University of Virginia Library

A Pastoral on the nativity of our Saviour.

MENALCAS.
Some mighty things these awful signs portend!
Amaz'd we see new stars the skies ascend;
A thousand strange usurping lights appear,
And dart their sudden glories thro' the air;
A dazzling day, without the sun, returns,
And thro' the midnight's dusky horror burns.

PALEMON.
And, in the depth of winter, spring appears,
For lo! the ground a sudden verdure wears;
The op'ning flow'rs display their gaudiest dye,
And seem with all the summer's pride to vie.

URANIO.
Nor without myst'ry are these joys that roll
In torrents thro' my now prophetic soul,
And softly whisper to my ravish'd breast,
That more than all the tribes the race of Judah's blest.

MENALCAS.
But see the eastern skies disclose a light
Beyond the noontide's flaming glories bright;
This way its course the sacred vision bends,
And with much state and solemn pomp descends.
Sonorous voices echo from a-far,
And softly warble thro' the trembling air:
The circling spheres the charming sound prolong,
And answer all the cadence of their song:
And now the sacred harmony draws near,
And now a thousand heav'nly forms appear.

ANGELS.
Immortal glory give to God on high,
Thro' all the lofty stations of the sky;
Let joy on earth, and endless peace ensue,
The great Messiah's born, thrice happy men! to you.

URANIO.
The great Messiah born! transporting sound!
To the wide world spread the blest accents round:
What joy these long-expected tidings bring!
To us is born a Saviour and a King.

ANGELS.
An infant in a virgin's arms he lies,
Who rides the winds, and thunders thro' the skies:
The God to whom the flaming seraphs bow,
Descends to lead the life of mortals now.

MENALCAS.
— Surprizing pow'r of love!
Ev'n God himself thy mighty force does prove;
Thou rul'st the world below, and govern'st all above.

PALEMON.
You shining messengers, be farther kind,
And tell us where the wondrous child to find.

ANGELS.
Your glad conducters to the place we'll be,
Eager as you this mystic thing to see.

URANIO.
Some present to the infant king let's bear,
For zeal shou'd always liberal appear.

ANGELS.
Come on, we'll lead you to the poor abode,
Where in a manger lies th' incarnate God;
Reduc'd to lodge among the sordid beasts,
Who all the spacious realms of light possess'd;
And he whose humble ministers we were,
Becomes a tender virgin's helpless care.
Thro' heav'n, but now, the hasty tidings rung,
And anthems on the wond'rous theme they sung.

PALEMON.
But to what happy maid of human race
Has heav'n allotted this peculiar grace?

ANGELS.
Ye echoing skies, repeat Maria's name;
Maria thro' the starry worlds proclaim:
In her bright face celestial graces shine,
Her mind's enrich'd with treasures all divine,
From David's royal house descends her noble line.
But see the humble seat, the poor abode,
That holds the virgin with the infant God.

MENALCAS.
Thee, virgin-born, thus prostrate, I adore,
And offer here the choice of all my store.
Untill'd the earth shall now vast harvests yield,
And laughing plenty crown the open field.
Clear rivers in the desarts shall be seen,
And barren wastes cloath'd in eternal green.
Instead of thorns the stately fir shall rise,
And wave his lofty head amidst the skies;
Where thistles once, shall fragrant myrtles grow,
The beauteous rose on ev'ry bush shall glow,
And from the purple grape rich wines, unpress'd, shall flow

PALEMON.
Great star of Jacob, that so bright dost rise,
Turn, lovely infant, thy auspicious Eyes;
This soft and spotless wool to thee I bring,
My earliest tribute to the new-born king.
With thee each sacred virtue takes its birth,
And peace and justice now shall rule the earth.
Thou shalt the bliss of paradise restore,
And wars and tumults shall be heard no more.
The wolf and lamb shall now together feed,
And with the ox the lions savage breed.
The child shall with the harmless serpent play,
And lead, unhurt, the gentle beast away.
And where the sun ascends the shining east,
And where he ends his journey in the west,
Thy glorious name shall be ador'd and blest.

URANIO.

ANGELS.
And we, the regents of the spheres, thus low
Before mankind's illustrious Saviour bow:
Astonish'd, in an infant's form we see
Disguis'd th' ineffable divinity;
Who arm'd with thunder, on the fields of light
O'ercame the potent seraphim in fight.
Thus humbled—O unbounded force of love!
Subdu'd by that, from all the joys above,
Thou cam'st the wretched life of man to prove.
And thus our ruin'd numbers will supply,
And fill the desolations of the sky.