Lift'ning to what unshorn Apollo fings To th' touch of golden wires, while Hebe brings Immortal nectar to her kingly fire: 41 45 Then paffing through the spheres of watchful fire, 50 Thou know'ft it must be now thy only bent 55 To keep in compafs of thy predicament: Then quick about thy purpos'd business come, That to the next I may refign my room. Then Ens is represented as father of the Predicaments his ten fons, whereof the eldest stood for Substance with his canons, which Ens, thus fpeaking, explains: OOD luck befriend thee, Son; for at thy birth Go The faery ladies danc'd upon the hearth; 60 Thy Thy droufy nurse hath fworn she did them spy 70 She heard them give thee this, that thou shouldst And peace shall lull him in her flow'ry lap; ;` ~ Y 2 75 85 What What pow'r, what force, what mighty spell, if not Your learned hands, can loose this Gordian knot? The next Quantity and Quality fpake in profe, then Relation was call'd by his name. R IVERS arife; whether thou be the fon Of utmost Tweed, or Oofe, or gulphy Dun, Or Trent, who like some earth-born giant spreads His thirty arms along th' indented meads, Or fullen Mole that runneth underneath, Or Severn swift, guilty of maidens' death, Or rocky Avon, or of fedgy Lee, 95 Or coaly Tine, or ancient hallow'd Dee, III. On the Morning of CHRIST's NATIVITY. Compos'd 1629. I. 'HIS is the month, and this the happy morn, TH Wherein the Son of Heav'n's eternal King, Of wedded Maid, and Virgin Mother born, Our great redemption from above did bring; For fo the holy fages once did fing, That he our deadly forfeit should release, And with his Father work us a perpetual peace. II. That glorious form, that light unsufferable, 5 And III And that far-beaming blaze of majesty, . Wherewith he wont at Heav'n's high council-table To fit the midst of Trinal Unity, He laid afide; and here with us to be, Forfook the courts of everlasting day, II And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay. III. 15 Say heav'nly Muse, shall not thy facred vein See how from far upon the eastern road I The HYMN. I. T was the winter wild, While the Heav'n-born child 25 30 Nature All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies; Nature in awe to him Had dofft her gaudy trim, With her great Mafter 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 snow, And on her naked shame, Pollute with finful blame, The faintly veil of maiden white to throw, Confounded, that her Maker's eyes Should look fo near upon her foul deformities. III. But he her fears to cease, Sent down the meek-ey'd Peace; 35 40 45 She crown'd with olive green, came foftly sliding Down through the turning sphere His ready harbinger, With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing, 50 And waving wide her myrtle wand, She strikes an univerfal peace through sea and land. IV. No war, or battle's found Was heard the world around: The idle spear and shield were high up hung; 55 The |