An Hymne on the Fairest Faire

I Feele my Bosome glow with wontlesse Fires,
Rais'd from the vulgar presse my Mind aspires
(Wing'd with high Thoughts) unto his praise to clime,
From deep Eternity who call'd forth Time,
That Essence which not mov'd makes each thing move,
Uncreate Beauty all-creating Love;
But by so great an object, radiant light,
My Heart appall'd, enfeebled rests my Sight,
Thick Clouds benight my labouring Ingine▪
And at my high attempts my Wits repine:
If thou in me this sacred heat hast wrought,
My Knowledge sharpen, Sarcells lend my Thought:
Grant me (Times Father, world-containing King)
A Pow'r of thee in pow'rfull Laies to sing,
That as thy Beauty in Earth lives, Heaven shines,
It dawning may or shadow in my Lines.
As far beyond the starry walls of Heaven,
As is the loftiest of the Planets seven
Sequestred from this Earth, in purest light
Out-shining ours, as ours doth sable Night,
Thou all-sufficient, Omnipotent,
Thou ever-glorious, most excellent,
God various in Names, in Essence one,
High art enstalled on a golden Throne,
Out-stretching Heavens, wide bespangled vault,
Transcending all the Circles of our Thought,
With diamantine Scepter in thy Hand,
There thou giv'st Laws, and dost this World command,
This World of Concords rais'd unlikely sweet,
Which like a Ball lies prostrate at thy Feet.
If so we may well say (and what we say
Here wrapt in flesh, led by dim Reasons ray,
To show by earthly Beauties which we see
That spirituall Excellence that shines in thee,
Good Lord forgive) not far from thy right Side,
With curled Locks Youth ever doth abide,
Rose-cheeked Youth who ga…landed with Flow'rs,
Still blooming, ceaselessely unto thee pow'rs
Immortall Nectar in a cup of Gold,
That by no darts of Ages thou grow old;
And as ends and beginnings thee not claime,
Successionlesse that thou be still the same.
Neare to thy other side resistlesse Might,
From Head to Foot in burnisht Armour dight,
That rings about him, with a waving Brand,
And watchfull Eye, great Sentinell doth stand;
That neither Time nor force in ought impaire
Thy Workmanship, nor harme thine Empire faire,
Soone to give Death to all againe that would
Sterne Discord raise which thou destroy'd of old,
Discord that foe to order, Nurse of War,
By which the noblest things demolisht are,
But (caitife) she no Treason doth devise,
When Might to nought doth bring her enterprise;
Thy all-upholding Might her Malice raines,
And her to Hell throws bound in iron Chaines.
With Locks in waves of Gold that ebbe and flow
On Ivory neck, in Robes more white than Snow,
Truth stedfastly before thee holds a Glasse,
Indent'd with Gems, where shineth all that was,
That is, or shall be, here ere ought was wrought.
Thou knew all that thy Pow'r with time forth brought,
And more, things numberlesse which thou couldst make,
That actually shall never being take,
Here thou beholdst thy selfe, and (strange) dost prove
At once the Beauty, Lover and the Love.
With Faces two (like Sisters) sweetly faire;
Whose Blossomes no rough Autumne can impaire,
Stands Providence, and doth her looks disperse,
Through every Corner of this Universe,
Thy Providence, at once which generall things
And singular doth rule, as Empires Kings,
Without whose care this world (lost) would remaine,
As Ship withou a Master in the Maine,
As Chariot alone, as Bodies prove
Depriv'd of Soules, whereby they be▪ live, move.
But who are they which shine thy Throne so neare?
With sacred countenance, and look sever…,
This in one hand a pondrous Sword doth hold,
Her left staies charg'd with Ballances of Gold,
That with, Brows girt with …ays, sweet-smiling Face,
Doth beare a Brandon, with a babish grace
Two milke-white Wings him easily do move,
O she thy Justice is, and this thy Love!
By this thou brought'st this Engine great to light,
By that it fram'd in Number, Measure, Weight,
That destine doth reward to ill and good;
But Sway of Justice is by Love withstood,
Which did it not relent and mildly stay,
This World ere now had found its funerall Day.
What Bands (en…ctred) neare to th…se abide,
Which into vaste Infinity them hide?
Infinity that neither doth admi…,
Place, Time, nor Number to … on it:
Here Bounty sparkleth, here doth Beauty shine,
Simplicity, more white than Gelsomine,
Mercy with open wings, aye-varied Blisse,
Glory, and Joy, that Blisses darling is.
