And join thy voice unto the Angel quire, From out his fecret altar touch'd with hallow'd fire. The HYMN. IT was the winter wild, I. While the Heav'n-born child All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies; Nature in awe to him Had dofft her gawdy 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 fnow, And on her naked shame, Pollute with finful blame,. The faintly veil of maiden white to throw, 28. From out his fecret altar touch'd with hal low'd fire.] Alluding to Ifajah VI. 6,7. Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. And he laid it upon my mouth, and faid, Lo, this bath. touched 30 35 40 Con thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and • ut Confounded, that her Maker's eyes Should look fo near upon her foul deformities. But he her fears to cease, III. Sent down the meek-ey'd Peace; She crown'd with olive green, came foftly fliding Down through the turning sphere His ready harbinger, With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing, And waving wide her myrtle wand, She strikes an univerfal peace through sea and land. No war, or battel's found IV. Was heard the world around: The idle spear and shield were high up hung, The hooked chariot ftood, Unftain'd with hoftile blood, The trumpet spake not to the armed throng, " utterance and knowledge, and fends out his Seraphim, with the hallow'd fire of his altar,, "to touch and purify the lips of whom he pleafes." As Mr. Pope's Meffiah is formed upon paffages taken from the prophet Ifaiah, he very properly invocates the fame divine Spirit. 45 5,0 55 And - thou my voice infpire, Who touch'd Ifaiah's hallow'd lips with fire.. 52. She strikes an univerfal peace ] The expreffion is a little inaccurate, Peace to ftrike a Peace: but otherwife it is claffical, fœdus ferire. 64. The And kings fat ftill with awful eye, As if they furely knew their fovran 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 While birds of calm fit brooding on the charmed wave. The stars with deep amaze VI. Stand fix'd in ftedfaft gaze, 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; 70 But 64. The winds with wonder whift] Whift, and in Shakespear, Tempest, A&t 1. Sc. 5. Ariel's filenc'd, as in Spenfer, Faery Queen B. 7. fong. Cant. St. 7. 59. So was the Titanefs put down and whift: The wild waves whift. It is commonly used as an interjection commanding But in their glimmering orbs did glow, 75 Until their Lord himself befpake, and bid them go. VII. And though the shady gloom Had given day her room, The fun himself withheld his wonted fpeed, And hid his head for fhame, As his inferior flame The new inlighten'd world no more should need ; He saw a greater fun appear 80 Than his bright throne, or burning axletree could bear. VIII. The shepherds 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 Was kindly come to live with them below; 85 90 manding filence. And hence, I fuppofe, the game of Whift hath its name, as it requires filence and attention. 86. Or e'er the point of dawn,] Ere with Per or; and e'er or ever following is changed into 103.- the Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep, fo Was all that did their filly thoughts so busy keep. When fuch mufic fweet IX. Their hearts and ears did greet, As never was by mortal finger ftrook, Divinely-warbled voice Answering the ftringed noise, As all their fouls in blifsful rapture took: The air fuch pleasure loath to lose, 95 99 With thousand echo's 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 105 Could |