For sure there is no Knee
That knowes not THEE.

Or if there be such sonns of shame,

Alas what will they doe

When stubborn Rocks shall bow

And Hills hang down their Heavn-saluting Heads
To seek for humble Beds

Of Dust, where in the Bashfull shades of night
Next to their own low NOTHING they may ly,
And couch before the dazeling light of thy dread majesty.
They that by Love's mild Dictate now

Will not adore thee,

Shall Then with Just Confusion, bow
And break before thee.

IN

THE HOLY

NATIVITY

O F

OUR LORD GOD

A

HYMN

SUNG AS BY THE

SHEPHEARDS.

. THE

HYMN.

CHORUS.

C

Ome we shepheards whose blest Sight Hath mett love's Noon in Nature's night; Come lift we up our loftyer Song And wake the SUN that lyes too long.

in 1446

To all our world of well-stoln joy
He slept; and dream't of no such thing.
While we found out Heavn's fairer ey
And Kis't the Cradle of our KING.

Tell him He rises now, too late To show us ought worth looking at.

Tell him we now can show Him more Then He e're show'd to mortall Sight; Then he Himselfe e're saw before; Which to be seen needes not His light.

Tell him, Tityrus, where th'hast been Tell him, Thy[r]sis, what th-hast seen.

Tityrus. Gloomy night embrac't the Place Where The Noble Infant lay.

The BABE look't up & shew'd his Face; In spite of Darknes, it was Day.

It was THY day, SWEET! & did rise Not from the EAST, but from thine EYES.

Chorus It was THY day, Sweet

Thyrs. WINTER chidde aloud; & sent The angry North to wage his warres.

The North forgott his feirce Intent; And left perfumes in stead of scarres.

By those sweet eye[s'] persuasive powrs Where he mean't frost, he scatter'd flowrs.

Chorus By those sweet eyes'

Both. We saw thee in thy baulmy Nest, Young dawn of our æternall DAY!

We saw thine eyes break from their EA[S]TE And chase the trembling shades away.

We saw thee; & we blest the sight, We saw thee by thine own sweet light.

Tity. Poor WORLD (said I.) what wilt thou doe To entertain this starry STRANGER?

Is this the best thou canst bestow?
A cold, and not too cleanly, manger?
Contend, the powres of heav'n & earth.
To fitt à bed for this huge birthe.

Cho. Contend the powers

Thy[r]. Proud world, said I; cease your contest And let the MIGHTY BABE alone.

The Phænix builds the Phænix' nest.

Lov's architecture is his own.

The BABE whose birth embraves this morn, Made his own bed e're he was born.

Cho.

The BABE whose.

Ti[t]. I saw the curl'd drops, soft & slow, Come hovering o're the place's head;

Offring their whitest sheets of snow To furnish the fair INFANT's bed:

Forbear, said I; be not too bold. Your fleece is white But t'is too cold.

Cho. Forbear, sayd I

Thyr. I saw the obsequious SERAPHIMS Their rosy fleece of fire bestow.

For well they now can spare their wing. Since HEAVN it self lyes here below.

Well done, said I: but are you sure Your down so warm, will passe for pure? Well done sayd I

Cho.

Tit. No no, your KING's not yet to seeke
Where to repose his Royall HEAD

See see, how soon his new-bloom'd CHEEK
Twixt's mother's brests is gone to bed.
Sweet choise, said we! no way but so
Not to ly cold, yet slep in snow.

Cho. Sweet choise, said we.

Both. We saw thee in thy baulmy nest, Bright dawn of our æternall Day!

We saw thine eyes break from thir EAST And chase the trembling shades away.

We saw thee: & we blest the sight.
Te saw thee, by thine own sweet light.

We

Cho. We saw thee, &c.

FULL CHORUS.

Wellcome, all WONDERS in one sight! Æternity shutt in a span.

Sommer in Winter. Day in Night. Heaven in earth, & GOD in MAN.

Great little one! whose all-embracing birth Lifts earth to heaven, stoopes heav'n to earth.

WELLCOME. Though nor to gold nor silk, To more then Cæsar's birth right is;

Two sister-seas of Virgin-Milk,

With many a rarely-temper'd kisse

That brea[t]hes at once both MAID & MOTHer, Warmes in the one, cooles in the other.

WELCOME, though not to those gay flyes
Guilded ith' Beames of earthly kings;
Slippery soules in smiling eyes;

But to poor Shepheards, home-spun things:
Whose Wealth's their flock; whose witt, to be
Well read in their simplicity.