Of sheeny Heav'n, and thou fome Goddess fled Amongst us here below to hide thy nectar'd head? VIII. Or wert thou that juft Maid who once before 50 For fook the hated earth, O tell me footh, And cam'ft again to vifit us once more? Or wert thou that fweet fmiling Youth? Or that crown'd matron fage white-robed Truth? 54 [good? Let down in cloudy throne to do the world fome IX. Or wert thou of the golden-winged hoft, And And after short abode fly back with speed, 60 To fcorn the fordid world, and unto Heav'n afpire? But oh why didft thou not stay here below To flake his wrath whom fin hath made our foe, To ftand 'twixt us and our deserved smart? 65 69 But thou canst beft perform that office where thou art. XI. Then thou the Mother of so sweet a Child 68. Or drive away the flaughtering peftilence, It should be noted that at this time there was a 75 [live. Anno great plague in London, which gives a peculiar propriety to this whole ftanza. Thefe II. Anno tatis 19. At a Vacation Exercife in the college, part Latin, part English. The Latin fpeeches ended, the English thus began. AIL native Language, that by finews weak HAIL before: Didft move my firft endevoring tongue to speak, And mad'ft imperfect words with childish trips, Half unpronounc'd, flide through my infant-lips, Driving dumb filence from the portal door, Where he had mutely fat two years Here I falute thee, and thy pardon ask, That now I use thee in my latter task : Small lofs it is that thence can come unto thee, I know my tongue but little grace can do thee: Thou need'st not be ambitious to be first, Believe me I have thither packt the worst: And, if it happen as I did forecast, I The daintieft dishes shall be serv'd up pray thee then deny me not thy aid laft. For this fame fmall neglect that I have made; 5 15. But Thefe verfes were made in 1627, in the edition of 1645, but were that being the 19th year of the firft added in the edition of 1673.. author's age; and they were not 29. Yet But hafte thee ftrait to do me once a pleasure, 25 Yet I had rather, if I were to chufe, Thy service in fome graver subject use, 30 Such as may make thee fearch thy coffers round, Such where the deep tranfported mind may foar How he before the thunderous throne doth lie, 35 41 Then paffing through the fpheres of watchful fire, 45 In The fields he paffed then, whence hail and fnow, Thunder and rain fall down from clouds above. Fairfax. &c] Alluding to the eighth book 48. Such as the wife Demodocus of the Odyffey, where Alcinous entertains Ulyffes, and the celebrated musician and poet Demodocus fings the loves of Mars and Venus, and the destruction of Troy; and |