20

For we by rightful doom remediless
Were lost in death, till he that dwelt above
High thron’d in secret bliss, for us frail dust
Emptied his glory, ev’n to nakedness;
And that great covenant which we still transgress
Entirely satisfied,
And the full wrath beside
Of vengeful justice bore for our excess,
And feals obedience first with wounding smart 25
This day, but O ere long
Huge pangs and strong
Will pierce more near his heart.

VII.

At a SOLEMN MUSIC.
BLI

LEST pair of Sirens, pledges of Heav’n’s joy,
Sphere-born harmonious sisters, Voice and Verse,

Wed

2

20. Emptied bis glory,] An expression taken but I think with greater propriety there than from Philipp. II. 7. but not as it is in our here. . translation He made bimself of no reputation, 3. Wed your divine sounds, &c] In the Mabut as it is in the original SATOV EXEYW0s, He nuscript it appears that he had written these einptied himself.

lines thus at first. 24:

Mix your choice words, and happiest sounds for our excess,] He has used the word in the same fense Paradise Lost XI. 111.

employ

Dead things with inbreath'd sense able to Bewailing their excess ;

pierce,

And

ΙΟ

Wed your divine sounds, and mix'd pow'r employ
Dead things with inbreath'd sense able to pierce,
And to our high-rais'd phantasy present

5
That undisturbed song of pure concent,
Ay sung before the saphir-color'd throne
To him that fits thereon
With saintly shout, and solemn jubilee,
Where the bright Seraphim in burning row
Their loud up-lifted angel-trumpets blow,
And the cherubic host in thousand quires
Touch their immortal harps of golden wires,
With those just Spirits that wear victorious palms,
Hymns devout and holy psalms

15 Singing everlastingly; That we on earth with undiscording voice

May And as your equal raptures temper'd sweet 7. — the Saphir-color'd throne ] Alluding In high mysterious happy Spousal meet,

to Ezek. I. 26. And above the firmament that Snatch us from earth a while,

was over their heads, was the likeness of a Us of ourselves and native woes beguile, throne, as the appearance of a saphir stone. And to our high-rais'd phantasy present &c.

10. — in burning row] He had written at of pure concent,] So we read in the first in triple row. Manuscript, and in the edition of 1673, and we prefer the authority of both to the single one of 14. With those just Spiriis &c] These lines the edition in 1645, which has of pure content. were thus at first in the Manuscript.

Yy

6.

With

20

May rightly answer that melodious noise;
As once we did, till disproportion'd sin
Jarr'd against nature's chime, and with harsh din
Broke the fair music that all creatures made
To their great Lord, whose love their motion sway'd
In perfect diapason, whilst they stood
In first obedience, and their state of good.
O may we foon again renew that song,

25
And keep in tune with Heav'n, till God ere long
To his celestial confort us unite,
To live with him, and sing in endless morn of light.

VIII. * An EPITAPH on the MARCHIONESS of Winchester. THIS rich marble doth enter Τ The honor'd Wife of Winchester,

A

7

With those juft Spirits that wear the bloom

ing palms,
Hymns devout and sacred psalms
Singing everlastingly,
While all the starry rounds and arches blue
Refound and ecbo Hallelu;

That we on earth &c.
The victorious palms is in allusion to Rev.VII. 9.
clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.

18. May rightly answer that melodious noise;] The following lines were thus at first in the Manuscript.

By leaving out those barsh ill founding jars
of clamorous fin that all our music mars,
And in our lives, and in our song
May keep in tune with Heav'n, till God

ere long &c.
23. In perfect diapason, ] Concord through

all

5

. VIII

.
A Vicount's daughter, an Earl's heir,
Besides what her virtues fair
Added to her noble birth,
More than she could own from earth,
Summers three times eight save one
She had told; alas too soon,
After so short time of breath,
To house with darkness, and with death.
Yet had the number of her days
Been as complete as was her praise,
Nature and fate had had no strife
In giving limit to her life.
Her high birth, and her graces sweet
Quickly found a lover meet;
The virgin quire for her request
The God that fits at marriage feast ;

a

He

all the tones, dia waowy. Plin. Lib. 2. Sect. 20. * This Lady was Jane, daughter of Thomas Ita feptem tonos effici, quam diapasón harmo- Lord Vicount Savage of Rock-Savage in the niam vocant, hoc est, universitatem concentus, county of Chester, who by marriage became

Richardson. the heir of Lord Darcy Earl of Rivers; and 28. To live with him, and fing &c ] In the and the mother of Charles first Duke of Bol

was the wife of John Marquiss of Winchester, Manuscript the last line stands thus,

She died in childbed of a second fon in To live and fing with him in endless morn of the 23d year of her age, and Milton made these light.

20

a

He at their invoking came
But with a scarce well-lighted flame;
And in his garland as he stood,
Ye might discern a cypress bud.
Once had the early matrons run
To greet her of a lovely son,
And now with second hope she goes,
And calls Lucina to her throws;
But whether by mischance or blame
Atropos for Lucina came;
And with remorseless cruelty
Spoil'd at once both fruit and tree:
The hapless babe before his birth
Had burial, yet not laid in earth,
And the languish'd mother's womb
Was not long a living tomb.
So have I seen some tender slip,
Sav'd with care from winter's nip,

30

35

The