Selections from the British Classics Author:Geoffrey Chaucer Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Shall then this verse to future age pretend Thou wei-t my guide, philosopher, and friend t That, urged by thee, I turned the tuneful art, From sounds to things, ... more »from fancy to the heart; For wit's false mirror held up nature's light; Showed erring pride, whatever is, is right ; That reason, passion, answer one great aim; That true self-love and social are the same ; That virtue only makes our bliss below; And all our knowledge is, ourselves to know. MESSIAH. A SACRED ECLOGUE. Ye Nymphs of Solyma! begin the song: To heavenly themes sublimer strains belong. The mossy fountains and the sylvan shades, The dreams of Pindus and the Aonian maids, Delight no more. O thou my voice inspire, Who touched Isaiah's hallowed lips with fire ! Rapt into future times, the bard begun: A virgin shall conceive, a virgin bear a son! From .Tease's root behold a branch arise, Whose sacred flower with fragrance fills the skies: The ethereal spirit o'er its leaves shall move, And on its top descends the mystic dove. Ye heavens ! from high the dewy nectar pour, And in soft silence shed the kindly shower! The sick and weak the healing plant shall aidj From storms a shelter, and from heat a shade. All crimes shall cease, and ancient fraud shall fail, Returning justice lift aloft her scale; Peace o'er the world her olive wand extend, And white-robed innocence from heaven descend. Swift fly the years, and rise the expected morn! Oh spring to light, auspicious Babe, be born ! See nature hastes her earliest wreathes to bring. With all the incense of the breathing spring: See lofty Lebanon his head advance! See nodding forests on the mountains dance ! See spicy clouds from lowly Sharon rise, And Carmel's flowery top perfume the skies! Hark ! a glad voice the lonely desert cheers ; Prepare t...« less