272

ANTHEMS

FOR THE

CATHEDRAL OF EXETER

LORD, what am I? A worm, dust, vapor, nothing !
What is my life? A dream, a daily dying !
What is my flesh? My soul's uneasie clothing!'
What is my time? A minute ever flying:

My time, my flesh, my life, and I;

What are we, Lord, but vanity ?
Where am I, Lord ? Downe in a vale of death :
What is my trade? Sin, my dear God offending;
My sport sin too, my stay a puffe of breath:
What end of sin? Hell's horrour, never ending :

My way, my trade, sport, stay, and place

Help to make up my dolefull case. Lord, what art thou ? Pure life, power, beauty, bliss : Wherè dwell'st thou ? Up above, in perfect light: What is thy time? Eternity it is: What state? Attendance of each glorious sp’rit :

Thyself, thy place, thy dayes, thy state

Pass all the thoughts of powers create.
How shall I reach thee, Lord ? Oh, soar above,
Ambitious soul : But which way should I fie?
Thou, Lord, art way and end : What wings have I ?
Aspiring thoughts, of faith, of hope, of love:

Oh, let these wings, that way alone
Present me to thy blissfull throne.

ANTHEM

FOR

CHRISTMAS DAY.

IMMORTALL babe, who this dear days Didst change thy heaven for our clay, ,? And didst with flesh thy Godhead vail, ...? Eternal Son of God, all hail ! Shine, happy Star, ye Angels sing.. ?? Glory on high to Heaven's King : Run, Shepherds, leave your nightly watch, See heaven come down to Bethleem's cratch. Worship, ye Sages of the East, The King of Gods in meanness drest. O Blessed Maid, smile and adore The God, thy womb and armes have bore. Star, Angels, Shepherds, and wise Sages; Thou Virgin, glory of all ages; Restored frame of heaven and earth; Joy in your Dear Redeemer's birth.

LEAVE, O my soul, this baser world below,
Oh, leave this dolefull dungeon of woe;
And soare aloft to that supernal rest,
That maketh all the Saints and Angels blest.

Lo there the Godhead's radiant throne,

Like to ten thousand suns in one! . Lo there thy Saviour dear in glory dight Ador'd of all the powers of heavens bright : Lo where that head, that bled with thorny wound, Shines ever with celestial honour crownd :

That hand, that held the scornfull reed,

Makes all the fiends infernall dread: That back and side, that ran with bloody streams, Daunt angels' eyes with their majestick beames: Those feet, once fastened to the cursed tree, Trample on death and hell, in glorious glee.

Those lips, once drench't with gall, do make

With their dread doom the world to quake. Behold those joyes thou never canst behold; Those precious gates of pearl, those streets of gold, Those streams of life, those trees of paradise, That never can be seen by mortal eyes :

And, when thou seest this state divine,

Think that it is or shall be thine,
See there the happy troups of purest sprights,
That live above in endless, true delights;
And see where once thyself shalt ranged be,
And look and long for immortalitie:

And now, beforehand, help to sing
Hallelujahs to Heaven's King:

VIRGIDEMIARUM.

SIXE BOOKES.

FIRST THREE BOOKES,

TOOTH-LESSE SATYRS.

276

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

By the kindness of Mr. Henry Ellis, of the British Museum, the Editor is enabled, in addition to the fruits of his own researches, to enrich the following masterly performance of bis author with some of those elucidations, which his frequent imitation of the Classics and his perpetual allusions to temporary and local circumstances have rendered indispensable to a full comprehension of the spirit and beauty of his satire. Mr. Ellis has had it in contemplation to publish an edition of the Satires, fully illustrated: which design, it is to be hoped, he will find leisure to accomplish. In the mean time he has had the goodness to allow the Edi. tor to select such notes from his papers, as might appear most necessary : and he has also furnished him with Warton's notes on his author, contained in a few of the first sheets of the fourth volume of his History of English Poetry, which had passed the press before the death of the learned critic. · Mr. Ellis's notes are marked E, and those of Mr. Warton W. For the rest the Editor is responsible.

Those obsolete words, which rarely occur in the Satires, are explained in the Notes. The following are such as repeatedly occur. For the rest, the Glossary to the Whole Works may be consulted.

Albe, or albee-albeit, although.
Betide-befal.
Certes-certainly.
Covetise-covetousness.
Dight-dressed, decked.
Erst-first, formerly.
Eyne-eyes.
Gan-began.
Gin-begin.
Frere-friar.
Hundreth-hundred. '
List-choose.
Meed-reward.
Mote, or mought-might.
Playned, playning—-complained, complaining.
Rife-common.
Sith-since.
Spright-spirit.
Treen-trees.
Weene-to imagine.
Wot-to know.
Writhen-wrinkled, distorted, twisted.