The Flourish of Music; then followed the Song. 1. Tell us, thou clear and heavenly tongue, Where is the Babe but lately sprung? Lies he the lily-banks among? 2. Or say, if this new Birth of ours Sleeps, laid within some ark of flowers, Spangled with dew-light; thou canst clear All doubts, and manifest the […]

Evil no nature hath; the loss of good Is that which gives to sin a livelihood.

When I shall sin, pardon my trespass here; For once in hell, none knows remission there.

I’ll hope no more For things that will not come; And if they do, they prove but cumbersome. Wealth brings much woe; And, since it fortunes so, ‘Tis better to be poor Than so t’ abound As to be drown’d Or overwhelm’d with store. Pale care, avaunt! I’ll learn to be content With that small […]

With golden censers, and with incense, here Before Thy virgin-altar I appear, To pay Thee that I owe, since what I see In, or without, all, all belongs to Thee. Where shall I now begin to make, for one Least loan of Thine, half restitution? Alas! I cannot pay a jot; therefore I’ll kiss the […]

Gold I have none, but I present my need, O Thou, that crown’st the will, where wants the deed. Where rams are wanting, or large bullocks’ thighs, There a poor lamb’s a plenteous sacrifice. Take then his vows, who, if he had it, would Devote to Thee both incense, myrrh and gold Upon an altar […]

Permit mine eyes to see Part, or the whole of Thee, O happy place! Where all have grace, And garlands shar’d, For their reward; Where each chaste soul In long white stole, And palms in hand, Do ravish’d stand; So in a ring, The praises sing Of Three in One That fill the Throne; While […]

Play their offensive and defensive parts, Till they be hid o’er with a wood of darts.

God makes not good men wantons, but doth bring Them to the field, and, there, to skirmishing. With trials those, with terrors these He proves, And hazards those most whom the most He loves; For Sceva, darts; for Cocles, dangers; thus He finds a fire for mighty Mutius; Death for stout Cato; and besides all […]

Last night I drew up mine account, And found my debits to amount To such a height, as for to tell How I should pay ‘s impossible. Well, this I’ll do: my mighty score Thy mercy-seat I’ll lay before; But therewithal I’ll bring the band Which, in full force, did daring stand Till my Redeemer, […]

All I have lost that could be rapt from me; And fare it well: yet, Herrick, if so be Thy dearest Saviour renders thee but one Smile, that one smile’s full restitution.

When man is punish’d, he is plagued still, Not for the fault of nature, but of will.

Lord, I am like to mistletoe, Which has no root, and cannot grow Or prosper but by that same tree It clings about; so I by Thee. What need I then to fear at all, So long as I about Thee crawl? But if that tree should fall and die, Tumble shall heav’n, and down […]

Pardon me, God, once more I Thee entreat, That I have placed Thee in so mean a seat Where round about Thou seest but all things vain, Uncircumcis’d, unseason’d and profane. But as Heaven’s public and immortal eye Looks on the filth, but is not soil’d thereby, So Thou, my God, may’st on this impure […]

When we ‘gainst Satan stoutly fight, the more He tears and tugs us than he did before; Neglecting once to cast a frown on those Whom ease makes his without the help of blows.

I would to God that mine old age might have Before my last, but here a living grave, Some one poor almshouse; there to lie, or stir Ghostlike, as in my meaner sepulchre; A little piggin and a pipkin by, To hold things fitting my necessity, Which rightly used, both in their time and place, […]

Hell is no other but a soundless pit, Where no one beam of comfort peeps in it.

When winds and seas do rage And threaten to undo me, Thou dost, their wrath assuage If I but call unto Thee. A mighty storm last night Did seek my soul to swallow, But by the peep of light A gentle calm did follow. What need I then despair, Though ills stand round about me; […]

The less our sorrows here and suff’rings cease, The more our crowns of glory there increase.

The sup’rabundance of my store, That is the portion of the poor: Wheat, barley, rye, or oats; what is’t But He takes toll of? all the grist. Two raiments have I: Christ then makes This law; that He and I part stakes. Or have I two loaves, then I use The poor to cut, and […]