List'ning to what unshorn Apollo sings And mifty regions of wide air next under, 45 When beldam Nature in her cradle was; In folemn fongs at king Alcinous feast, 50 55 To keep in compass of thy predicament: That to the next I may resign my room. Then Ens is represented as father of the Predicaments his ten fons, whereof the eldest stood for Substance with his canons, which Ens, thus speaking, explains. G OOD luck befriend thee, Son; for at thy birth 60 Thy 66 70 Thy drousy nurse hath sworn she did them spy L4 75 85 What What pow'r, what force, what mighty spell, if not R Relation was call'd by his name. IVERS arife; whether thou be the fon Of utmoft Tweed, or Oose, or gulphy Dun, Or Trent, who like fome earth-born giant spreads His thirty arms along th'indented meads, Or fullen Mole that runneth underneath, 95 Or Severn fwift, guilty of maidens' death, Or rocky Avon, or of fedgy Lee, Or coaly Tine, or ancient hallow'd Dee, | Or Humber loud that keeps the Scythian's name, (The rest was profe.) III. 100 On the Morning of CHRIST's NATIVITY. T HIS is Compos'd 1629. I. the month, and this the happy morn, Wherein the Son of Heav'n's eternal King, Of wedded Maid, and Virgin Mother born, That he our deadly forfeit should release, II. That glorious form, that light unfufferable, 5 And And that far-beaming blaze of majesty, He laid afide; and here with us to be, Forsook the courts of everlafting day, And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay. III. Say heav'nly Muse, shall not thy facred vein 15 Now while the Heav'n by the sun's team untrod, Hath took no print of the approaching light, 20 And all the spangled hoft keep watch in squadrons IV. See how from far upon the eastern road (bright? 25 And join thy voice unto the Angel quire, From out his secret altar touch'd with hallow'd fire. Nature in awe to him Had dofft her gawdy trim, With her great Master so to sympathize: It was no season 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 shame, Pollute with finful blame, The faintly veil of maiden white to throw, Confounded, that her Maker's eyes Should look so near upon her foul deformities. But he her fears to cease, III. Sent down the meek-ey'd Peace; 35 40 45 She crown'd with olive green, came foftly fliding 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 fea and land. No war, or battel's found IV. Was heard the world around: The idle spear and shield were high up hung; 55 The |