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Let him embrave1 his own bright tresses
With a new morning made of gems;
And wear, in those his wealthy dresses,
Another day of diadems.

When he hath done all he may,

To make himself rich in his rise, All will be darkness to the day

That breaks from one of these bright eyes.

And soon this sweet truth shall appear,
Dear Babe, ere many days be done:
The Morn shall come to meet Thee here,
And leave her own neglected sun.

Here are beauties shall bereave him 2
Of all his eastern paramours : 3
His Persian lovers 3 all shall leave him,

And swear faith to Thy sweeter powers;
Nor while they leave him shall they lose the sun
But in Thy fairest eyes find two for one.

OUR BLESSED LORD IN HIS CIRCUMCISION TO HIS FATHER

то

I

Thee these first-fruits of My growing death, (For what else is My life?) lo, I bequeath.

II

Taste this, and as Thou lik'st this lesser flood
Expect a sea; My heart shall make it good.

1 Decorate.

3 The sun worshippers.

2 The sun.

III

Thy wrath that wades here now, ere long shall swim,

The flood-gate shall be set wide ope for Him.

IV

Then let Him drink, and drink, and do His worst, To drown the wantonness of His wild thirst.

V

Now's but the nonage1 of My pains, My fears
Are yet but in their hopes, not come to years.

VI

The day of My dark woes is yet but morn,
My tears but tender, and My death new-born.

VII

Yet may these unfledged griefs give fate some

guess,

These cradle-torments have their towardness.

VIII

These purple buds of blooming death may be
Erst the full stature of a fatal tree.

IX

And till My riper woes to age are come,
This knife may be the spear's præludium.2

1 Not come to maturity.

2 Prelude, type.

IN THE GLORIOUS EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD

A HYMN SUNG AS BY THE THREE KINGS

DEDICATION

TO THE QUEEN'S MAJESTY

MADAM,1

'Mongst those long rows of crowns that gild your race,2

3

These royal sages sue for decent place:

The daybreak of the Nations; their first ray, When the dark World dawn'd into Christian Day, And smil'd 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,1
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:

1 Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I.

2 She was the daughter of Henry iv. of France.

3 The wise men who came from the East to Christ's cradle.

4 Come to the full flower.

With your bright head whole 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.

IN THE GLORIOUS EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD

A HYMN SUNG AS BY THE THREE KINGS

1 King-BRIGHT Babe, Whose awful beauties

make

The morn incur a sweet mistake;

2 King-For Whom the officious 1 Heavens devise To disinherit the sun's rise:

3 King-Delicately to displace

The day, and plant it fairer in Thy face.

1 King-O Thou born King of loves,

2 King Of lights,

3 King-Of joys,

1 Eager heavens devise ways, etc.

Chorus-Look up, sweet Babe, look up, and see

For love of Thee

Thus far from home

The East is come

To seek herself in Thy sweet eyes.

1 King-We, who strangely went astray, Lost in a bright Meridian 1 night,

2 King-A darkness made of too much day. 3 King-Beckon'd from far

By Thy fair star,

Lo, at last have found our way.

Chorus-To Thee, thou Day of Night, thou East of West,

1

Lo, we at last have found the way

To Thee the World's great universal East,
The general and indifferent 2 Day.

King-All-circling point, all-centring sphere, The World's one, round, eternal year. 2 King-Whose full and all-unwrinkled face Nor sinks nor swells with time or place; 3 King-But every where, and every while Is one consistent, solid smile.

I King-Not vex'd and tost

2 King Twixt Spring and frost,

3 King-Nor by alternate shreds of light,

Sordidly shifting hands with shades and
Night.

1 Midnight.

The highest point of the night.

2 Impartial. Cf. the Prayer for the Church Militant in the Holy Communion Service in English Book of Common Prayer. "That they may truly and indifferently minister justice."

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