DIVINE EJACULATION. GREAT GOD! whose sceptre rules the earth, Distil thy fear into my heart, That being rapt with holy mirth, I may proclaim how good thou art: Open my lips, that I may sing Full praises to my God, my King. Great God! thy garden is defaced, The weeds thrive there, thy flowers decay; O call to mind thy promise past, Restore thou them, cut these away: Till then let not the weeds have power To starve or stint the poorest flower. In all extremes, Lord, thou art still Because so much abhorred by thee: Shall mountain, desert, beast, and tree, And shall that voice not startle me, Nor stir this stone-this heart of mine? Fountain of light and living breath, Fill me with life that hath no death, Fill me with light that hath no shade; Lord God of gods, before whose throne When all the world belongs to thee? O thou that sitt'st in heaven, and see'st What I possess, or what I crave, In making me—that have it-thine When winter-fortunes cloud the brows Of summer friends-when eyes grow strange When plighted faith forgets its vows, When earth and all things in it change; O Lord, thy mercies fail me never, Where once thou lov'st, thou lov'st for ever. Great God! whose kingdom hath no end, Whose justice none can feel-and live, To know, Lord, teach me to admire. QUARLES. TRUE NOBILITY. SEARCH We the springs, And backward trace the principles of things: Dispensed with equal hand, disposed with equal skill; Though poor in fortune, of celestial race: And he commits the crime, who calls him base. DRYDEN. ALEXANDER'S FEAST. 'Twas at the royal feast for Persia won By Philip's warlike son; Aloft in awful state The godlike hero sate On his imperial throne: His valiant peers were placed around; Their brows with roses and with myrtles bound, (So should desert in arms be crowned): The lovely Thais, by his side, Sate, like a blooming eastern bride, In flower of youth and beauty's pride. Happy, happy, happy pair! None but the brave, None but the brave, None but the brave deserves the fair. Timotheus, placed on high Amid the tuneful quire, With flying fingers touched the lyre: The trembling notes ascend the sky, The song began-from Jove, Who left his blissful seats above When he to fair Olympia pressed, And stamped an image of himself, a sovereign of the world. The listening crowd admire the lofty sound, A present deity! they shout around: A present deity! the vaulted roofs rebound: The monarch hears, Assumes the god, And seems to shake the spheres. The praise of Bacchus then, the sweet musicians sung: Of Bacchus ever fair and ever young : The jolly god in triumph comes; Sound the trumpets, beat the drums; He shows his honest face; Now give the hautboys breath: he comes! he comes! Drinking joys did first ordain; Bacchus' blessings are a treasure, Sweet the pleasure; Sweet is pleasure after pain. Soothed with the sound, the king grew vain ; Fought all his battles o'er again; And thrice he routed all his foes; and thrice he slew the slain. The master saw the madness rise; His glowing cheeks, his ardent eyes; |