Enter'd the world, now bleeds to give us ease; Sore doth begin His infancy to feife! O more exceeding love or law more just ? Were loft in death, till he that dwelt above And that great covenant which we still transgress And the full wrath befide Of vengeful justice bore for our excess, And feals obedience firft with wounding smart Huge pangs and strong 15 20 25 Will pierce more near his heart. B VII. At a SOLEMN MUSIC. LEST pair of Sirens, pledges of Heav'n's joy, With faintly fhout and folemn jubilee, 10 And the cherubic host in thousand quires With thofe juft Spirits that wear victorious palms, Singing everlastingly ; 15 That we on earth with undifcording voice May rightly answer that melodious noife; Jarr'd against nature's chime, and with harsh din To their great Lord, whose love their motion sway'd In first obedience, and their state of good. 20 O may we foon again renew that song, And keep in tune with Heav'n, till God ere long To live with him, and fing in endless morn of light. VIII. 25 An EPITAPH on the MARCHIONESS of WINCHESTER *. T HIS rich marble doth inter The honor'd Wife of Winchester, A Viscount's daughter, an Earl's heir, Added to her noble birth, More than fhe could own from earth, *This Lady was Jane, daughter of Thomas Lord Vifc. Savage, of Rock-Savage, Cheshire, who by marriage became the heir of Lord Darcy Earl of Rivers; and was the wife of John Marquis of Winchefter, and the mother of Charles first Duke of Bolton. She died in childbed of a fecond fon in the 23d year of her age; and Milton made these verses at Cambridge, as appears by the sequel. Summers three times eight fave one She had told; alas too foon, After fo fhort time of breath, To houfe with darknefs, and with death. Her high birth, and her graces fweet And now with fecond hope she goes, 22. a cyprefs bud.] An emblem of a funeral. 10 15 20 25 30 35 28. Atropos for Lucina came;] One of the Fates, inftead of the Goddefs, who brings the birth to light. Who only thought to crop the flow'r New fhot up from vernal show'r; And fome flowers, and fome bays, 40 45. 50 55 Sent thee from the banks of Came, Devoted to thy virtuous name; 60 Whilft thou, bright Saint, high fitft in glory, Next her much like to thee in ftory, That fair Syrian fhepherdess, Who after years of barrenness, The highly favor'd Jofeph bore 65 To him that ferv'd for her before, And at her next birth much like thee, 63. That fair Syrian fhepherdefs,] Rachael, the daughter of Laban the Syrian, kept her father's fheep. Gen. XXIX. 9.. And after her first fon Jofeph, died in childbed of her fecond fon Benjamin. Far within the bosom bright Of blazing Majesty and Light: No Marchioness, but now a Queen. 70 IX. SONG. On MAY MORNING. N° OW the bright morning star, day's harbinger, The flow'ry May, who from her green lap throws 5 10 X. On SHAKESPEAR. 1630. WHAT needs my Shakespear for his honor'd bones The labor of an age in piled ftones, Or that his hallow'd reliques should be hid Under a ftarry-pointing pyramid ? Dear fon of memory, great heir of fame, What need'st thou fuch weak witnefs of thy name? Thou in our wonder and astonishment Haft built thyfelf a live-long monument. |