Robert Bridges, ed. (1844–1930). The Spirit of Man: An Anthology. 1916. | | | | From Hymn on the Morning of Christ’s Nativity |
John Milton (1608–1674) |
| | | .. THE SHEPHERDS 1 on the Lawn, | |
| Or ere the point of dawn, | |
| Sat simply chatting in a rustick row; | |
| Full little thought they than | |
| That the mighty Pan | 5 |
| Was kindly com to live with them below: | |
| Perhaps their loves, or els their sheep, | |
| Was all that did their silly thoughts so busie keep. | |
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| When such musick sweet | |
| Their hearts and ears did greet, | 10 |
| As never was by mortal finger strook. | |
| Divinely-warbled voice | |
| Answering the stringed noise, | |
| As all their souls in blisfull rapture took: | |
| The air, such pleasure loth to lose, | 15 |
| With thousand echoes still prolongs each heav’nly close … | |
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| Such Musick (as ’tis said) | |
| Before was never made, | |
| But when of old the sons of morning sung, | |
| While the Creator Great | 20 |
| His constellations set, | |
| And the well-balanc’t world on hinges hung, | |
| And cast the dark foundations deep, | |
| And bid the weltering waves their oozy channel keep … | |
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