No war, or battle's sound

IV.

Was heard the world around:

The idle spear and shield were high up hung, The hooked chariot stood,

Unstain'd with hostile blood,

The trumpet spake not to the armed throng,

And kings sat still with awful eye,

55

As if they surely knew their sovereign Lord was by. 60

V.

But peaceful was the night,

Wherein the Prince of light

His reign of peace upon the earth began: The winds with wonder whist

Smoothly the waters kist,

Whisp'ring new joys to the mild ocean, Who now hath quite forgot to rave,

65

While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmed wave.

64. The winds with wonder whist] Whist, silenced, as in Spenser, Faery Queen, b. vii. cant. 7. st. 59.

So was the Titaness put down and whist:

and in Shakespeare, Tempest, act i. sc. 5. Ariel's song.

The wild waves whist.

It is commonly used as an interjection commanding silence. And hence, I suppose, the game of Whist hath its name, as it requires silence and attention.

64. In Stanyhurst's Virgil, Intentique ora tenebant, is translated, They whisted all, b. ii. 1. T. Warton.

VI.

The stars with deep amaze

Stand fix'd in stedfast gaze,

Bending one way their precious influence, And will not take their flight,

For all the morning light,

Or Lucifer that often warn'd them thence;

But in their glimmering orbs did glow,

Until their Lord himself bespake, and bid them go.

VII.

And though the shady gloom

Had given day her room,

The sun himself withheld his wonted speed,

And hid his head for shame,

As his inferior flame

The new enlighten'd world no more should need;

He saw a greater sun appear

70

75

80

Than his bright throne, or burning axletree could bear.

Sat simply chatting in a rustic row;

Full little thought they then,

That the mighty Pan

Was kindly come to live with them below; Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep,

Was all that did their silly thoughts so busy keep.

When such music sweet

IX.

Their hearts and ears did greet,

As never was by mortal finger strook, Divinely-warbled voice

Answering the stringed noise,

As all their souls in blissful rapture took:

The air such pleasure loath to lose,

With thousand echoes still prolongs each heav'nly close.

sacred writings. Mr. Bowle refers to Dante, Purgat. c. vi. v.

118.

-O sommo Giove,

Che fosti'n in terra per noi crocifisso.

And says that this passage is literally adopted by Pulci, Morgant. Magg. c. ii. v. 2. T. Warton.

96. Divinely-warbled voice] Rather divinely-warbling. As all their souls in blissful rapture took. So in Par. Lost, ii. 554. Of the music of the milder angels.

-Took with ravishment

The thronging audience. -each heavenly close. So Shakespeare speaks of a musical close. K. Richard II. a. ii. s. 1.

The setting sun, and music at the close,

As the last taste of sweets is sweetest last.

T. Warton.

X.

Nature that heard such sound,

Beneath the hollow round

Of Cynthia's seat, the airy region thrilling, Now was almost won

To think her part was done,

And that her reign had here its last fulfilling; She knew such harmony alone

Could hold all heav'n and earth in happier union.

XI.

At last surrounds their sight

A globe of circular light,

101

105

110

That with long beams the shame-fac'd night array'd; The helmed Cherubim,

And sworded Seraphim,

Are seen in glittering ranks with wings display'd, Harping in loud and solemn quire,

With unexpressive notes to heav'n's new-born Heir.

Such music (as 'tis said)

Before was never made,

XII.

But when of old the sons of morning sung,
While the Creator great
His Constellations set,

115

120

116. With unexpressive notes] See Lycidas, ver. 176.

117. Such music as 'tis said.] See this music described, Par. Lost, vii. 558. seq. T. Warton.

119. But when of old the sons of morning sung,] As we read in Job xxxviii. 7. When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.

And the well-balanc'd world on hinges hung, And cast the dark foundations deep,

And bid the welt'ring waves their oozy channel keep. XIII.

Ring out ye crystal Spheres,

Once bless our human ears,

(If ye have pow'r to touch our senses so,) And let your silver chime

Move in melodious time,

125

And let the base of heav'n's deep organ blow, And with your ninefold harmony

130

Make

full consort to th' angelic symphony.

XIV.

up

For if such holy song

Inwrap our fancy long,

Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold,

And speckled Vanity

Will sicken soon and die,

And leprous Sin will melt from earthly mould, And hell itself will pass away,

135

And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day. 140

125. Ring out ye crystalSpheres,] See the notes, P. L. iii. 482. E. 130. And let the base of heav'n's deep organ blow.] An idea catched by Milton from St. Paul's cathedral while he was a schoolboy. He was not yet a puritan. Afterwards he and his friends the fanatics would not have allowed of so papistical an establishment as an organ and choir, even in heaven. T. Warton.

131. And with your ninefold harmony] There being nine infolded spheres, as in Arcades, ver. 64. where see the note.