Forfook the Courts of everlasting Day,

And chose with us a darkfom House of mortal Clay.
III.
Say Heav'nly Mufe, fhall not thy facred vein
Afford a Present to the Infant God?

Haft thou no verse, no hymn, or folemn strain,
To welcome him to this his new abode,
Now while the Heav'n by the Sun's team untrod,
Hath took no print of the approaching light,
And all the spangled host keep watch in fquadrons
IV.
[bright?
See how from far upon the Eastern rode
The Star-led Wifards hafte with odours fweet ;
O run, prevent them with thy humble ode,
And lay it lowly at his bleffed feet

Have thou the Honour first, thy Lord to greet,
And join thy voice unto the Angel Quire,
From out his fecret Altar toucht with hallow'd fire.

All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies;

Nature in awe to him

Had doff'd her gawdy trim,

With her great Master so to sympathize:

It was no season then for her

To wanton with the Sun her lufty Paramour.

II.

Only with speeches fair

She wooes the gentle Air,

To hide her guilty front with innocent Snow, And on her naked shame,

Pollute with finful blame,'

The Saintly Veil of Maiden white to throw ;
Confounded, that her Maker's eyes

Should look fo near upon her foul deformities.
III.

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 fphear

His ready Harbinger,.

With Turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing;

And

And waving wide her myrtle wand,

She strikes an univerfal Peace thro' Sea and Land.

IV.

No War, or Battel's found

Was heard the World around,

The idle spear and shield were high up hung;

The hooked Chariot flood

Unftain'd with hostile blood,

The Trumpet spake not to the armed throng; And Kings fat ftill with awful eye,

As if they furely knew their sov'rain Lord was by.

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,

Whispering new joys to the mild Ocean,

Who now hath quite forgot to rave,

While Birds of Calm fit brooding on the charmed
VI.

[wave.

The Stars with deep amaze

Stand fixt in ftedfait gaze,

5

Bending

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

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

go.

And though the shady gloom

Had given day her room,

The Sun himself with-held his wonted fpeed, And hid his head for fhame,

As his inferiour flame

The new-enlighten'd World no more fhould He saw a greater Sun appear

[need;

Than his bright Throne, or burning Axletree could VIII. [bear.

The Shepherds on the Lawn,

Or ere the point of dawn,

Sat fimply chatting in a rustick row;

Full little thought they then,

That the mighty Pan

Was kindly come to live with them below:

Perhaps

Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep,

Was all that did their filly thoughts fo bufy keep.

IX.

When fuch mufick sweet

Their hearts and ears did greet,

As never was by mortal finger ftrook: Divinely warbled voice

Answering the stringed noise,

As all their Souls in blissful rapture took:

The Air such pleasure loth to lose,

With thousand echo's still prolongs each heav'nly [close. X.

Nature that heard fuch found

Beneath the hollow round

Of Cynthia's feat, the airy region thrilling,

Now was almost won

To think her part was done,

And that her reign had here its last fulfilling ;

She knew fuch harmony alone

Could hold all Heav'n and Earth in happier union.

XI.