— must Sacrifice unto Thy Memory 'T was a bold Work the Captive to redeem But bolder the Opprest to raise Our Aged Mother to that due esteem She had and merited in her younger Days When Primitive Zeal and Piety Were her best Laws and Policy And decent Worship kept the mean It s too wide-stretcht extreams between The rudely scrupulous and too wanton vain This was the Work of Hookers Pen With Judgment Candour and such Learning writ Matter and Words so ' exactly fit That were it to be done agen Expected 't would be as its Answer hitherto has been Retornata To Chelsey Song and tell thy Masters Friend The Church is Hooker's Debtor Hooker his And strange 't would be if he should Glory miss For whom two such most powerfully contend Bid him chear up the Day 's his own And he can never Die Who after Seventy 's past and gone Can all th' assaults of Age defie Is Master still of so much Youthful heat A Child so perfect and so spirit'ous to beget The Metamorphosis CLELIA chang'd into A BAIE To the Memory of Mrs. A. W. who died in Child-bed 14 January 1663-4 DOWN in a Vale between two shady Groves Whose Trees in sighs bewail'd their distant Loves And o're a Stream which gently glid below Stretcht their long Arms and leafy Heads did bow As if each others Necks they would embrace And murmuring chid the interrupting space Sylvius the wretched Shepherd chose to lay Clelias remains and his own Vows to pay The Tomb nor Marble was nor glitterant Brass No weighty Pile but Bank of Turfy Grass Which he himself cast up and all around With Winter Roses strewd the sacred Ground Close by a mournful Tablet hung whose Verse Was thus engrav'd Kind Earth where I securely trust My Dearest half in Peace to sleep Be sure thou safely guard her Dust And undisturb'd the still lov'd Ashes keep But look thou lightly on them fall And as in thine own Center have no weight at all So shalt thou be with Roses Crown'd And all those Flowers which now I strow Again as in their Native Ground Only more fair shall in thy Bosom grow Maintain'd by an Eternal Spring Which with my constant Tears I to these Banks will bring Witness ye Floods which deeper run By them encreast than heretofore And as you purling roll along Those ancient bounds you seldom toucht run o're At my request yet higher swell And what 's their power tho in your broken numbers tell With you my Tears but here 's my Fire Preserv'd alive in Clelias Urn Never to Languish or Expire But in the next Age to break forth and burn When it to Verse a Theam shall give And by the Flames it shall inspire be known to live Retir'd the Valley was from common View By none frequented known but to a few Sylvio's best Friends who thither us'd to go Sometimes with him and there joynt-Tears bestow Belisa and her Swain who claim'd a share By Love and Friendship in the Pious Care Were all his Company and who alone Best knew and judg'd his Sorrow by their own Yet for their own tho they some case could find In vain they sought it for his troubled Mind For still more restless that and stubborn grew And with the Day his Griefs did still renew Clelia was all his thought and with her Name He so stirr'd up the yet encreasing Flame That the thick Sighs which from his Brest did go Were but as Wind the glowing Coals to blow And his exhausted Tears too late did prove That Love alone not they could quench his love And so he liv'd if one a Life may call What was indeed but a long Funeral Till as one Morning to the Grove he went And to conclude the Ceremony meant The Grove he found by a new Tree encreast Whose sleeping Root seem'd laid in Clelias Brest The sight amaz'd him but when he drew near And saw the Plant how gay it did appear His Clelia in the Plant the Shepherd spiâ—d Nor could the strange disguise her Beauties hide 'T was a fair Bay but so exactly shap'd That it the perfect Form of Woman kept Not as Philosophers feign'd Man to be In their wild Resve'rys an inverted Tree But standing on its Root and whose strait bole Shew'd how great once and gentile was her Soul For if Souls can by th' Bodies frame be ghest Of great the greatest she ' had of good the best The beauties of her Bosom did appear In swelling Knots that balmy perfumes bear To Leaves her Hair was chang'd to Boughs her Arms Yet both retain'd their ancient Force and Charms A jollier Tree than ever Daphne was And much more worthy bright Apollos grace For whatsoeâ— re in Woman is admir'd When in a Lovers chaste embrace retir'd Was found in her who did nor coyly flee Nor court that Love t'other was proud of when a Tree Laura the Thuscan Poets brightest Flame Laura whom Verse has given a lasting Name Which all but her own Vertues shall survive Laura to be her Emblem does in Numbers live Which as the mournful Sylvius view'd he said Gathering some Leaves to bind about his Head The Leaves to bind his Head bow'd gently