# Poems of Mr. John Milton, Both English and Latin, Compos'd at several times/The Hymn

The Hymn.
I.
While the Heav'n-born childe, All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies; Nature in aw to him
Had doff'd her gaudy trim, With her great Master so to sympathize: It was no season then for her To wanton with the Sun, her lusty Paramour.
II.
She woo's the gentle Air To hide her guilty front with innocent Snow, And on her naked shame, 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.
III.
Sent down the meek-eyd Peace, She crown'd with Olive green, came softly sliding Down through the turning sphear 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.
IV.
Was heard the World around:
The idle spear and shield were high up hung; The hooked Chariot stood Unstain'd with hostile blood, The Trumpet spake not to the armed throng, And Kings sate still with awfull eye, As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was by.
V.
Wherein the Prince of light His reign of peace upon the earth began: The Windes with wonder whist, Smoothly the waters kist, Whispering new joys to the milde Ocean, Who now hath quite forgot to rave, While birds of Calm sit brooding on the charmed wave.
VI.
Stand fixt in steadfast gaze, Bending one way their pretious influence, And will not take their flight, For all the morning light, Or Lucifer that often warn'd them thence; But in their glimmering Orbs did glow, Untill their Lord himself bespake, and bid them go.
VII.
Had given day her room, The Sun himself withheld his wonted speed, And hid his head for shame, As his inferior flame, The new-enlighten'd world no more should need, He saw a greater Sun appear Than his bright Throne, or burning Axletree could bear.
VIII.
Or ere the point of dawn, Sate simply chatting in a rustick row; Full little thought they than, That the mighty Pan Was kindly come to live with them below; Perhaps their loves, or els their sheep, Was all that did their silly thoughts so busie keep.
IX.
Their hearts and ears did greet, As never was by mortal finger strook, Divinely-warbled voice Answering the stringed noise, As all their souls in blissful rapture took:
The air such pleasure loth to lose, With thousand echo's still prolongs each heav'nly close.
X.
Beneath the hollow round Of Cynthia's seat, the Airy region thrilling, Now was almost won To think her part was don, And that her raign had here its last fulfilling; She knew such harmony alone Could hold all Heav'n and Earth in happier union.
XI.
A Globe of circular light, That with long beams the shame-fac't night array'd; The helmed Cherubim And sworded Seraphim, Are seen in glittering ranks with wings displaid, Harping in loud and solemn quire, With unexpressive notes to Heav'ns new-born Heir.
XII.
Before was never made, But when of old the sons of morning sung, While the Creator Great
His constellations set, And the well-ballanc't world on hinges hung, And cast the dark foundations deep, And bid the weltring waves their oozy channel keep.
XIII.
Once bless our human ears, (If ye have power to touch our senses so) And let your silver chime Move in melodious time, And let the Base of Heav'ns deep Organ blow, And with your ninefold harmony Make up full consort to th'Angelike symphony.
XIV.
Enwrap our fancy long, Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold, And speckl'd vanity Will sicken soon and die, And leprous sin will melt from earthly mould, And Hell itself will pass away, And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day.
XV.
Will down return to men,
Th' enameld Arras of the Rainbow wearing, And Mercy set between, Thron'd in Celestiall sheen, With radiant feet the tissued clouds down stearing, And Heav'n as at som festivall, Will open wide the Gates of her high Palace Hall.
XVI.
This must not yet be so, The Babe lies yet in smiling Infancy, That on the bitter cross Must redeem our loss; So both himself and us to glorifie: Yet first to those ychain'd in sleep, The wakefull trump of doom must thunder through the deep,
XVII.
As on mount Sinai rang While the red fire, and smouldring clouds out brake: The aged Earth agast With terrour of that blast, Shall from the surface to the center shake; When at the worlds last session, The dreadfull Judge in middle Air shall spread his throne.
XVIII.
Full and perfect is, But now begins; for from this happy day Th' old Dragon under ground In straiter limits bound, Not half so far casts his usurped sway, And wrath to see his Kingdom fail, Swindges the scaly Horrour of his foulded tail.
XIX.
No voice or hideous humm Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving. Apollo from his shrine Can no more divine, With hollow shreik the steep of Delphos leaving. No nightly trance, or breathed spell, Inspire's the pale-ey'd Priest from the prophetic cell.
XX.
And the resounding shore, A voice of weeping heard, and loud lament; From haunted spring, and dale Edg'd with poplar pale. The parting Genius is with sighing sent,
With flowre-inwov'n tresses torn The Nimphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn.
XXI.
And on the holy Hearth, The Lars, and Lemures moan with midnight plaint, In Urns, and Altars round, A drear, and dying sound Affrights the Flamins at their service quaint; And the chill Marble seems to sweat, While each peculiar power forgoes his wonted seat.
XXII.
Forsake their Temples dim, With that twise batter'd god of Palestine, And mooned Ashtaroth, Heav'ns Queen and Mother both, Now sits not girt with Tapers holy shine, The Libyc Hammon shrinks his horn, In vain the Tyrian Maids their wounded Thamuz mourn.
XXIII.
Hath left in shadows dred, His burning Idol all of blackest hue, In vain with Cymbals ring,
They call the grisly king, In dismall dance about the furnace blue, The brutish gods of Nile as fast, Isis and Orus, and the Dog Anubis hast.
XXIV.
In Memphian Grove, or Green, Trampling the unshowr'd Grasse with lowings loud: Nor can he be at rest Within his sacred chest, Naught but profoundest Hell can be his shroud, In vain with Timbrel'd Anthems dark The sable-stoled Sorcerers bear his worshipt Ark.
XXV.
The dredded Infants hand, The rayes of Bethlehem blind his dusky eyn; Nor all the gods beside, Longer dare abide, Nor Typhon huge ending in snaky twine: Our Babe, to shew his Godhead true, Can in his swadling bands controul the damned crew.
XXVI.
Curtain'd with cloudy red,
Pillows his chin upon an Orient wave. The flocking shadows pale, Troop to th' infernall jail, Each fetter'd Ghost slips to his severall grave, And the yellow-skirted Fayes, Fly after the Night-steeds, leaving their Moon-lov'd maze.
XXVII.
Hath laid her Babe to rest. Time is our tedious Song should here have ending, Heav'ns youngest teemed Star, Hath fixt her polisht Car. Her sleeping Lord with Handmaid Lamp attending. And all about the Courtly Stable, Bright-harnest Angels sit in order serviceable.