Part 8 (1/2)

THE HYMN

1

It was the winter wild, While the Heaven-born child, All er lies; Nature, in awe to hireat Master so to sympathize: It was no season then for her To wanton with the Sun, her lusty paraentle 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

3

But he, her fears to cease, Sent down the reen, ca sphere, His ready harbinger, With turtle wing the a wide her h sea and land

4

No war, or battle's sound, Was heard the world around: The idle spear and shi+eld were high up hung; The hooked chariot stood, Unstain'd with hostile blood; The trus sat still with awful eye, As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was by

5

But peaceful was the night Wherein the Prince of Light His reign of peace upon the earth began: The winds, onder whist, S new joys to the ot to rave, While birds of cal on the charmed wave

6

The stars, with deep a one way their precious influence; And will not take their flight, For all the ht, Or Lucifer that often warn'd thelow, Until their Lord hih the shady glooiven day her room, The Sun himself withheld his wonted speed; And hid his head for shahten'd world no ht throne or burning axletree could bear

8

The shepherds on the lawn, Or ere the point of dawn, Sat siht they then That the hty Pan Was kindly come to live with them below: Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep, Was all that did their silly thoughts so busy keep

9

When such reet, As never was bythe stringed noise, As all their souls in blissful rapture took: The Air, such pleasure loth to lose, With thousand echoes still prolongs each heavenly close

10

Nature, that heard such sound Beneath the hollow round Of Cynthia's seat, the Airy region thrilling, Noas aln had here its last fulfilling: She knew such harmony alone Could hold all Heaven and Earth in happier union