Full little thought they than Was kindly come to live with them below; Was all that did their silly thoughts so busy keep. When such music sweet Their hearts and ears did greet, As never was by mortal finger strookDivinely-warbled voice Answering the stringéd noise, As all their souls in blissful rapture took: The air, such pleasure loth to lose, With thousand echoes still prolongs each heavenly close. Nature that heard such sound Beneath the hollow round Of Cynthia's seat the airy region thrilling. Now was almost won To think her part was done, And that her reign had here its last fulfilling: She knew such harmony alone Could hold all heaven and earth in happier union 92 100 168 At last surrounds their sight A globe of circular light, That with long beams the shamefaced night array'd; The helméd Cherubim And sworded Seraphim Are seen in glittering ranks with wings display'd, Harping in loud and solemn quire With unexpressive notes, to Heaven's new-born Heir. 116 Such music (as 't is said) Before was never made But when of old the sons of morning sung, While the Creator great His constellations set And the well-balanced world on hinges hung; And cast the dark foundations deep, And bid the weltering waves their oozy channel keep. Ring out, ye crystal spheres! Once bless our human ears, (If ye have power to touch our senses so) And let your silver chime Move in melodious time; 124 And let the base of heaven's deep organ blow; And with your ninefold harmony Make up full consort to th' angelic symphony. 132 For if such holy song Enwrap our fancy long. 1 Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold; And speckled vanity. Will sicken soon and die, And leprous sin will melt from earthly mould; And Hell itself will pass away, And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day. Yea, Truth and Justice then Will down return to men, Orb'd in a rainbow; and, like glories wearing, Mercy will sit between Throned in celestial sheen, With radiant feet the tissued clouds down steering; And Heaven, as at some festival, Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall. But wisest Fate says no; This must not yet be so, The Babe yet lies in smiling infancy That on the bitter cross Must redeem our loss; So both himself and us to glorify: 140 148 Yet first to those ychain'd in sleep, The wakeful trump of doom must thunder through the deep. With such a horrid clang As on mount Sinai rang While the red fire and smoldering clouds outbrake: 156 The aged Earth aghast With terror of that blast Shall from the surface to the centre shake, When, at the world's last session, The dreadful Judge in middle air shall spread his throne. And then at last our bliss Full and perfect is, But now begins; for from this happy day Th' old Dragon under ground In straiter limits bound, Not half so far casts his usurpéd sway; And, wroth to see his kingdom fail, Swindges the scaly horror of his folded tail. The oracles are dumb; No voice or hideous hum Runs through the archéd roof in words deceiving: Apollo from his shrine Can no more divine, With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos leaving: No nightly trance, or breathéd spell, Inspires the pale-eyed priest from the prophetic cell. The lonely mountains o'er And the resounding shore A voice of weeping heard, and loud lament; 164 172 180 From haunted spring, and dale Edged with poplar pale, The parting Genius is with sighing sent; With flower-inwoven tresses torn The nymphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn. 188 In consecrated earth, And on the holy hearth, The Lars and Lemures moan with midnight plaint; In urns, and altars round A drear and dying sound Affrights the Flamens at their service quaint; And the chill marble seems to sweat, While each peculiar Power foregoes his wonted seat. Peor and Baalim Forsake their temples dim, With that twice-batter'd god of Palestine; And moonéd Ashtaroth, Heaven's queen and mother both, Now sits not girt with tapers' holy shine; And sullen Moloch fled, Hath left in shadows dread His burning idol all of blackest hue; 196 204 |