Ineffable, all-pow'rfull God, all free,
Thou only liv'st, and each thing lives by thee,
No Joy, no, nor Perfection to thee came
By the contriving of this Worlds great Frame,
Ere Sun, Moon, Stars began their restlesse race,
Ere painted was with light Heavens p…re Face,
Ere Aire had Cl…u…s, ere Clouds wept down their show'rs;
Ere Sea embraced Earth, ere Earth bare Flow'rs,
Thou happy liv'dst; World nought to thee supply'd,
All in thy selfe thy selfe thou satisfi'd:
Of Good no slender Shadow doth appeare,
No age-worne t…a…ke, which shin'd in thee not cleare,
Perfections Sum, prime-cause of every Cause,
Midst, end, beginning where all good doth pause:
Hence of thy Substance, differing in nought
Thou in E…ernity thy Son forth brought,
The only Birth of thy unchanging Mind▪
Thine Image, Pattern-like that ever shin'd,
Light out of Light begotten not by Will
But Na…ure, all and that same Essence still
Which thou thy selfe, for thou dost nought possesse
Which he hath not, in ought nor is he lesse
Th… Thee his great Beg…tt…; of this Light,
Eternall, Double kindled was thy Spright
Eternally, who is with Thee the same▪
All-holy Gift, Embassadour, Knot, Flame:
Most sacred Triad, O most holy One,
Unprocreate Father, …ver-procreate Son,
Ghost breath'd from both, you were, are still, shall be,
(Most blessed) Three in One, and One in Three,
Uncomprehensible by reachlesse Hight,
And unperceived by excessive Light.
So in our Soules three and yet one are still,
The Vnderstanding, Memory, and Will;
So (though unlike) the Planet of the Daies
So soone as he was made begat his Raies,
Which are his Off-spring, and from both was hurld,
The rosie Light which consolates the World,
And none fore-went another: so the spring,
The Well-head, and the Streame which they forth bring,
Are but one selfe-same Essence, not in ought
Do differ, save in order, and our Thought
No chime of Time discernes in them to fall,
But Three distinctly, …ide one Essence all.
But these expresse not Thee, who can declare
Thy being? Men and Angels dazel'd are.
Who would this Eden force with wit or sense,
A Cherubin shall find to bar him thence.
Great Architect, Lord of this Universe,
That light is blinded would thy Greatnesse pierce,
Ah! as a Pilgrim who the Alpes doth passe,
Or Atlas Temples crown'd with winter glasse,
The ayry Caucasus, the Apennine,
Pyrenes clifts where Sun doth never shine,
When he some craggy Hills hath ever-went,
Begins to thinke …n rest, his Journey spent,
Till mounting some tall Mountain… he do find,
More hights before him than he left behind:
With halting pace so while I would me raise
To the unbounded limits of thy Praise,
Some part of way I thought to have o're-run,
But now I see how scarce I have begun,
With Wonders new my Spirits range possest,
And wandring waylesse in a maze them rest.
In these vaste Fields of Light, etheriall Plaines,
Thou art attended by immortall Traines
Of Intellectuall Pow'rs, which thou broughtst forth
To praise thy Goodnesse, and admire thy Worth,
In numbers passing others Creatures far,
Since Creatures most noble maniest are▪
Which do in knowledge us not lesse out-run:
Than Moon in light doth Stars, or Moon the Sun,
Unlike, in Orders rang'd and many a Band,
(If Beauty in Disparity doth stand)
Arch-angels, Angels, Cherubs, Seraphines,
And what with name of Thrones amongst them shines,
Large-ruling Princes▪ Dominations, Pow'rs,
All-acting Vertues of those flaming Tow'rs;
These freed of Umbrage, these of Labour free,
Rest ravished with still beholding Thee,
Inflam'd with Beames which sparkle from thy Face,
They can no more desire, far lesse embrace.
Low under them, with slow and staggering pace
Thy Hand-maid Nature thy great Steps doth trace,
The Source of second Causes golden Chaine
That links this Frame as thou it doth ordaine;
Nature gaz'd on with such a curious Eye,
That Earthlings oft her deem'd a Deity.
By Nature led those Bodies faire and great,
Which faint not in their Course, nor change their State,
Unintermixt, which no disorder prove,
Though aye and contrary they alwaies move,
The Organs of thy Providence divine.
Books ever open, Sign…s that clearely shine,
Times purpled Maskers, then do them advance,
As by sweet Musick in a measur'd dance,
Stars, Hoste of Heaven, ye Firmaments bright Flow'rs,
Cleare Lamps which overhang this Stage of ours,
Ye turne not there to deck the Weeds of Night,
Nor Pageant-like to please the vulgar Sight;
Great Causes sure ye must bring great Effects,
But who can descant right your grave Aspects?
He only who Yo… made decipher can
Your Notes, Heavens Eyes ye blind the Eyes of Man.
Amidst these Saphir far-extending Hights,
The never-twinkling, ever-wandring Lights
Their fixed Motions keep, one dry and cold,
Deep-Leaden colour'd, slowly there is roll'd,
With Rule and Line for Times steps meting even
In twice three Lustres he but turnes his Heaven.
With temperate qualities and Countenance faire,
Still mildly smiling sweetly debonaire,
Another cheares the World, and way doth make
In twice sixe Autumnes through the Zodiack.
But hot and dry with flaming Locks and Brows
Enrag'd, this in his red Pavillion glows:
Together running with like speed, …f space,
Two equally in hands atchieve their race,
With blushing Face this oft doth bring the Day,
And ushers oft to stately Stars the way,
That various in vertue, changing, light,
With his small flame impearles the vaile of Night.
