Nor is Osiris seen

XXIV

In Memphian Grove, or Green,

Trampling the unshowr'd Grasse with lowings loud: Nor can he be at rest

Within his sacred chest,

Naught but profoundest Hell can be his shroud, In vain with Timbrel'd Anthems dark

The sable-stoled Sorcerers bear his worshipt Ark.

XXV

He feels from Juda's Land

The dredded Infants hand,

The rayes of Bethlehem blind his dusky eyn; Nor all the gods beside,

Longer dare abide,

Not Typhon huge ending in snaky twine:

Our Babe to shew his Godhead true,

Can in his swadling bands controul the damned crew.

XXVI

220

So when the Sun in bed,

Curtain'd with cloudy red,

Pillows his chin upon an Orient wave,

The flocking shadows pale,

Troop to th'infernall jail,

Each fetter'd Ghost slips to his severall grave,

And the yellow-skirted Fayes,

230

Fly after the Night-steeds, leaving their Moon-lov'd maze.

XXVII

But see the Virgin blest,

Hath laid her Babe to rest.

Time is our tedious Song should here have ending, Heav'ns youngest teemed Star,

Hath fixt her polisht Car,

Her sleeping Lord with Handmaid Lamp attending: And all about the Courtly Stable,

Bright-harnest Angels sit in order serviceable.

240

A Paraphrase on Psalm 114.

This and the following Psalm were don
by the Author at fifteen yeers old.

WHEN the blest seed of Terah's faithfull Son,
After long toil their liberty had won,

And past from Pharian fields to Canaan Land,
Led by the strength of the Almighties 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, Jordans clear streams recoil,
As a faint host that hath receiv'd the foil.
The high, huge-bellied Mountains skip like Rams
Amongst their Ews, the little Hills like Lambs.
Why fled the Ocean? And why skipt the Mountains?
Why turned Jordan toward his Crystall Fountains?
Shake earth, and at the presence be agast

Of him that ever was, and ay shall last,

That glassy flouds from rugged rocks can crush,
And make soft rills from fiery flint-stones gush.

Psalm 136.

LET us with a gladsom mind.
Praise the Lord, for he is kind,

For his mercies ay endure,
Ever faithfull, ever sure.

Let us blaze his Name abroad,

For of gods he is the God;
For, &c.

O let us his praises tell,

That doth the wrathfull tyrants quell.
For, &c.

That with his miracles doth make

Amazed Heav'n and Earth to shake.
For, &c.

Psalm 136. 10, 13 That] who 1673

10

I'

That by his wisdom did create

The painted Heav'ns so full of state.
For, &c.

That did the solid Earth ordain

To rise above the watry plain.
For, &c.

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

And caus'd the Golden-tressed Sun,
All the day long his cours to run.

For, &c.

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

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

And in despight of Pharao fell,

30

20

He brought from thence his Israel.
For, &c.

40

The ruddy waves he cleft in twain,
Of the Erythræan main.

For, &c.

The floods stood still like Walls of Glass,

While the Hebrew Bands did pass.

For, &c.

But full soon they did devour

The Tawny King with all his power.
For, &c.

His chosen people he did bless

In the wastfull Wildernes.

For, &c.

50

бо

17, 21, 25 That] who 1673

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

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

And large-lim'd Og he did subdue,
With all his over hardy crew.

For, &c.

And to his Servant Israel,

He gave their Land therin to dwell.
For, &c.

He hath with a piteous eye

Beheld us in our misery.

For, &c.

And freed us from the slavery

Of the invading enimy.

For, &c.

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

Let us therfore warble forth

His mighty Majesty and worth.
For, &c.

That his mansion hath on high
Above the reach of mortall ey.

For his mercies ay endure,
Ever faithfull, ever sure.

70

80

90

The Passion.

I

ERE-while of Musick, and Ethereal mirth,
Wherwith the stage of Ayr and Earth did ring,
And joyous news of heav'nly Infants birth,
My muse with Angels did divide to sing;
But headlong joy is ever on the wing,

In Wintry solstice like the shortn'd light
Soon swallow'd up in dark and long out-living night.

For now to sorrow must I tune my song,

And set my Harpe to notes of saddest wo,

Which on our dearest Lord did sease er'e long,

Dangers, and snares, and wrongs, and worse then so, Which he for us did freely undergo.

Most perfect Heroe, try'd in heaviest plight

Of labours huge and hard, too hard for human wight.

10

He sov'ran Priest stooping his regall head

That dropt with odorous oil down his fair eyes,
Poor fleshly Tabernacle entered,

His starry front low-rooft beneath the skies;
O what a Mask was there, what a disguise!

Yet more; the stroke of death he must abide,
Then lies him meekly down fast by his Brethrens side.

IV

These latter scenes confine my roving vers,
To this Horizon is my Phoebus bound,
His Godlike acts, and his temptations fierce,
And former sufferings other where are found;
Loud o're the rest Cremona's Trump doth sound;
Me softer airs befit, and softer strings

Of Lute, or Viol still, more apt for mournful things.

22 latter] latest 1673

20