SHORTER POEMS OF JOHN MILTON A PARAPHRASE ON PSALM CXIV This and the following Psalm were done by the Author at fifteen years old WHEN the blest seed of Terah's faithful son 10 And passed from Pharian fields to Canaan-land, PSALM CXXXVI LET us with a gladsome mind Ever faithful, ever sure. Let us blaze his name abroad, O let us his praises tell, Who doth the wrathful tyrants quell; For his, &c. Who with his miracles doth make Amazed heaven and earth to shake; Who by his wisdom did create The painted heavens so full of state; For his, &c. Who did the solid earth ordain To rise above the watery plain; For his, &c. Who, by his all-commanding might, And caused the golden-tracèd sun 10 19 All the day long his course to run; 30 For his, &c. The horned moon to shine by night He, with his thunder-clasping hand, And, in despite of Pharao fell, He brought from thence his Israel; The ruddy waves he cleft in twain For his, &c. The floods stood still, like walls of glass, For his, &c. But full soon they did devour The tawny king with all his power; His chosen people he did bless For his, &c. In bloody battle he brought down He foiled bold Seon and his host, For his, &c. 39 50 59 70 79 And large limbed Og he did subdue, And to his servant Israel He gave their land, therein to dwell; He hath, with a piteous eye, For his, &c. And freed us from the slavery For his, &c. All living creatures he doth feed, Let us, therefore, warble forth That his mansion hath on high, For his mercies aye endure, ON THE DEATH OF A FAIR INFANT Anno ætatis 17 I O FAIREST flower, no sooner blown but blasted, Summer's chief honour, if thou hadst outlasted That did thy cheek envermeil, thought to kiss, II For, since grim Aquilo, his charioteer, By boisterous rape the Athenian damsel got, 10 Thereby to wipe away the infamous blot III So, mounting up in icy pearlèd car, Through middle empire of the freezing air He wandered long, till thee he spied from far; But, all unwares, with his cold-kind embrace, Unhoused thy virgin soul from her fair biding-place. 20 |