Such mufic (as 'tis faid) Before was never made, XII. But when of old the fons of morning fung, While the Creator great His conftellations fet, And the well-balanc'd world on hinges hung, And caft the dark foundations deep, 120 And bid the weltering waves their oozy channel keep. XIII. Ring out, ye crystal Spheres, Once blefs our human ears, (If ye have power to touch our fenfes fo) And let your filver chime Move in melodious time, 125 And let the bafe of Heaven's deep organ blow, 130 And with your ninefold harmony Make up full confort to th' angelic fymphony. For if fuch holy fong Inwrap our fancy long, XIV. Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold, 135 And fpeckled Vanity Will ficken foon and die, And leprous Sin will melt from earthly mold, And Hell itself will pafs away, And leave her dolorous manfions to the peering day. XV. Yea XV. Yea Truth and Juftice then Will down return to men, Orb'd in a rainbow; and like glories wearing Mercy will fit between, 'Thron'd in celeftial fheen, 145 With radiant feet the tiflued clouds down fteering, And Heav'n, as at fome feftival, Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall. But wifeft Fate fays no, This must not yet be fo, XVI. The babe lies yet in finiling infancy, That on the bitter cross Muft redeem our lofs; So both himself and us to glorify : Yet first to thofe ychain'd in fleep, 150 155 With terror of that blaft, Shall from the furface to the center shake; When at the world's laft feffion, 160 The dreadful Judge in middle air fhall spread his throne. 6 XVIII. And then at laft our blifs Full and perfect is, But now begins; for from this happy day Th' old Dragon under ground, In ftraiter limits bound, Not half fo far cafts his ufurped sway, And wroth to fee his kingdom fail, Swindges the fcaly horror of his folded tail. The oracles are dumb, No voice or hideous hum XIX. 165 170 Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving. Apollo from his fhrine Can no more divine, With hollow fhriek the fteep of Delphos leaving. Infpires the pale-ey'd prieft from the prophetic cell. The lonely mountains o'er, And the refounding fhore, A voice of weeping heard and loud lament; From haunted spring, and dale Edg'd with poplar pale, The parting Genius is with fighing fent ; With flower-inwoven treffes torn 185 The Nymphs in twilight fhade of tangled thickets mourn. XXI. In XXI. In confecrated earth, And on the holy hearth, 190 The Lars and Lemures moan with midnight plaint; In urns, and altars round, A drear and dying found Affrights the Flamens at their fervice quaint; And the chill marble feems to sweat, 195 While each peculiar Power foregoes his wonted feat. Peor and Baälim XII. Forfake their temples dim, With that twice batter'd God of Palestine; And mooned Ashtaroth, Heav'n's queen and mother both, Now fits not girt with tapers' holy shine; The Libyc Hammon fhrinks his horn, 200 In vain the Tyrian maids their wounded Thammuz mourn. XXIII. And fullen Moloch fled, Hath left in fhadows dread His burning idol all of blackest hue; In vain with cymbals' ring They call the grisly king, In difmal dance about the furnace blue ; The brutish Gods of Nile as fast, Ifis and Orus, and the dog Anubis, haste. 205 210 Nor is Ofiris feen XXIV. In Memphian grove or green, Trampling the unshower'd grass with lowings loud: Nor can he be at rest Within his facred cheft, Nought but profoundest Hell can be his shroud; In vain with timbrel'd anthems dark The fable-ftoled forcerers bear his worshipt ark. 220 of Bethlehem blind his dusky eyn; 225 Nor all the Gods befide Longer dare abide, Not Typhon huge ending in fnaky twine Our babe, to fhow his Godhead true, Can in his fwadling-bands controll the damned crew. So when the fun in bed, XXVI. Curtain'd with cloudy red, Pillows his chin upon an orient wave, The flocking fhadows pale Troop to the infernal jail, Each fetter'd ghoft flips to his feveral grave, And the yellow-skirted Fayes 230 235 Fly after the night-steeds, leaving their moon-lov'd maze. XXVII. But |