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,
While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmed

65

wave.

VI.

The stars with deep amaze
Stand fix'd in steadfast gaze,

70

6

64 whist] Nash's Dido, 1594. "The ayre is cleere, and southeme 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.'

40

VOL. II.

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

Or Lucifer that often warnd them thence;
But in their glimmering orbs did glow,
Until their Lord himself bespake, and bid them go.

75

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 enlightend world no more should

need ; He saw a greater sun appear Than his bright throne, or burning axletree could

bear.

VIII.

85

The shepherds on the lawn,
Or e'er the point of dawn,

Sat simply chatting in a rustic row;

Full little thought they then
That the mighty Pan

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.

90

IX.

95

When such music sweet
Their hearts and ears did greet,

As never was by mortal finger strook,
Divinely-warbled voice
Answering the stringed noise,

As all their souls in blissful rapture took ;
The air such pleasure loath to lose,
With thousand echoes still prolongs each heavenly

close.

100

X.

Nature that heard such sound,
Beneath the hollow round

Of Cynthia's seat, 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 such harmony alone
Could hold all heav'n and earth in happier union.

105

XI.

At last surrounds their sight
A globe of circular light,

110 89 Pan] Spenser's July. The fockes of mightie Pan. Warton.

That with long beams the shamefac'd night ar

ray'd; The helmed Cherubim, And sworded Seraphim,

Are seen in glittering ranks with wings display'd, Harping in loud and solemn quire, With unexpressive notes to Heaven's new-born

Heir.

115

XII.

120

Such music (as 'tis said)
Before was never made,

But when of old the sons of morning sung,
While the Creator great
His constellations set,

And the well-balanc'd world on hinges hung;
And cast the dark foundations deep,
And bid the welt’ring waves their oozy channel
keep.

XIII. Ring out, ye crystal spheres, Once bless our human ears, If

ye have pow'r to touch our senses so: And let your silver chime Move in melodious time,

125

116 unexpressive) This word was, perhaps, coined by Shakespeare. As you like it, act iž. sc. 2,

• The fair, the chaste, and unexpressive she! Warton.

crystal] 'Heaven's hard crystal.' Marlowe's Hero and Leander, p. 90. 128 silver] Machin’s Dumbe Knight, 1608.

• It was as silver as the chime of spheres. Todd.

125

And let the base of heav'n's deep'organ blow; And with your ninefold harmony Make

up

full consort to th' angelic symphony.

131

XIV.

of gold;

136

For if such holy song
Inwrap our fancy long,

Time will run back, and fetch the age
And speckled Vanity
Will sicken soon and die,

And leprous Sin will melt from earthly mould ;
And Hell itself will pass away,
And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering

day.

140

XV.

Yea Truth and Justice then
Will down return to men,

Orb’d in a rainbow; and, like glories wearing,
Mercy will sit between,
Thron'd in celestial sheen,

145 With radiant feet the tissued clouds down steer

ing:

6

135 gold] 'See listening Time run back to fetch the age of gold.' Benlowes's Theophila, st. xcv. p. 248. 140 leave] Virg. Æn. viii. 245.

regna recludat
Pallida, dis invisa; superque immane barathrum

Cernatur, trepidentque immisso lumine Manes. Warton. 143 Orb’d) In ed. 1645.

• Th’ enamellid arras of the rainbow wearing;
And Mercy set between,' &c.