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2.

That glorious Form, that Light unsufferable,
And that far-beaming blaze of Majesty,

Wherewith he wont at Heav'ns high council-table ΙΟ
To sit the midst of Trinal Unity,

He laid aside; and here with us to be,

Forsook the courts of everlasting day,

And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay.

3.

Say Heav'nly Muse, shall not thy sacred vein
Afford a present to the Infant God?
Hast thou no verse, no hymn, or solemn strain,
To welcome him to this his new abode;
Now while the Heav'n by the sun's team untrod
Hath took no print of the approaching light,
And all the spangled host keep watch in squadrons
bright?

4.

See how from far upon the eastern road

The star-led wisards haste with odours sweet:

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O run, prevent them with thy humble ode,

And lay it lowly at his blessed feet;

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Have thou the honour first, thy Lord to greet,
And join thy voice unto the angel quire,

From out his secret altar toucht with hallow'd fire.

THE HYMN.

1.

It was the winter wild,

While the Heav'n-born child,

All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies: Nature in awe to him

Had doff't her gaudy trim,

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With her great Master so to sympathize:

It was no season then for her

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To wanton with the sun her lusty paramour.

Only with speeches fair

She woo's the gentle air

2.

To hide her guilty front with innocent snow, And on her naked shame,

Pollute with sinful blame,

The saintly 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,

3.

Sent down the meek-ey'd Peace;

She crown'd with olive green, came softly sliding Down through the turning sphere

His ready harbinger,

With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing,

And waving wide her myrtle wand,

She strikes a universal peace through sea and land.

No war, or battle's sound

4.

Was heard the world around:

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The idle spear and shield were high up hung; The hooked chariot stood

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Unstain'd with hostile blood,

The trumpet spake not to the armed throng;

And kings sate still with awful eye,

As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was by.

But peaceful was the night

5.

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Wherein the Prince of light

His reign of peace upon the earth began: The winds with wonder whist

Smoothly the waters kist,

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Whispering new joys to the mild Ocean,

Who now hath quite forgot to rave,

While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmed wave.

The stars with deep amaze

Stand fixt in stedfast gaze,

6.

Bending one way their pretious influence; And will not take their flight,

For all the morning light,

Or Lucifer that often warn'd them thence;

But in their glimmering orbs did glow,

Until their Lord himself bespake, and bid them go.

7.

And though the shady gloom

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Had given day her room,

The sun himself with-held his wonted speed; And hid his head for shame,

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As his inferior flame

The new-enlightn'd world no more should need;

He saw a greater Sun appear

Than his bright throne, or burning axletree could bear.

8.

The shepherds on the lawn,

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Or ere the point of dawn,

Sate simply chatting in a rustic row;

Full little thought they than,

That the mighty Pan

Was kindly come to live with them below;

Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep,

Was all that did their silly thoughts so busy keep.

9.

When such music sweet

Their hearts and ears did greet

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As never was by mortal finger strook; Divinely-warbled voice.

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Answering the stringed noise

As all their souls in blissful rapture took:

The air such pleasure loth to lose,

With thousand echo's still prolongs each heav'nly close.

10.

Nature, that heard such sound

Beneath the hollow round

Of Cynthia's seat, the airy region thrilling, Now was almost won

To think her part was done,

And that her reign had here its last fulfilling ;

She knew such harmony alone

Could hold all Heav'n and Earth in happier union.

11.

At last surrounds their sight

A globe of circular light

ΙΟΙ

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IIO

That with long beams the shame-fac't night array'd; The helmed cherubim

And sworded seraphim

Are seen in glittering ranks with wings display'd; Harping in loud and solemn quire,

With unexpressive notes to Heav'ns new-born Heir.

Such music (as 'tis said)

Before was never made,

12.

But when of old the sons of morning sung; While the Creator great

His constellations set,

And the well-balanc't world on hinges hung,

And cast the dark foundations deep,

And bid the weltring waves their oozy channel keep.

13.

Ring out, ye crystal spheres,

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Once bless our human ears,

(If ye have power to touch our senses so,) And let your silver chime

Move in melodious time;

And let the base of Heav'ns deep organ blow:

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And with your ninefold harmony

Make up full consort to th' angelic symphony.

For if such holy song

Enwrap our fancy long,

14.

Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold; 135

And speckl'd vanity

Will sicken soon and die,

And leprous sin will melt from earthly mould;

And Hell itself will pass away,

And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day.

15.

Yea Truth, and Justice then

Will down return to men,

Orb'd in a rainbow; and like glories wearing

Mercy will sit between,

Thron'd in celestial sheen,

With radiant feet the tissued clouds down steering; And Heav'n as at some festival

Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall.

But wisest Fate says no,

This must not yet be so,

16.

The Babe lies yet in smiling infancy, That on the bitter cross

Must redeem our loss;

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While the red fire and smouldring clouds out brake: The aged Earth agast

With terror of that blast,

Shall from the surface to the centre shake;

When at the world's last session

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The dreadful Judge in middle air shall spread his throne.

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