TO THE QUEEN'S MAJESTY ON TWELFTHDAY.

MADAM,

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

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Swells high, fair confluence of all highborn 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. 20
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.

LORD, 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.

Glory be to the Father,

and to the Son,

and to the Holy Ghost.

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,

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By his worst foes (because he would) besieged and taken.

THE ANTIPHON.

All hail, fair tree

Whose fruit we be.

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What song shall raise

Thy seemly praise,

Who brought'st to light

Life out of death, day out of night?

Lo, we adore thee,

THE VERSICLE.

Dread Lamb! and bow thus low before thee;

THE RESPONSOR.

'Cause by the cov'nant of thy cross, Thou'st saved at once the whole world's loss.

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THE PRAYER.

O my Lord Jesu Christ, Son of the living God! interpose, I pray thee, thine own precious death, thy cross and passion, betwixt my soul and thy judgment, now and in the hour of my death. And vouchsafe to grant me thy grace and mercy; to the living and dead, remission and rest; to thy Church, peace and concord; to us sinners, life and glory everlasting. Who livest and reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

FOR THE HOUR OF PRIME.

THE VERSICLE.

LORD, 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.
Glory be to, &c.

As it was in, &c.

THE HYMN.

The early prime blushes to say
She could not rise so soon, as they

Call'd Pilate up, to try if he

Could lend them any cruelty;

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Their hands with lashes arm'd, their tongues with
lies,

And loathsome spittle blot those beauteous eyes,
The blissful springs of joy, from whose all-cheering ray
The fair stars fill their wakeful fires, the sun himself
drinks day.

THE ANTIPHON.

Victorious sign

That now dost shine,

Transcribed above

Into the land of light and love;

Oh let us twine

Our roots with thine,

That we may rise

Upon thy wings and reach the skies.

THE VERSICLE.

Lo, we adore thee,

Dread Lamb! and fall

Thus low before thee.

THE RESPONSOR.

'Cause by the cov'nant of thy cross

Thou'st saved at once the whole world's loss.

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THE PRAYER.

O my Lord Jesu Christ, Son of the living God! interpose, I pray thee, thine own precious death, thy cross and passion, betwixt my soul and thy judgment, now and in the hour of my death. And vouchsafe to grant me thy grace and mercy; to the living and dead, remission and rest; to thy Church, peace and concord; to us sinners, life and glory everlasting. Who livest and reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

THE THIRD.

THE VERSICLE.

LORD, 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, &c.

Res. As it was in the, &c.

THE HYMN.

The third hour's deafen'd with the cry

Of Crucify him, crucify.'

So goes the vote (nor ask them, why!) 'Live Barabbas! and let God die.'

But there is wit in wrath, and they will try

A Hail' more cruel than their 'Crucify,'

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