As his inferior flame The new enlighten'd world no more should need; [bear. He saw a greater sun appear VIII. The shepherds on the lawn, Or e'er the point of dawn, Sat simply chatting in a rustic row; Full little thought they then That the mighty Pan Was kindly come to live with them below; Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep, Was all that did their silly thoughts so busy keep. IX. When such music sweet Their hearts and ears did greet, As never was by mortal finger strook, Divinely-warbled voice 85 X. Nature that heard such sound, Beneath the hollow round 90 Answering the stringed noise, As all their souls in blissful rapture took : The air such pleasure loath to lose, [close. With thousand echoes still prolongs each heavenly 95 Pan] Spenser's July. The flockes of mightie Pan.' Warton Of Cynthia's seat, the airy region thrilling, Now was almost won To think her part was done, And that her reign had here its last fulfilling; She knew such harmony alone Could hold all heav'n and earth in happier union. 105 XI. At last surrounds their sight A globe of circular light, 110 That with long beams the shamefac'd night ar [ray'd; XII. The helmed Cherubim, And sworded Seraphim, Are seen in glittering ranks with wings display'd, Harping in loud and solemn quire, [Heir. With unexpressive notes to Heaven's new-born Such music (as 'tis said) But when of old the sons of morning sung, His constellations set, 120 And the well-balanc'd world on hinges hung, And cast the dark foundations deep, [keep. And bid the welt'ring waves their oozy channel 116 unexpressive] This word was, perhaps, coined by Shakespeare. As you like it, act iii. sc. 2, The fair, the chaste, and unexpressive she!' Warton XIII. Ring out, ye crystal spheres, If ye have pow'r to touch our senses so; And let your silver chime Move in melodious time, And let the base of heav'n's deep organ blow; 131 And with your ninefold harmony XIV. For if such holy song Inwrap our fancy long, Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold, And speckled Vanity Will sicken soon and die, And leprous Sin will melt from earthly mould; And Hell itself will pass away, And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day. 125 crystal] Heaven's hard crystal.' Marlowe's Hero and Leander, p. 90. 110 128 silver] Machin's Dumbe Knight, 1608. 'It was as silver as the chime of spheres.' Todd. 134 gold] 'See listening Time run back to fetch the age of gold.' Benlowes's Theophila, st. xcv. p. 248. 140 leave] Virg. Æn. viii. 245. 6 regna recludat Pallida, dîs invisa; superque immane barathrum Warton. XV Yea Truth and Justice then Will down return to men, Orb'd in a rainbow; and, like glories wearing, Mercy will sit between, Thron'd in celestial sheen, 145 With radiant feet the tissued clouds down steer [ing: And heav'n, as at some festival, XVI. But wisest Fate says No, This must not yet be so, The babe yet lies in smiling infancy, That on the bitter cross So both himself and us to glorify; 143 Orb'd] In ed. 1645. XVII. With such a horrid clang As on mount Sinai rang, [brake: While the red fire, and smouldering clouds out The aged earth aghast, 160 With terror of that blast, 'Th' enamell'd arras of the rainbow wearing; 150 Shall from the surface to the centre shake; When at the world's last session, [throne. The dreadful Judge in middle air shall spread his XVIII. And then at last our bliss Full and perfect is, But now begins; for from this happy day The old Dragon under ground In straiter limits bound, Not half so far casts his usurped sway, And wroth to see his kingdom fail, Swinges the scaly horror of his folded tail. XIX. XX. The oracles are dumb, No voice or hideous hum Runs thro' the arched roof in words deceiving. Apollo from his shrine Can no more divine, With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos leaving. No nightly trance, or breathed spell Inspires the pale-ey'd priest from the prophetic cell. The lonely mountains o'er. And the resounding shore, 172 Swinges] See Cowley's Davideis, p. 313 165 'Pectora tum longæ percellit verbere caudæ.' 170 |