And mooned Ashtaroth, Heav'n's queen and mother both, Now sits not girt with tapers' holy shine; The Lybic Hammon shrinks his horn, 200 In vain the Tyrian maids their wounded Thammuz mourn. XXIII. And sullen Moloch fled, Hath left in shadows dread His burning idol all of blackest hue; In vain with cymbals ring They call the grisly king, In dismal dance about the furnace blue: The brutish Gods of Nile as fast, Isis and Orus, and the dog Anubis haste. 205 210 Nought but profoundest hell can be his shroud; In vain with timbrell'd anthems dark The sable-stoled sorcerers bear his worshipp'd ark. 200 mooned] Milton added this word to our language. Todd. 215 Trampling] Benlowes's Theophila, p. 287. 'Of wide hornd oxen trampling grass with lowings loud.' He feels from Juda's land The dreaded Infant's hand, The rays of Bethlehem blind his dusky eyn; Nor all the Gods beside, Longer dare abide, Not Typhon huge ending in snaky twine: Our babe, to show his Godhead true, 225 [crew. Can in his swaddling bands control the damned XXVI. 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' infernal jail, 230 Each fetter'd ghost slips to his several grave; And the yellow-skirted Fayes [maze. Fly after the night-steeds, leaving their moon-lov'd 231 chin] T. Warton has not remarked the use of this word in old poetry; when it brought with it no associations of familiarity or burlesque. Chapman's Hom. Il. p. 113, Both goddesses let fall their chins.' Odyss. p. 303. 310, Jove shook his sable chin.' The Ballad of Gil Morrice, 158, 'And kiss'd baith mouth and chin,' 169, ' And syne she kiss'd his bluidy cheeke, and syne his bluidy chin.' And Percy's Reliques, iii. 57, Our Lady bore up her chinne.' 232 shadows] M. Bowle refers to Mids. Night Dream, act iii. sc. ult. 'And yonder shines,' &c. XXVII. But see the Virgin blest Hath laid her Babe to rest, [ing; Time is our tedious song should here have endHeav'n's youngest teemed star Hath fix'd her polish'd car, 240 Her sleeping Lord with handmaid lamp attend And all about the courtly stable [ing; Bright-harness'd Angels sit in order serviceable. THE PASSION. I. EREWHILE of music, and ethereal mirth, 5 244 harness'd] Exodus, xiii. 18. The children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.' Newton. divide] Spens. F. Queen. iii. i. 40. 'And all the while sweet music did divide Hor. Od. i. xv. 15. Imbelli cithara carmina divides.' Warton. For now to sorrow must I tune my song, Which on our dearest Lord did seize ere long, 10 Most perfect Hero, tried in heaviest plight Of labours huge and hard, too hard for human wight! III. He sovereign priest stooping his regal head, 15 His starry front low-roof'd beneath the skies : Yet more; the stroke of death he must abide, Then lies him meekly down fast by his brethren's side. IV. These latest scenes confine my roving verse, Of lute, or viol still, more apt for mournful things. 26 Cremona's trump] Vida's Christiad. V. Befriend me, Night, best patroness of grief, The leaves should all be black whereon I write, And letters where my tears have wash'd a wannish white. 35 VI. See, see the chariot, and those rushing wheels, In pensive trance, and anguish, and ecstatic fit. VII. Mine eye hath found that sad sepulchral rock That was the casket of Heav'n's richest store, And here though grief my feeble hands up lock, Yet on the soften'd quarry would I score My plaining verse as lively as before; 30 Over] So P. L. iv. 609. 'And o'er the dark her silver mantle throw." Steevens. 46 |