Their orisons, each morning duly paid
In various style; for neither various style
Nor holy rapture wanted they to praise
Their Maker, in fit strains pronounc'd or sung
Unmeditated, such prompt eloquence
Flow'd from their lips, in prose or numerous verse,
More tuneable than needed lute or harp
To add more sweetness; and they thus began.
These are thy glorious works, Parent of good,
Almighty, thine this universal frame,
Thus wondrous fair; thyself how wondrous then!
Unspeakable, who sitt'st above these heavens, 158
To us invisible, or dimly seen
In these thy lowest works; yet these declare
Thy goodness beyond thought, and power divine.
Speak ye who best can tell, ye sons of light,
Angels, for ye behold him, and with songs
And choral symphonies, day without night,
Circle his throne rejoicing; ye in heaven,
On earth join all ye creatures to extol
Him first, him last, him midst, and without end.
Fairest of stars, last in the train of night,
If better thou belong not to the dawn,
Sure pledge of day, that crown'st the smiling morn
With thy bright circlet, praise him in thy sphere,
While day arises, that sweet hour of prime.
150 numerous] 'To enter David's numerous fane.'
166 Fairest] Hom. Il. xxii. 318. and Ov. Met. ii. 114.
Thou sun, of this great world both eye and soul, Acknowledge him thy greater, sound his praise In thy eternal course, both when thou clim'st, And when high noon hast gain'd, and when thou fall'st.
Moon, that now meet'st the orient sun, now fly'st,
With the fix'd stars, fix'd in their orb that flies,
And ye five other wand'ring fires that move
In mystic dance not without song, resound
His praise, who out of darkness call'd up light.
Air, and ye elements, the eldest birth
Of nature's womb, that in quaternion run
Perpetual circle, multiform, and mix
And nourish all things, let your ceaseless change
Vary to our great Maker still new praise.
Ye mists and exhalations that now rise
From hill or steaming lake, dusky or gray,
Till the sun paint your fleecy skirts with gold,
In honour to the world's great Author rise,
Whether to deck with clouds the uncolour'd sky,
Or wet the thirsty earth with falling showers, 190
Rising or falling still advance his praise.
His praise, ye winds that from four quarters blow,
Breathe soft or loud; and wave your tops, ye pines,
With every plant, in sign of worship wave.
177 five] Verum etiam quinque stellas, quæ vulgo vagæ nuncupantur.'
v. Apul. de Deo Socratis, ed. Delph. vol. ii. p. 666. 181 quaternion] Heywood's Hier. p. 193.
"What ternions and classes be
In the cælestial hierarchie.'
Fountains, and ye that warble, as ye flow,
Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise:
Join voices, all ye living souls: ye birds,
That singing up to heaven-gate ascend,
Bear on your wings and in your notes his praise;
Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk
The earth, and stately tread, or lowly creep;
Witness if I be silent, morn or even,
To hill, or valley, fountain, or fresh shade,
Made vocal by my song, and taught his praise.
Hail universal Lord, be bounteous still
To give us only good; and if the night
Have gather'd aught of evil, or conceal❜d,
Disperse it, as now light dispels the dark.
So pray'd they innocent, and to their thoughts Firm peace recover'd soon and wonted calm. On to their morning's rural work they haste, Among sweet dews and flowers, where any row Of fruit-trees overwoody reach'd too far Their pamper'd boughs, and needed hands to check Fruitless embraces; or they led the vine To wed her elm; she spous'd about him twines Her marriageable arms, and with her brings Her dow'r, th' adopted clusters, to adorn
198 heaven-gate] So in Cymbeline, act ii. sc. 3. 'Hark! hark, the lark at heaven's gate sings.' Newton.
200 Ye that] How could the fish witness? Bentl. MS.
206 give] Not unlike the Prayer of Clytemnestra in Soph. Elect. 646. A. Dyce.
217 marriageable] See Apulei Apolog. p. 540. ed. Delph.
His barren leaves. Them thus employ'd beheld
With pity heaven's high King, and to him call'd
Raphael, the sociable spirit, that deign'd
To travel with Tobias, and secur'd
His marriage with the seventimes-wedded maid.
Raphael, said he, thou hear'st what stir on earth
Satan, from hell scap'd through the darksome gulf,
Hath rais'd in Paradise, and how disturb'd
This night the human pair; how he designs
In them at once to ruin all mankind:
Go therefore, half this day as friend with friend
Converse with Adam, in what bower or shade 230
Thou find'st him from the heat of noon retir'd,
To respit his day-labour with repast,
Or with repose; and such discourse bring on,
As
may advise him of his happy state,
Happiness in his power left free to will,
Left to his own free will, his will though free,
Yet mutable; whence warn him to beware
He swerve not too secure: tell him withal
His danger, and from whom; what enemy,
Late fall'n himself from heaven, is plotting now
The fall of others from like state of bliss;
By violence? no; for that shall be withstood,
But by deceit and lies; this let him know,
Lest wilfully transgressing he pretend
Surprisal, unadmonish'd, unforewarn❜d.
So spake th' eternal Father, and fulfill'd
All justice: nor delay'd the winged saint
After his charge receiv'd; but from among
Thousand celestial ardours, where he stood
Veil'd with his gorgeous wings, upspringing light
Flew through the midst of heaven; th' angelic
On each hand parting, to his speed gave way
Through all th' empyreal road; till at the gate
Of heaven arriv'd, the gate self-open'd wide
On golden hinges turning, as by work
Divine the sov❜reign Architect had fram’d.
From hence, no cloud, or, to obstruct his sight,
Star interpos'd, however small, he sees,
Not unconform to other shining globes,
Earth and the garden of GOD, with cedars crown'd Above all hills: as when by night the glass
Of Galileo, less assur'd, observes
Imagin❜d lands and regions in the moon:
Or pilot from amidst the Cyclades
Delos, or Samos, first appearing kens
A cloudy spot. Down thither prone in flight
He speeds, and through the vast ethereal sky
Sails between worlds and worlds, with steady wing
Now on the polar winds, then with quick fan
Winnows the buxom air; till within soar
Of towering eagles, to all the fowls he seems
A phoenix, gaz'd by all, as that sole bird,
When, to inshrine his reliques in the sun's
249 ardours]'ardours,' mean the 'seraphim.' It is one of the words used by Dante for angels. Todd.
266 prone] Virg. Æn. iv. 253.
Toto præceps se corpore ad undas
Misit.'
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