2nd. By the oblique ambush of this close night, Couch'd in that conscious shade,

The right-eyed Areopagite

Shall with a vigorous guess invade

And catch thy quick reflex; and sharply see
On this dark ground

To descant Thee.

3rd. O price of the rich spirit! with that fierce chase Of this strong soul shall he

Leap at Thy lofty face,

And seize the swift flash, in rebound
From this obsequious cloud,

Once call'd a sun;

Till dearly thus undone,

Cho. Till thus triumphantly tamed, O ye two Twin suns! and taught now to negotiate you. 1st. Thus shall that reverend child of light, 2nd. By being scholar first of that new night,

Come forth great master of the mystic day; 3rd. And teach obscure mankind a more close way, By the frugal negative light

Of a most wise and well-abusèd night,
To read more legible Thine original ray,
Cho. And make our darkness serve thy day;
Maintaining 'twixt Thy world and ours
A commerce of contrary pow'rs;
A mutual trade

"Twixt sun and shade,

By confederate black and white,

Borrowing day and lending night.

1st. Thus we, who when with all the noble pow'rs

2nd.

That, at Thy cost, are call'd, not vainly, ours;
We vow to make brave way

Upwards, and press on for the pure intelligential
prey;

At least, to play

The amorous spies,

And peep and proffer at Thy sparkling throne; 3rd. Instead of bringing in the blissful prize, And fast'ning on thine eyes,

Forfeit our own,

And nothing gain,

But more ambitious loss, at least of brain ;
Cho. Now by abasèd lids shall learn to be
Eagles, and shut our eyes that we may see.

THE CLOSE.

Therefore to Thee and Thine auspicious ray,
Dread sweet! lo, thus

At least by us,

The delegated eye of day

Does first his sceptre, then himself in solemn

tribute pay.

Thus he undresses

His sacred unshorn tresses;

At Thy adored feet, thus, he lays down

His gorgeous tire

Of flame and fire,

1st.

2nd.

His glittering robe,

Cho. To which he now has no pretence.

For being show'd by this day's light, how far
He is from sun enough to make Thy star,
His best ambition now is but to be

Something a brighter shadow, sweet, of Thee;
Or on heaven's azure forehead high to stand
Thy golden index; with a duteous hand
Pointing us home to our own sun,
The world's and his Hyperion!

TO THE QUEEN'S MAJESTY ON

TWELFTH-DAY.

M

ADAM,

'Mongst those long rows of crowns that gild your race

These royal sages sue for decent place.

The day-break of the nations; their first ray;
When the dark world dawn'd into Christian day,
And smiled i' th' babe's bright face, the purpling bud

And rosy dawn of the right royal blood;

Fair first-fruits of the Lamb; sure kings in this;
They took a kingdom while they gave a kiss:
But the world's homage, scarce in these well blown,
We read in you, rare queen, ripe and full grown.
For from this day's rich seed of diadems
Does rise a radiant crop of royal stems,

A golden harvest of crown'd heads, that meet
And crowd for kisses from the Lamb's white feet.
In this illustrious throng, your lofty flood

Swells high, fair confluence of all high-born blood!
With your bright head whose groves of sceptres bend
Their wealthy tops; and for these feet contend.
So swore the Lamb's dread sire, and so we see't,
Crowns, and the heads they kiss, must court these feet.
Fix here, fair majesty! May your heart ne'er miss
To reap new crowns and kingdoms from that kiss!
Nor may we miss the joy to meet in you
The aged honours of this day still new.

May the great time in you still greater be,
While all the year is your Epiphany;
While your each day's devotion duly brings
Three kingdoms to supply this day's three kings!

THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY CROSS.

FOR THE HOUR OF MATINS.

The Versicle.

ORD, by Thy sweet and saving sign,

The Responsor.

Defend us from our foes and Thine.

Ver. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord;

Res. And my mouth shall declare Thy praise.

Ver. O God, make speed to save me.

Res. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Ver. Glory be to the Father,

And to the Son,

And to the Holy Ghost,

Res. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Hymn.

The wakeful matins haste to sing
The unknown sorrows of our King;
The Father's word and wisdom made
Man for man, by man's betray'd;

The world's price set to sale, and by the bold
Merchants of death and sin is bought and sold ;
Of His best friends, yea of Himself, forsaken,
By his worst foes, because he would, besieg'd and taken.

The Antiphon.

All hail, fair tree,
Whose fruit we be !

What song shall raise

Thy seemly praise,

Who brought'st to light

Life out of death, day out of night!

The Versicle.

Lo, we adore Thee,

Dread Lamb! and bow thus low before Thee;