Thy drousy nurse hath sworn she did them spy 70 (still And peace shall lull him in her flow'ry lap; Y 2 75 85 What What pow'r, what force, what mighty spell, if not Your learned hands, can loose this Gordian knot? The next Quantity and Quality spake in profe, then Relation was call'd by his name. R1 IVERS arife; whether thou be the fon Of utmost Tweed, or Oofe, or gulphy Dun, Or Trent, who like fome earth-born giant spreads His thirty arms along th' indented meads, Or fullen Mole that runneth underneath, Or Severn swift, guilty of maidens' death, Or rocky Avon, or of fedgy Lee, 95 Or coaly Tine, or ancient hallow'd Dee, On the Morning of CHRIST's NATIVITY. Compos'd 1629. HIS is the month, and this the happy morn, in King, Wherein the Son of Heav'n's eternal Of wedded Maid, and Virgin Mother born, That he our deadly forfeit should release, And with his Father work us a perpetual peace. II. That glorious form, that light unsufferable, 5 And And that far-beaming blaze of majesty, Wherewith he wont at Heav'n's high council-table To fit the midst of Trinal Unity, He laid afide; and here with us to be, Forfook the courts of everlasting day, II And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay. III. 15 Say heav'nly Muse, shall not thy facred vein See how from far upon the eastern road I The HYMN. I. T was the winter wild, While the Heav'n-born child 25 30 Nature All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies; Nature in awe to him Had dofft her gaudy trim, With her great Mafter so to sympathize: It was no season 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 snow, 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 fo near upon her foul deformities. III. But he her fears to cease, Sent down the meek-ey'd Peace; 35 40 45 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 battle's found Was heard the world around: The idle fpear and shield were high up hung; 55 The The hooked Chariot stood, Unftain'd with hoftile blood, The trumpet spake not to the armed throng, And kings fat fill with awful eye, As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was by. 60 V. But peaceful was the night, Wherein the Prince of light His reign of peace upon the earth began: The winds with wonder whist Smoothly the waters kist, Whisp'ring new joys to the mild ocean, Who now hath quite forgot to rave, 65 While birds of calm fit brooding on the charmed VI. The ftars with deep amaze Stand fix'd in fledfaft gaze, (wave. 70 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, 75 Until their Lord himself befpake, and bid them go. VII. And though the shady gloom Had given day her room, The fun himself withheld his wonted speed, And |