Ye redeem'd nations far and near,
Applaud your happy selves in her;
(All you to whom this love belongs)
And keep't alive with lasting songs.

Let hearts and lips speak loud and say,
Hail, door of life, and source of Day!
The door was shut, the fountain seal'd,
Yet Light was seen and Life reveal'd.
The door was shut, yet let in day,
The fountain seal'd, yet life found way.
Glory to Thee, great virgin's Son,

In bosom of Thy Father's bliss.

The same to Thee, sweet Spirit, be done; As ever shall be, was, and is.

Amen.

AGAINST IRRESOLUTION AND DELAY IN MATTERS OF RELIGION 1

TO THE COUNTESS DENBIGH

WHAT Heaven-besiegèd heart is this

Stands trembling at the Gate of Bliss:

Holds fast the door, yet dares not venture
Fairly 2
and to enter?

to open

Whose definition is A Doubt

'Twixt life and death, 'twixt In and Out.
Ah! linger not, loved soul: a slow
And late consent was a long No;

Who grants at last, a great while tried
And did his best, to have denied.
What magic-bolts, what mystic bars
Maintain the Will in these strange wars?
1 1653 version.

2 To open wide.

What fatal, yet fantastic, bands

Keep the free heart from his own hands?
Say, lingering Fair, why comes the birth
Of your brave soul so slowly forth?
Plead your pretences (O you strong
In weakness) why you choose so long
In labour of yourself to lie,

Not daring quite to live nor die.

So when the Year takes cold we see
Poor waters their own prisoners be:
Fetter'd and lock'd up fast they lie
In a cold self-captivity.

Th' astonish'd Nymphs their Flood's strange fate deplore

To find themselves their own severer shore.

In

Love, that lends haste to heaviest things,
you alone hath lost his wings.

Look round and read the World's wide face,
The field of Nature or of Grace;

Where can you fix, to find excuse

Or pattern for the

pace you use?

Mark with what faith fruits answer flowers,
And know the call of Heaven's kind showers:
Each mindful plant hastes to make good
The hope and promise of his bud.

Seed-time's not all: there should be harvest

too.

Alas! and has the Year no Spring for you?
Both winds and waters urge their way,
And murmur if they meet a stay.

Mark how the curled waves work and wind,
All hating to be left behind.

Each big with business thrusts the other,
And seems to say: "Make haste, my brother "

The aëry nation of neat doves,

That draw the chariot of chaste Loves,
Chide your delay: yea, those dull things,
Whose ways have least to do with wings,
Make wings, at least, of their own weight,
And by their love control their fate.
So lumpish steel, untaught to move,
Learn'd first his lightness by his love.

Whate'er love's matter be, he moves
By th' even wings of his own doves,
Lives by his own laws, and does hold
In grossest metals his own gold.

All things swear friends to Fair and Good, Yea suitors: man alone is wooed, Tediously wooed, and hardly won, Only not slow to be undone ; As if the bargain had been driven So hardly betwixt Earth and Heaven, Our God would thrive too fast, and be Too much a gainer by 't, should we Our purchased selves too soon bestow On Him, who has not loved us so. When love of us called Him to see If we'd vouchsafe His company, He left His Father's Court, and came Lightly as a lambent 1 flame,

Leaping upon the hills, to be

The humble King of

you

and me.

Nor can the cares of His whole crown

(When one poor sigh sends for Him down)

Detain Him, but He leaves behind
The late wings of the lazy wind,

Spurns the tame laws of Time and Place, 1 Playing about, gliding over.

And breaks thro' all ten heavens 1 to our embrace.
Yield to his siege, wise soul, and see
Your triumph in His victory.

Disband dull fears, give Faith the day:
To save your life, kill your Delay.
'Tis cowardice that keeps this field;
And want of courage not to yield.

may

Yield then, O yield, that Love
The Fort at last, and let Life in.
Yield quickly, lest perhaps you prove
Death's prey before the prize of Love.
This fort of your fair self, if 't be not won,
He is repulsed indeed; but you're undone.

win

PERSUADING HER TO RESOLUTION IN Religion, anD TO RENDER HERSELF WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY INTO

THE COMMUNION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

WHAT Heaven-entreated heart is this,

Stands trembling at the gate of bliss ? Holds fast the door, yet dares not venture Fairly to open it, and enter;

I know not where Crashaw got his idea of ten heavens from. According to the Jewish were three. The Ptolemaic said five, the seven, and the late Latin poets say nine. know not.

2 This is another poem to the same lady. a version of the preceding.

system there Mahometan But ten we

Clearly only

Whose definition is a doubt

Twixt Life and Death, 'twixt In and Out.
Say, ling'ring Fair! why comes the birth
Of your brave soul so slowly forth?
Plead your pretences (O you strong
In weakness!) why you choose so long
In labour of yourself to lie,

Nor daring quite to live nor die.
Ah! linger not, loved soul, a slow
And late consent was a long No;
Who grants at last, long time tried
And did his best to have denied:
What magic bolts, what mystic bars,
Maintain the will in these strange wars?
What fatal yet fantastic bands

Keep the free heart from its own hands?
So when the year takes cold, we see
Poor waters their own prisoners be,
Fettered, and locked up they lie
In a sad self-captivity.

The astonish'd Nymphs their flood's strange fate deplore,

To see themselves their own severer shore.
Thou that alone canst thaw this cold,
And fetch the heart from its stronghold,
Almighty Love! end this long war,
And of a meteor make a star.

O fix this fair Indefinite!

And 'mongst Thy shafts of sov'reign light
Choose out that sure decisive dart

Which has the key of this close heart,
Knows all the corners of't, and can control
The self-shut cabinet of an unsearch'd soul.
O let it be at last, Love's hour;