IN THE BEGINNING

Hymn to Darkness

H

AIL thou most sacred venerable thing! What Muse is worthy thee to sing? Thee, from whose pregnant universal womb All things, ev'n Light, thy rival, first did come. What dares he not attempt that sings of thee, Thou first and greatest mystery?

Who can the secrets of thy essence tell? Thou, like the light of God, art inaccessible.

Before great Love this monument did raise,
This ample theatre of praise;

Before the folding circles of the sky
Were tuned by Him, who is all harmony;
Before the morning stars their hymn began,

Before the council held for man,

Before the birth of either time or place,

Thou reign'st unquestioned monarch in the empty

space.

Thy native lot thou didst to Light resign,

But still half of the globe is thine. Here with a quiet, but yet awful hand, Like the best emperors thou dost command. To thee the stars above their brightness owe, And mortals their repose below:

To thy protection fear and sorrow flee,

And those that weary are of light, find rest in thee.

J. NORRIS OF Bemerton.

The Word to Chaos

66 6

"A

ND thou my Word, begotten Son, by thee This I perform; speak thou, and be it done.

My overshadowing Spirit and might with thee
I send along; ride forth, and bid the deep
Within appointed bounds be heaven and earth;
Boundless the deep, because I AM who fill
Infinitude, nor vacuous the space;
Though I uncircumscribed myself retire,
And put not forth my goodness, which is free
To act, or not, necessity and chance
Approach not me, and what I will is fate.'

Immediate are the acts of God, more swift

Than time or motion, but to human ears
Cannot without process of speech be told,
So told as earthly notion can receive.

Great triumph and rejoicing was in heaven, When such was heard declared the Almighty's will;

Glory they sung to the Most High, good will
To future men, and in their dwellings peace.

"So sang the Hierarchies. Meanwhile the Son On his great expedition now appeared, Girt with omnipotence, with radiance crowned Of majesty divine: sapience and love Immense, and all his Father in him shone. About his chariot numberless were poured Cherub and Seraph, Potentates and Thrones, And Virtues, wingèd Spirits, and Chariots winged From the armoury of God, where stand of old Myriads, between two brazen mountains lodged Against a solemn day, harnessed at hand, Celestial equipage; and now came forth Spontaneous, for within them spirit lived, Attendant on their Lord: heav'n opened wide Her ever-during gates, harmonious sound On golden hinges moving, to let forth The King of Glory, in his powerful Word And Spirit coming to create new worlds.