John Milton

VI

Poi che fuggir me stesso in dubbio sono,Madonna a voi del mio cuor l’humil donoFaro divoto; io certo a prove tanteL’hebbi fedele, intrepido, costante,De pensieri leggiadro, accorto, e buono;Quando rugge il gran mondo, e scocca il tuono,S ‘arma di se, e d’ intero diamante,Tanto del forse, e d’ invidia sicuro,Di timori, e speranze al popol…

Aug. 10. 1653.

God of my righteousness;In straights and in distressThou didst me disinthrallAnd set at large; now spare,Now pity me, and hear my earnest prai’r.Great ones how long will yeMy glory have in scornHow long be thus forlornStill to love vanity,To love, to seek, to prizeThings false and vain and nothing else but lies?Yet know the Lord…

Aug. 14. 1653.

And glorious is thy name through all the earth?So as above the Heavens thy praise to setOut of the tender mouths of latest bearth,Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thouHast founded strength because of all thy foesTo stint th’enemy, and slack th’avengers browThat bends his rage thy providence to oppose.When I behold thy…

Fairfax, whose name in armes through Europe rings

And all her jealous monarchs with amaze,And rumors loud, that daunt remotest kings,Thy firm unshak’n vertue ever bringsVictory home, though new rebellions raiseTheir Hydra heads, & the fals North displaiesHer brok’n league, to impe their serpent wings,O yet a nobler task awaites thy hand;Yet what can Warr, but endless warr still breed,Till Truth, & Right…

Thus they in lowliest plight repentant stood

Prevenient Grace descending had remov’dThe stonie from thir hearts, and made new fleshRegenerat grow instead, that sighs now breath’dUnutterable, which the Spirit of prayerInspir’d, and wing’d for Heav’n with speedier flightThen loudest Oratorie: yet thir portNot of mean suiters, nor important lessSeem’d thir Petition, then when th’ ancient PairIn Fables old, less ancient yet then…

High on a throne of royal state, which far

Or where the gorgeous East with richest handShowers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,Satan exalted sat, by merit raisedTo that bad eminence; and, from despairThus high uplifted beyond hope, aspiresBeyond thus high, insatiate to pursueVain war with Heaven; and, by success untaught,His proud imaginations thus displayed:–‘Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heaven!–For, since no deep…

HAIL holy light, ofspring of Heav’n first-born,

May I express thee unblam’d? since God is light,And never but in unapproached lightDwelt from Eternitie, dwelt then in thee,Bright effluence of bright essence increate.Or hear’st thou rather pure Ethereal stream,Whose Fountain who shall tell? before the Sun,Before the Heavens thou wert, and at the voiceOf God, as with a Mantle didst investThe rising world…

Psalm 83

Be not thou silent now at lengthO God hold not thy peace,Sit not thou still O God of strengthWe cry and do not cease.For lo thy furious foes now *swellAnd *storm outrageously, *Jehemajun.And they that hate thee proud and fillExalt their heads full hie.Against thy people they *contrive *Jagnarimu.*Their Plots and Counsels deep, *Sod.*Them to…

It was the winter wild,

All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies;Nature in awe to HimHad doffed her gaudy trim,With her great Master so to sympathize:It was no season then for herTo wanton with the sun, her lusty paramour.Only with speeches fairShe woos the gentle airTo hide her guilty front with innocent snow,And on her naked shame,Pollute with sinful…