Prince of this Court, the Sun in triumph rides,
With the Yeare Snake-like in her selfe that glides,
Times Dispensator, faire life-giving Source,
Through Skies twelve Posts as he doth run his course,
Heart of this All, of what is known to sence,
The likest to his Makers excellence,
In whose diurnall motion doth appeare
A Shadow, no true pourtrait of the Yeare.
The Moone moves lowest, silver Sun of Night,
Dispersing through the World her borrow'd light,
Who in three formes her head abroad doth range,
And only constant is in constant Change.
Sad Queen of Silence, I ne're see thy Face,
To waxe, or waine, or shine with a full grace,
But straight (amaz'd) on Man I think, each Day
His state who changeth, or if he find Stay,
It is in dolefull anguish, cares, and paines,
And of his Labours Death is all the Gaines?
Immortall Monarch can so fond a Thought
Lodge in my Brest? as to trust thou first brought
Here in Earths shady Cloyster wretched Man,
To suck the Aire of Woe, to spend Lifes span
'Midst Sighs and Plaints, a Stranger unto Mirth,
To give himselfe his Death rebucking Birth?
By sense and wit of Creatures made King,
By sense and wit to live their Underling?
And what is worst, have Eaglets eyes to see
His own disgrace, and know an high degree
Of Bl…sse, the Place, if he might thereto clime,
And not live thralled to imperious Time?
Or (dotard) shall I so from Reason swerve,
To dim those Lights which to our use do serve,
(For thou dost not them need) more nobly fram'd
Than us, that know their course, and have them nam'd?
No, I ne're thinke but we did them surpasse
As far as they do Asterismes of Glasse,
When thou us made, by Treason high defil'd,
Thrust from our first estate we live exil'd,
Wandring this Earth, which is of Death the Lot,
Where he doth use the Pow'r which he hath got,
Indifferent Umpire unto Clowns and Kings,
The supreame Monarch of all mo…tall things▪
When fi…st this flowry O…be was to us given,
I but in place disvalu'd was to Heaven;
These Creatures which now our Soveraignes are,
And as to Rebels do denounce us war,
Then were our Vassals, no tumultuous Storme,
No Thunders, Earthquakes, did her Forme deforme,
The Seas in tumbling Mountaines did not roare,
But like moist Christall whispered on the Shoare,
No Snake did trace her Meads, nor ambusht lowre
In azure Curles beneath the sweet-Spring Flow'r;
The Night shade, Henbane, Napell, Aconite,
Her Bowels then not bare, with Death to smite
Her guiltlesse Brood; thy Messengers of Grace,
As their high Rounds did haunt this lower Place;
O Joy of Joyes! with our first Parents Thou
To commune then didst daig…e, as Friends do now:
Against thee we rebell'd, and justly thus
Each Creature rebelled against us,
Earth, rest of what did chiefe in her excell,
To all became a Jaile, to most a Hell
In Times full Terme untill thy Son was given,
Who Man with Thee, Earth reconcil'd with Heaven.
Whole and entire all in thy Selfe thou art,
All-where diffus'd, yet of this All no part,
For infinite, in making this faire Frame
(Great without Quantity) in all thou came,
And filling all, how can thy State admit,
Or Place or Substance to be void of it?
Were Worlds as many, as the Rayes which streame
From Daies bright lampe, on madding Wits do dreame,
They would not reele in ought, nor wandring stray,
But draw to Thee, who could their Centers stay;
Were but one hours this World disjoyn'd from thee,
It in one houre to nought reduc'd should be,
For it thy Shadow is, and can they last
If sever'd from the Substances them cast?
O only blest, and Author of all Blisse,
No, Bliss it selfe, that all where wished is,
Efficient, exemplary finall Good,
Of thine own Selfe but only understood;
Light is thy Curtaine, thou art Light of Light,
An ever-waking Eye still shining bright,
In-looking all, exempt of passive Pow'r,
And change, in change since Deaths pale shade doth low'r:
All Times to thee are one, that which hath run,
And that which is not brought yet by the Sun,
To thee are present, who dost alwaies see
In present act, what past is, or to be;
Day-livers we rememberance do lose
Of Ages worne, so Miseries us tosse
(Blind and letha…gick of thy heavenly Grace,
Which Sin in our first Parents did deface,
And even while Embrions curst by justest doome)
That we neglect what gone is, or to come,
But thou in thy great Archives scrolled hast
In parts and whole, what ever yet hath past,
Since first the marble Wheels of Time were roll'd,
As ever living, never waxing old,
Still is the same thy Day and Yesterday,
An undivided Now, a constant Ay.
O King whose Greatnesse none can comprehend,
Whose boundlesse Goodnesse doth to all extend,
Light of all Beauty Ocean without ground,
That standing flowest, giving dost abound,
Rich Pallace, and Endweller ever blest,
Never not working ever yet in Rest;
What wit cannot conceive, words say of Thee,
Here where we as but in a Mirrour see,
Shadows of shadows, Atomes of thy Might,
Still owly-eyed when staring on thy Light;
Grant that released from this earthly Jaile,
And freed from Clouds which here our Knowledge vaile,
In Heavens high Temples where thy Praises ring,
In sweeter Notes I may heare Angels sing.