What pow'r, what force, what mighty spell, if not Your learned hands, can loose this Gordian knot? The next Quantity and Quality Spake in profe, then Relation was call'd by his name. R IVERS arife; whether thou be the for Of utmost Tweed, or Oofe, or gulphy Dun, Or Trent, who like some earth-born giant spreads His thirty arms along th' indented meads, Or fullen Mole that runneth underneath, Or Severn swift, guilty of maidens' death, Or rocky Avon, or of fedgy Lee, 95 Or coaly Tine, or ancient hallow'd Dee, On the Morning of CHRIST's NATIVITY. Compos'd 1629. HIS is the month, and this the happy morn, TH Wherein the Son of Heav'n's eternal King, Of wedded Maid, and Virgin Mother born, Our great redemption from above did bring; For fo the holy fages once did fing, That he our deadly forfeit should release, And with his Father work us a perpetual peace. II. That glorious form, that light unsufferable, 5 And And that far-beaming blaze of majefty, Wherewith he wont at Heav'n's high council-table To fit the midst of Trinal Unity, He laid afide; and here with us to be, Forfook the courts of everlasting day, II And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay. III. Say heav'nly Muse, shall not thy facred vein 15 Haft thou no verse, no hymn, or solemn strain, 25 See how from far upon the eastern road I T was the winter wild, While the Heav'n-born child All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies; 30 Nature Nature in awe to him Had dofft her gaudy trim, With her great Master so to sympathize: It was no feason then for her To wanton with the fun her lufty paramour. Only with speeches fair She woo's the gentle air II. To hide her guilty front with innocent snow, And on her naked fhame, Pollute with finful blame, The faintly 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; 35 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 an universal peace through sea and land. IV. No war, or battle's found Was heard the world around: The idle fpear and shield were high up hung; 55 The The hooked Chariot stood, Unftain'd with hoftile blood, The trumpet spake not to the armed throng, And kings fat fill with awful eye, As if they surely knew their sovran 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 whist Smoothly the waters kist, Whisp'ring new joys to the mild ocean, Who now hath quite forgot to rave, 65 Until their Lord himself befpake, and bid them go. VII. And though the fhady gloom Had given day her room, The fun himself withheld his wonted speed, And And hid his head for fhame, As his inferior flame 80 The new enlighten'd world no more should need; He saw a greater fun appear Than his bright throne, or burning axletree could VIII. The shepherds on the lawn, (bear. 85 Or e'er the point of dawn, Sat fimply chatting in a rustic row; Full little thought they then, That the mighty Pan Was kindly come to live with them below; 90 Perhaps their lovers, or else their sheep, Was all that did their filly thoughts fo bufy keep. |