MILTON! THOU SHOULD'ST BE LIVING AT THIS HOUR :
ENGLAND HATH NEED OF THEE: SHE IS A FEN
OF STAGNANT WATERS: ALTAR, SWORD, AND PEN,

FIRESIDE, THE HEROIC WEALTH OF HALL AND BOWER,
HAVE FORFEITED THEIR ANCIENT ENGLISH DOWER
OF INWARD HAPPINESS. WE ARE SELFISH MEN;
OH! RAISE US UP, RETURN TO US AGAIN;
AND GIVE US MANNERS, VIRTUE, FREEDOM, POWER.
THY SOUL WAS LIKE A STAR AND DWELT APART :
THOU HADST A VOICE WHOSE SOUND WAS LIKE THE SEA :
PURE AS THE NAKED HEAVENS, MAJESTIC, FREE,
SO DIDST THOU TRAVEL ON LIFE'S COMMON WAY
IN CHEERFUL GODLINESS; AND YET THY HEART
THE LOWLIEST DUTIES ON HERSELF DID LAY.

Wordsworth. London, 1802.

EARLY POEMS, 1624-1637.

A PARAPHRASE ON PSALM CXIV.

(1624.)

This and the following Psalm were done by the Author at

fifteen years old.

WHEN the blest seed of Terah's faithful son
After long toil their liberty had won,
And past from Pharian fields to Canaan land,
Led by the strength of the Almighty's hand,
Jehovah's wonders were in Israel shown,
His praise and glory was in Israel known.
That saw the troubl’d sea, and shivering fled,
And sought to hide his froth-becurled head
Low in the earth; Jordan's clear streams recoil,
As a faint host that hath receiv'd the foil.
The high, huge-bellied mountains skip like rams
Amongst their ewes, the little hills like lambs.
Why fled the Ocean ? and why skipt the mountains ?
Why turned Jordan toward his crystal fountains ?
Shake Earth, and at the presence be agast
Of him that ever was, and aye shall last,
That glassy floods from rugged rocks can crush,
And make soft rills from fiery flint-stones gush.

το

15

PSALM CXXXVI.

(1624.) Let us with a gladsome mind Praise the Lord, for he is kind;

For his mercies aye endure,

Ever faithful, ever sure.
Let us blaze his name abroad,
For of gods he is the God;

For his, &c
O let us his praises tell,
That doth the wrathful tyrants quell.

For his, &c.
That with his miracles doth make
Amazed Heav'n and Earth to shake.

For his, &c.
That by his wisdom did create
The painted Heav'ns so full of state.

For his, &c. .
That did the solid Earth ordain
To rise above the watry plain.

For his, &c.
That by his all-commanding might
Did fill the new-made world with light,

For his, &c.
And caus’d the golden-tressed sun
All the day long his course to run.

For his, &c.
The horned moon to shine by night,
Amongst her spangled sisters bright.

For his, &c.
He with his thunder-clasping hand,
Smote the first-born of Egypt land.

For his, &c.

25

30

And in despite of Pharaoh fell
He brought from thence his Israel.

For his, &c.
The ruddy waves he cleft in twain,
Of the Erythræan main.

For his, &c.
The floods stood still like walls of glass,
While the Hebrew bands did pass.

For his, &c.
But full soon they did devour
The tawny king with all his power.

For his, &c.
His chosen people he did bless
In the wasteful wilderness.

For his, &c
In bloody battle he brought down
Kings of prowess and renown.

For his, &c.
He foil'd bold Seon and his host,
That rul'd the Amorrean coast.

For his, &c.
And large-limb'd Og he did subdue,
With all his over-hardy crew.

For his, &c.
And to his servant Israel
He gave their land therein to dwell.

For his, &c.
He hath with a piteous eye
Beheld us in our misery.

For his, &c.
And freed us from the slavery
Of the invading enemy.
For his, &c.

- 45

All living creatures he doth feed,
And with full hand supplies their need.

For his, &c.
Let us therefore warble forth
His mighty majesty and worth.

For his, &c.
That his mansion hath on high
Above the reach of mortal eye.

For his mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

50

ANNO ÆTATIS XVII. (1626.)
ON THE DEATH OF A FAIR INFANT.

DYING OF A COUGH.
O FAIREST Aower no sooner blown but blasted,
Soft silken primrose fading timelessly,
Summer's chief honour, if thou hadst outlasted
Bleak Winter's force that made thy blossom dry;
For he being amorous on that lovely dye

That did thy cheek envermeil, thought to kiss
But kill'd alas, and then bewail'd his fatal bliss.
For since grim Aquilo his charioteer
By boistrous rape th' Athenian damsel got,
He thought it toucht his deity full near,
If likewise he some fair one wedded not;
Thereby to wipe away th' infamous blot

Of long-uncoupled bed, and childless eld,
Which ’mongst the wanton gods a foul reproach was held.
So mounting up in icy-pearled car,

15 Through middle empire of the freezing air He wander'd long, till thee he spi'd from far, There ended was his quest, there ceast his care. Down he descended from his snow-soft chair, But all unwares with his cold-kind embrace

20 Unhous'd thy virgin soul from her fair biding place.