Then long Eternity shall greet our bliss With an individual kiss;
And Joy shall overtake us as a flood, When every thing that is sincerely good
And perfectly divine,
With Truth, and Peace, and Love, shall ever shine About the supreme throne
Of Him, to' whose happy-making sight alone
When once our heavenly guided soul shall climb ; Then, all this earthly grossness quit, Attir'd with stars, we shall for ever sit, [O Time! Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee,
BLESS'D pair of Syrens, pledges of Heaven's joy, Sphere-born harmonious sisters, Voice and Verse, Wed your divine sounds, and mix'd power employ Dead things with inbreath'd sense able to pierce; And to our high-rais'd phantasy present That undisturbed song of pure concent, Aye sung before the sapphire-colour'd throne To him that sits thereon,
With saintly shout, and solemn 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 those just Spirits that wear victorious palms, Hymns devout and holy psalms
That we on earth, with undiscording voice, May rightly answer that melodious noise; As once we did; till disproportion'd sin Jarr'd against Nature's chime, and with harsh din Broke the fair music that all creatures made
To their great Lord, whose love their motion sway'd In perfect diapason, whilst they stood In first obedience, and their state of good. O, may we soon again renew that song, And keep in tune with Heaven, till God ere long To his celestial concert us unite,
To live with him, and sing in endless morn of light!
MARCHIONESS OF WINCHESTER *
THIS rich marble doth inter
The honour'd wife of Winchester, A Viscount's daughter, an Earl's heir, Besides what her virtues fair
Added to her noble birth,
More than she could own from earth. Summers three times eight save one She had told; alas! too soon, After so short time of breath,
To house with darkness, and with death.
* Jane, daughter of Thomas, Viscount Savare, and wife of John, Marquis of Winchester.
Yet had the number of her days Been as complete as was her praise, Nature and Fate had had no strife In giving limit to her life.
Her high birth, and her graces sweet, Quickly found a lover meet; The virgin quire for her request The God that sits at marriage feast; He at their invoking came,
But with a scarce well-lighted flame; And in his garland, as he stood, Ye might discern a cypress bud.. Once had the early matrons run To greet her of a lovely son, And now with second hope she goes, And calls Lucina to her throes; But, whether by mischance or blame, Atropos for Lucina came; And with remorseless cruelty Spoil'd at once both fruit and tree: The hapless babe, before his birth, Had burial, yet not laid in earth; And the languish'd mother's womb Was not long a living tomb.
So have I seen some tender slip, Sav'd with care from winter's nip, The pride of her carnation train, Pluck'd up by some unheedy swain, Who only thought to crop the flower, New shot up from vernal shower; But the fair blossom hangs the head Side-ways, as on a dying bed, And those pearls of dew she wears, Prove to be presaging tears,
Which the sad morn had let fall
On her hastening funeral.
Gentle Lady, may thy grave
Peace and quiet ever have; After this thy travail sore
Sweet rest seize thee evermore, That to give the world increase, Shorten'd hast thy own life's lease. Here, besides the sorrowing That thy noble house doth bring, Here be tears of perfect moan Wept for thee in Helicon; And some flowers, and some bays, For thy hearse, to strew the ways, Sent thee from the banks of Came, Devoted to thy virtuous name; Whilst thou, bright Saint, high sit'st in glory, Next her, much like to thee in story, That fair Syrian shepherdess,* Who, after years of barrenness, The highly favour'd Joseph bore To him that serv'd for her before, And at her next birth, much like thee, Through pangs fled to felicity, Far within the bosom bright Of blazing Majesty and Light: There with thee, new welcome Saint, Like fortunes may her soul acquaint, With thee there clad in radiant sheen, No Marchioness, but now a Queen.
Now the bright Morning-star, day's harbinger, Comes dancing from the east, and leads with her The flowery May, who from her green lap throws The yellow cowslip and the pale primrose. Hail, bounteous May, that dost inspire Mirth, and youth, and warm desire; Woods and groves are of thy dressing, Hill, and dale, doth boast thy blessing. Thus we salute thee with our early song, And welcome thee, and wish thee long.
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