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Nature in awe to him

Had dofft her gawdy trim,

With her great Mafter fo to fympathize: It was no feafon 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 fnow, 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 so near upon her foul deformities.

III.

But he her fears to cease,

Sent down the meek-ey'd Peace;

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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 universal peace through sea and land.

IV.

No war, or battel's found

Was heard the world around:

The idle spear and shield were high up hung, 55 The hooked chariot stood,

Unftain'd with hoftile blood,

The trumpet fpake not to the armed throng, And kings fat ftill with awful eye,

As if they furely knew their fovran Lord was by. 60

But

V.

But peaceful was the night,
Wherein the Prince of light

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

Smoothly the waters kist,

Whifp'ring new joys to the mild ocean, Who now hath quite forgot to rave,

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While birds of calm fit brooding on the charmed wave,

VI.

The stars with deep amaze

Stand fix'd in ftedfast gaze,

Bending one way their precious 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 befpake, and bid them go. VII.

And though the fhady gloom

Had given day her room,

The fun himself withheld his wonted speed, And hid his head for fhame,

As his inferior flame

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The new inlighten'd world no more should need; He faw a greater fun appear

Than his bright throne, or burning axletree could bear,

VIII.

The fhepherds on the lawn,

Or e'er the point of dawn,

Sat fimply chatting in a rustic row ;

Full little thought they then,

That the mighty Pan

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Was kindly come to live with them below; 90

Per

Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep,

Was all that did their filly thoughts fo bufy keep.

When fuch music sweet

IX.

Their hearts and ears did greet,

As never was by mortal finger strook, Divinely-warbled voice

Answering the ftringed noise,

As all their fouls in blissful rapture took : The air fuch pleasure loath to lose,

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With thousandecho's ftill prolongs each heav'nly clofe.

X.

Nature that heard fuch found,
Beneath the hollow round

Of Cynthia's seat, the aery region thrilling,

Now was almost won

To think her part was done,

And that her reign had here its last fulfilling;

She knew fuch harmony alone

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

XI.

At laft furrounds their fight

A globe of circular light,

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That with long beams the shame-fac'd night array`di The helmed Cherubim,

And (worded Seraphim,

Are feen in glittering ranks with wings difplay'd, Harping in loud and folemn quire,

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With unexpreflive notes to Heav'n's new-born Heir.

Such mufic (as 'tis faid)
Before was never made,

XII.

But

But when of old the sons of morning fung, While the Creator great

His conftellations fet,

And the well-balanc'd world on hinges hung, And caft the dark foundations deep,

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And bid the weltring waves their oozy channel keep.

XIII.

Ring out ye crystal Spheres,

Once blefs our human ears,

(If ye have pow'r to touch our fenfes fo) And let your filver chime

Move in melodious time,

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And let the bafe of Heav'n's deep organ blow,

And with your ninefold harmony

Make up full confort to th' angelic fymphony.

For if fuch holy fong

Inwrap our fancy long,

XIV.

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Time will run back,and fetch the age of gold, 135 And fpeckled Vanity

Will ficken foon and die,

And leprous Sin will melt from earthly mold,

And Hell itself will pass away,

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And leave her dolorous manfions to the peering day.

XV.

Yea Truth and Justice then

Will down return to men,

Orb'd in a rainbow; and like glories wearing Mercy will fit between,

Thron'd in celeftial fheen,

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With radiant feet the tiffued clouds down fteering And Heav'n, as at fome feftival,

Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall.

But

XVI.

But wifeft Fate fays no,

This must not yet be fo,

The babe lies yet in fmiling infancy, That on the bitter crofs

Muft redeem our loss;

So both himself and us to glorify:

Yet firft to thofe ychain'd in fleep,

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[deep,

The wakeful trump of doom muft thunder through the

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And then at laft our blifs

Full and perfect is,

But now begins; for from this happy dạy.

Th' old Dragon under ground

In ftraiter limits bound,'

Not half fo far cafts his ufurped fway,

And wroth to fee his kingdom fail,

Swindges the fcaly horror of his folded tail.

The oracles are dumb,

XIX.

No voice or hideous hum

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Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving. Apollo from his fhrine

Can no more divine,

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With hollow fhriek the steep of Delphos leaving.

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