Hath took no print of the approaching light,

20

And all the spangled host keep watch in squadrons bright?

IV.

See how from far upon the eastern road

The star-led wisards haste with odours sweet:

O run, prevent them with thy humble ode,

And lay it lowly at his blessed feet;

Have thou the honour first thy Lord to greet,
And join thy voice unto the Angel quire,

From out his secret altar touch'd with hallow'd fire.

While the heav'n-born child

All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies;

Nature in awe to him

Had dofft her gaudy trim,

30

23 star-led] 'The starre-led sages that would Christ behold.' Bancroft's Sec. B. of Epigrams, Ep. 228. Todd. Storer's Life of Wolsey, p. 21.

'When wise magicians wandered far awide

To find the place of our Messiah's birth.'

23 wisards] Spenser's F. Q. iv. xii. 2. antique wisards.' i. iv. 12. 'and strong advizement of six wizards old. Warton. The Syracusan wizard did invent.' Storer's Life of Wolsey, p. 12. And Fitz-Geffrey's Holy Raptures, p. 37. 17.

With her great Master so to sympathize:
It was no season then for her

To wanton with the sun, her lusty paramour.

Only with speeches fair

She woos the gentle air

II.

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

Pollute with sinful blame,

The saintly veil of maiden white to throw;
Confounded that her Maker's eyes

Should look so near upon her foul deformities.

But he her fears to cease,

III.

Sent down the meek-ey'd Peace;

335

40

45

She crown'd with olive green, came softly sliding Down through the turning sphere

His ready harbinger,

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

She strikes a universal peace through sea and land.

No war, or battle's sound

IV.

Was heard the world around:

The idle spear and shield were high up hung,

The hooked chariot stood

Unstain'd with hostile blood,

355

The trumpet spake not to the armed throng, And kings sat still with awful eye,

As if they surely knew their sov'reign 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 whist

Smoothly the waters kist,

Whisp'ring new joys to the mild ocean, Who now hath quite forgot to rave,

65

64 whist] Nash's Dido, 1594. 'The ayre is cleere, and southerne windes are whist.' Todd. Golding's Ovid, p. 63. The waters whist.' 'Winds whist.' Aylet's Divine Poems, p. 65. If the winde be whist.' Marlowe's Hero and Leander, p. 13. Far from the toure, when all is whist and still.' And see S. Hardinge's Com. Verses to W. Browne, from MS. in Beloe's Anecd. vi. 68.

'The winds that erst were whist

Beginne to roare,

Each tree, your songes beinge mist,

Shreeks as before.

Each sproutinge pauncie in the meade

For griefe begins to hang a head.

The weepinge brooke in grovelling tones glide umblinge doun, Dimples its own sleeke cheeks, and thanks you with a frowne.' And Quarles's Divine Poems, p. 23. The winds were whist.'

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 go.

VII.

And though the shady gloom

Had given day her room,

The sun himself withheld his wonted speed,

And hid his head for shame,

As his inferior flame

The new enlighten'd world no more should

need;

He saw a greater sun appear

75

80

Than his bright throne, or burning axletree could

bear.

VIII.

The shepherds on the lawn,

Or e'er the point of dawn,

Sat simply chatting in a rustic row;

77 This stanza copied from Spenser's April.

'I sawe Phoebus thrust out his golden hede

Upon her to gaze :

But when he saw how broade her beames did sprede,

It did him amaze.

Hee blush't to see another sunne belowe,

Ne durst againe his fierie face outshowe.' &c. Warton.

85

Was kindly come to live with them below;
Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep,
Was all that did their silly thoughts so busy keep.

When such music sweet

IX.

Their hearts and ears did greet,

As never was by mortal finger strook, Divinely-warbled voice

Answering the stringed noise, g

As all their souls in blissful rapture took ;

The air such pleasure loath to lose,

95

With thousand echoes still prolongs each heavenly

close.

X.

100

315

Nature that heard such sound,

Beneath the hollow round below the moon

Of Cynthia's seat, the airy region thrilling,

Now was almost won

To think her part was done,

105

And that her reign had here its last fulfilling; was my 3

She knew such harmony alone

Could hold all heav'n and earth in happier union.

XI.

At last surrounds their sight

A globe of circular light,

110

89 Pan] Spenser's July. The flockes of mightie Pan. Warton.