His stretched sinews taught all strings what key
Is best to celebrate this most high day.

Consort both heart and lute, and twist a song
Pleasant and long;

Or, since all musick is but three parts vied
And multiplied,

O, let Thy blessèd Spirit bear a part,

And make up our defects with His sweet art.

THE SONG.

I got me flowers to straw Thy way,

15

I got me boughs off many a tree;

But Thou wast up by break of day,

And brought'st Thy sweets along with Thee.

The sunne arising in the East,

5

Though he give light, and th' East perfume,

If they should offer to contest

With Thy arising, they presume.
Can there be any day but this,

Though many sunnes to shine endeavour?
We count three hundred, but we misse:
There is but one, and that one ever.

Another version, from the Williams Ms.

I had prepared many a flowre

To straw Thy way and victorie;

But Thou wast vp before myne houre,

Bringinge Thy sweets along with Thee.

The sunn arising in the East,

Though hee bring light and th' other sents,

VOL. I.

15

Can not make vp so braue a feast
As Thy discouerie presents.

Yet though my flours be lost, they say

A hart can never come too late;
Teach it to sing Thy praise this day,
And then this day my life shall date.

11. EASTER WINGS.

Lord, Who createdst man in wealth and store,
Though foolishly he lost the same,

Decaying more and more,

Till he became

Most poore:

With Thee

O let me rise,

As larks, harmoniously,

And sing this day Thy victories:

Then shall the fall further the flight in me.

My tender age in sorrow did beginne;

And still with sicknesses and shame
Thou didst so punish sinne,

That I became

Most thinne.

With Thee

Let me combine,

And feel this day Thy victorie;

For, if I imp my wing on Thine, Affliction shall advance the flight in me.

20

add on, join

12. HOLY BAPTISME.

As he that sees a dark and shadie grove

Stayes not, but looks beyond it on the skie;
So, when I view my sinnes, mine eyes remove
More backward still, and to that water flie
Which is above the heav'ns, whose spring and rent
Is in my dear Redeemer's piercèd side.
O blessed streams, either ye do prevent
And stop our sinnes from growing thick and wide,
Or else give tears to drown them, as they grow.
In you Redemption measures all my time,
And spreads the plaister equall to the crime:
You taught the Book of Life my name, that so,
Whatever future sinnes should me miscall,
Your first acquaintance might discredit all.

13. HOLY BAPTISME.
Since, Lord, to Thee

A narrow way and little gate

Is all the passage, on my infancie

Thou didst lay hold, and antedate

My faith in me.

O, let me still

Write Thee great God,' and me Let me be soft and supple to Thy will, Small to myself, to others milde,

VOL. I.

Behither ill.

a childe;'

5

10

5

ΙΟ

G

50

Although by stealth

My flesh get on; yet let her sister,

My soul, bid nothing, but preserve her wealth:

The growth of flesh is but a blister;
Childhood is health.

14. NATURE.

Full of rebellion, I would die,

Or fight, or travell, or denie

15

That Thou hast ought to do with me:

O, tame my heart;

It is Thy highest art

5

To captivate strongholds to Thee.

If Thou shalt let this venome lurk,
And in suggestions fume and work,
My soul will turn to bubbles straight,

And thence, by kinde,
Vanish into a winde,

Making Thy workmanship deceit.

O, smooth my rugged heart, and there
Engrave Thy rev'rend Law and fear;
Or make a new one, since the old

Is saplesse grown,

And a much fitter stone

To hide my dust then Thee to hold.

IO

15

15. SINNE.

Lord, with what care hast Thou begirt us round!

Parents first season us; then schoolmasters
Deliver us to laws; they send us, bound

To rules of reason, holy messengers,

Pulpits and Sundayes, sorrow dogging sinne,
Afflictions sorted, anguish of all sizes,
Fine nets and stratagems to catch us in,
Bibles laid open, millions of surprises;
Blessings beforehand, tyes of gratefulnesse,

The sound of glorie ringing in our eares,
Without, our shame; within, our consciences;

Angels and grace, eternall hopes and fears.

Yet all these fences and their whole aray
One cunning bosome-sinne blows quite away.

16. AFFLICTION.

When first Thou didst entice to Thee my heart,
I thought the service brave:

So many joyes I writ down for my part,

Besides what I might have

Out of my stock of naturall delights,

Augmented with Thy Grace's perquisites.

I looked on Thy furniture so fine,

And made it fine to me;

5

IO

5