VI.

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 Through the soft silence of the list❜ning night; Now mourn, and if sad share with us to bear Your fiery essence can distil no tear, Burn in your sighs, and borrow

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;
Alas, how soon our sin

Sore doth begin

His infancy to seise!

O more exceeding love or law more just?
Just law indeed, but more exceeding love!
For we by rightful doom remediless

Were lost in death, till he that dwelt above
High thron'd in secret bliss, for us frail dust
Emptied his glory, ev'n to nakedness;

And that great covenant which we will transgress
Entirely satisfied,

And the full wrath beside

Of vengeful justice bore for our excess,

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And seals obedience first with wounding smart

This day, but O ere long

Huge pangs and strong

Will pierce more near his heart.

VII.

AT A SOLEMN MUSIC.

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

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 were 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

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Jarr'd against nature's chime, and with harsh din 20 Broke the fair music that all creatures made

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
To his celestial consort us unite,

To live with him, and sing in endless morn of light.

VIII.

AN EPITAPH

ON THE

MARCHIONESS OF WINCHESTER.

THIS rich marble doth enter
The honor'd wife of Winchester,

A Viscount's daughter, and Earl's heir,
Besides what her virtues fair

Added to her noble birth,

More than she could own from earth.

Summers three times eight save one
She had told; alas too soon,

After so short time of breath,

To house with darkness, and with death.

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Yet had the number of her days

Been as complete as was her praise,
Nature and fate had had no strife
In giving limit to her life.

Her high birth, and her graces sweet
Quickly found a lover meet;

The virgin quire for her request
The God that sits at marriage feast;
He at their invoking came

But with a scarce well-lighted flame;

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And in his garland as he stood
Ye might discern a cypress bud.

Once had the early matrons run

To greet her of a lovely son,

And now with second hope she goes,
And calls Lucina to her throws;
But whether by mischance or blame
Atropis for Lucina came ;
And with remorseless cruelty
Spoil'd at once both fruit and tree :
The hapless babe before his birth
Had burial, yet not laid in earth,
And the languish'd mother's womb
Was not long a living tomb.
So have I seen some tender slip,
Sav'd with care from winter's nip,
The pride of her carnation train,
Pluck'd up by some unheedy swain,
Who only thought to crop the flow'r
New shot up from vernal show'r;
But the fair blossom hangs the head
Side-ways as on a dying bed,
And those pearls of dew she wears,
Prove to be presaging tears,
Which the sad morn had let fall
On her hast'ning funeral.

Gentle Lady, may thy grave
Peace and quiet ever have ;
After this thy travel sore
Sweet rest seise thee evermore,

That to give the world increase,

Shortned hast thy own life's lease.

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