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VI.

UPON THE CIRCUMCISION.

E flaming Powers, and winged Warriors bright, That erft with mufic, and triumphant fong, First heard by happy watchful fhepherds' ear, So fweetly fung your joy the clouds along Through the foft filence of the lift'ning night; Now mourn, and if fad share with us to bear Your fiery effence can diftil no tear, Burn in your fighs, and borrow

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wept from our deep forrow:

He who with all Heav'n's heraldry whilere
Enter'd the world, now bleeds to give us ease;
Alas, how foon our fin

Sore doth begin

His infancy to feize!

O more exceeding love or law more just !
Juft law indeed, but more exceeding love!
For we by rightful doom remedilefs

Were loft in death, till he that dwelt above
High thron'd in fecret blifs, for us frail duft
Emptied his glory, ev'n to nakedness;

And that great covenant which we still transgress
Entirely fatisfied,

And the full wrath befide

Of vengeful juftice bore for our excess,

And seals obedience firft with wounding smart
This day, but O ere long

Huge pangs and strong

Will pierce more near his heart.

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VII. A T

VII.

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Wed

AT A SOLEMN MUSIC.
LEST pair of Syrens, pledges of Heav'n's joy,
Sphere-born harmonious fifters, Voice and Verfe,
your divine founds, and mix'd power employ
Dead things with inbreath'd sense able to pierce,
And to our high-rais'd phantafy present
That undisturbed fong of pure concent,
Ay fung before the fapphire-color'd throne
To him that fits thereon

With faintly fhout and folemn jubilee,
Where the bright Seraphim in burning row
Their loud up-lifted angel-trumpets blow,
And the cherubic host in thousand quires
Touch their immortal harps of golden wires,
With thofe juft Spirits that wear victorious palms,
Hymns devout and holy pfalms

Singing everlaftingly;

That we on earth with undifcording voice

May rightly answer that melodious noife;
As once we did, till difproportion'd fin

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Jarr'd against nature's chime, and with harsh din 20 Broke the fair mufic that all creatures made

To their great Lord, whose love their motion sway'd In perfect diapafon, whilft they ftood

In first obedience, and their state of good.

O may we foon again renew that song,

And keep in tune with Heav'n, till God ere long
To his celeftial concert us unite,

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To live with him, and fing in endless morn of light!

VIII. An

VIII.

An EPITAPH on the Marchionefs of Winchefter *.

HIS rich marble doth inter

TH

The honor'd wife of Winchester,

A Viscount's daughter, an Earl's heir,
Befides what her virtues fair
Added to her noble birth,

More than fhe could own from earth.
Summers three times eight fave one
She had told; alas too foon,.

After fo fhort time of breath,

To house with darknefs, and with death.
Yet, had the number of her days
Been as complete as was her praife,

Nature and fate had had no ftrife
In giving limit to her life.

Her high birth and her graces fweet
Quickly found a lover meet;

The virgin quire for her request
The God that fits at marriage feaft;
He at their invoking came

But with a scarce well-lighted flame;
And in his garland as he stood
Ye might difcern a cypress-bud.
Once had the early matrons run
To greet her of a lovely son,

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* Jane, daughter of Thomas Lord Viscount Savage of Rock

Savage.

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And

And now with fecond hope fhe goes,
And calls Lucina to her throes;
But whether by mischance or blame
Atropos for Lucina came ;
And with remorfeless cruelty
Spoil'd at once both fruit and tree:
The hapless babe before his birth
Had burial, yet not laid in earth,
And the languifh'd mother's womb
Was not long a living tomb.
So have I seen some tender flip,
Sav'd with care from winter's nip,
The pride of her carnation train,
Pluck'd up by fome unheedy fwain,
Who only thought to crop the flower
New fhot up from vernal shower;
But the fair bloffom hangs the head
Side-ways as on a dying bed,
And those pearls of dew she wears,
Prove to be prefaging tears,
Which the fad morn had let fall

On her haftening funeral.

Gentle Lady, may thy grave

Peace and quiet ever have ;

After this thy travel fore

Sweet reft feize thee evermore,
That to give the world increase,
Shortned haft thy own life's lease!

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Here, befides the forrowing

That thy noble houfe doth bring,

Here

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Devoted to thy virtuous name;

Whilft thou, bright Saint, high fitft in glory,

Next her much like to thee in story,

That fair Syrian fhepherdess,

Who after years of barrenness,
The highly-favor'd Jofeph bore
To him that ferv'd for her before,
And at her next birth, much like thee,
Through pangs fled to felicity,
Far within the bofom bright
Of blazing Majefty and Light:
There with thee, new welcome Saint,
Like fortunes may her foul acquaint,
With thee there clad in radiant fheen,
No Marchioness, but now a Queen.

IX.

SONG. ON MAY MORNING.

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WOW the bright morning ftar, day's harbinger, Comes dancing from the east, and leads with her The flowery May, who from her green lap throws The yellow cowflip, and the pale primrose.

Hail, bounteous May, that dost inspire

Mirth and youth and warm defire;

VOL. XII.

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