The idle fpear and shield were high up hung, The hooked chariot stood

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'reign Lord was by. 60 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,

Whisp'ring new joys to the mild ocean,

Who now hath quite forgot to rave,

65

While birds of calm fit brooding on the charmed wave.

The stars with deep amaze

Stand fix'd in ftedfaft gaze,

VI.

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.

And though the fhady gloom

70

75

go.

Had given day her room,

The fun himself withheld his wonted speed, And hid his head for fhame,

80

As his inferior flame

The new inlighten'd world no more fhould need;

He faw a greater fun appear

Than his bright throne, or burning axletree could bear.

VIII.

The fhepherds on the lawn,

Or e'er the point of dawn,

Sat fimply chatting in a ruftic row;

Full little thought they then,

That the mighty Pan

85

Was kindly come to live with them below;

Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep,

Was all that did their filly thoughts fo bufy keep.

When fuch mufic fweet

IX.

Their hearts and ears did greet,

As never was by mortal finger ftrook,

Divinely-warbled voice

90

951

Answering the ftringed noise,

As all their fouls in blissful rapture took:

The air fuch pleasure loath to lofe,

99

With thousand echoes ftill prolongs each heav'nly close.

X.

Nature that heard fuch found,

Beneath the hollow round

Of Cynthia's feat, the aery 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 on Heav'n and Earth in happier union.

At laft furrounds their fight

A globe of circular light,

XI.

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110

That which long beams the fhame-fac'd night array'd;

That helmed Cherubim,

And fworded Seraphim,

Are feen in glittering ranks with wings display'd Harping in loud and folemn quire,

With unexpreffive notes to Heav'n's new-born Heir.

H

115

Such mufic (as 'tis faid)

Before was never made,

XII.

But when of old the fone of morning fung, While the Creator great

His conftellation, fets

And the well-balanc'd world on hinges hung, And caft the dark foundations deep,

And bid the weltring waves their oozy channel keep.

XIII.

Ring out ye crystal Spheres,

Once blefs our human ears,

(If ye have pow'r to touch our fenfes fo) And let our filver chime

120

125

Move in melodious time,

And let the bafe of Heav'n's deep organ blow, And with your ninefold harmony

130

Make up full confort to th' angelic fymphony.

XIV.

For if fuch holy fong

Inwrap our fancy long,

Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold,

135

And speckled vanity

Will ficken foon and die,

And leprous Sin will melt from earthly mold,

And Hell itself will pafs away,

And leave her dolorous manfions 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 fit between,

Thron'd in celeftial sheen,

With radiant feet the tiffued clouds down fleering,

145

And Heav'n as at fome festival,

Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall.

But wifeft Fate fays no,

This must not yet be so,

XVI.

The babe lies yet in fmiling infancy, That on the bitter cross

Muft redeem our lofs;

но

While the red fire, and fmouldring clouds out brake:

The aged earth aghaft,

With terror of that blaft,

Shall from the furface to the center fhake:

When at the world's laft feffion,

160

The dreadful judge in middle air fhall spread his throne.

And then at last our bliss

Full and perfect is,

XVIII.

But now begins; for from this happy day

Th' old Dragon under ground

In ftraiter limits bound,

Not half fo far cafts his ufurped fway,

And wroth to fee his kingdom fail,

Swindges the fcaly horror of his folded tail.

165

170

XIX.

The oracles are dumb,

No voice or hideous hum

Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving. 175 Apollo from his fhrine

Can no more divine,

With hollow fhriek the fteep of Delphos leaving. No nightly trance, or breathed fpell

Infpires the pale-ey'd prieft from the prophetic cell. 180

The lonely mountains o'er

And the refounding fhore,

XX.

A voice of weeping heard and loud lament; From haunted fpring, and dale

Edg'd with poplar pale

The parting Genius is worth fighing fent: With flow'r-inwoven treffes torn

185

The Nymphs in twilight fhade of tangled thickets mourn.

In confecrated earth,

And on the holy hearth,

XXI.

190

The Lars, and Lemures moan with midnight plaint;

In urns and altars round,

A drear and dying found

Affrights the Flamens at their fervice quaint; And the chill marble feems to sweat,

While each peculiar Pow'r forgoes his wonted feat.

Peor and Baälim

XXII.

Forfake their temples dim,

With that twice batter'd God of Palestine; And mooned Ashtaroth,

Heav'n's queen and mother both,

Now fits not girt with tapers holy shine;

The Lybic Hammon fhrinks his horn,

195

200

[mourn.

In vain the Tyrian maids their wounded Thammuz

199. With that twice batter'd God of Palestine;] Dagon, who was twice batter'd by Samfon.