ODE ON ST. CECILIA'S DAY. He sung, and Hell consented O'er Death and o'er Hell, A conquest how hard, and how glorious! But soon, too soon, the lover turns his eyes, Beside the falls of fountains, Or where Hebrus wanders, Unheard, unknown, He trembles, he glows, Amidst Rhodope's snows: See, wild as the winds, o'er the desert he flies; 265 Hark! Hæmus resounds with the Bacchanals' criesAh see, he dies! Yet ev'n in death Eurydice he sung, Eurydice still trembled on his tongue, Eurydice the woods, Eurydice the floods, 266 ODE ON ST. CECILIA'S DAY. Eurydice the rocks, and hollow mountains rung. And fate's severest rage disarm; And make despair and madness please; And to her Maker's praise confin'd the sound. A. Pope. ODE ON THE UNIVERSE. ODE ON THE UNIVERSE. THE spacious firmament on high, The unwearied sun, from day to day, And publishes to every land The work of an Almighty hand. Whilst all the stars that round her burn, And spread the truth from pole to pole. 267 268 ODE ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY. ODE ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY. THIS is the month, and this the happy morn That he our deadly forfeit should release, That glorious Form, that Light unsufferable, Wherewith he wont at Heaven's high council-table He laid aside; and, here with us to be, Forsook the courts of everlasting day, And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay. Say, heavenly Muse, shall not thy sacred vein Afford a present to the Infant God? Hast thou no verse, no hymn, or solemn strain To welcome him to this his new abode, Now while the heaven, by the sun's team untrod, Hath took no print of the approaching light, And all the spangled host keep watch in squadrons bright? See how from far, upon the eastern road, The star-led wizards haste with odours sweet: O run, prevent them with thy humble ode ODE ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY. 269 And lay it lowly at his blessed feet; Have thou the honour first thy Lord to greet, And join thy voice unto the angel quire From out his secret altar touch'd with hallow'd fire. It was the winter wild THE HYMN. While the heaven-born Child All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies; Had doff'd her gaudy trim, With her great Master so to sympathize: To wanton with the sun, her lusty paramour. Only with speeches fair She woos the gentle air To hide her guilty front with innocent snow; Pollute with sinful blame, The saintly veil of maiden white to throw; Confounded, that her Maker's eyes Should look so near upon her foul deformities. But he, her fears to cease, Sent down the meek-eyed Peace; She, crown'd with olive green, came softly sliding His ready harbinger, With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing; And waving wide her myrtle wand, She strikes a universal peace through sea and land. No war, or battle's sound Was heard the world around: |