The course of time, a poem, in ten books

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THE

Book I

Eternal Spirit ! God of truth ! to whom All things seem as they are ; thou who of old The prophet's eye unsealed, that nightly saw, While heavy sleep fell down on other men, In holy vision tranced, the future pass Before him, and to Judah's harp attuned Burdens which made the pagan mountains shake And Zion's cedars bow — inspire my song ; My eye unscalo ; me what is substance teach, And shadow what, while I of things to come, As past, rehearsing, sing the Course of Time, The second Birth, and final Doom of man.

The muse, that soft and sickly woos the ear Of love, or chanting loud in windy rhyme Of fabled hero, raves through gaudy tale Not overfraught with sense, I ask not ; such A strain befits not argument so high. Me thought, and phrase, severely sifting out The whole idea, grant — uttering as 'tis The essential truth — Time gone, the Righteous saved. The Wicked damned, and Providence approved.

Hold my right hand. Almighty ! and me teach To strike the lyre, but seldom struck, to notes Harmonious with the morning stars, and pure As those by sainted bards, and angels sung. Which wake the echoes of eternity — 7

That fools may hear and tremble, and the wise Instructed listen, of ages yet to come.

Long was the day, so long expected, past Of the eternal doom, that gave to each Of all the human race his due reward. The sun — earth's sun, and moon, and stars, had ceased To number seasons, days, and months, and years T^ mortal man : hope was forgotten, and fear ; And Time, with all its chance, and change, and smiles, And frequent tears, and deeds of villany. Or righteousness — once talked of much, as things Of great renown, was now but ill remembered ; In dim and shadowy vision of the past, Seen far remote, as country, which has left The traveller's speedy step, retiring back From morn till even ; and long Eternity Had rolled his mighty years, and with his years Men had grown old : the saints, all home returned From pilgrimage, and war, and weeping, long Had rested in the bowers of peace, that skirt The stream of life ; and long — alas, how long — To them it seemed ! the wicked who refused To be redeemed, had wandered in the dark Of hell's despair, and drunk the burning cup Their sins had filled with everlasting wo !

Thus far the years had rolled, which none but God Doth number, when two sons, two youthful sons Of Paradise, in conversation sweet, (For thus the heavenly muse instructs me, wooed At midnight hour with offering sincere Of all the heart, poured out in holy prayer,) High on the hills of immortality. Whence goodliest prospect looks beyond the walls Of heaven, walked, castmg oft their eye far through The pure serene, observant, if returned From errand duly finished, any came,

BOOK I.

Or any, first m virtue now complete,

From other worlds arrived, confirmed in good.

Thus viewing-, one they saw, on hasty wing Directing towards heaven his course ; and now. His flight ascending near the battlements And lofty hills on which they walked, approached. For round and round, in spacious circuit wide. Mountains of tallest stature circumscribe The plains of Paradise, whose tops, arrayed In uncreated radiance, seem so pure. That nought but angel's foot, or saint's, elect Of God, may venture there to walk ; here oft The sons of bliss take morn or evening pastime. Delighted to behold ten thousand worlds Around their suns revolving in the vast External space, or listen the harmonies That each to other in its motion sings. And hence, in middle heaven remote, is seen The mount of God in awful glory bright. Within, no orb create of moon, or star. Or sun gives light ; for God's own countenance. Beaming eternally, gives light to all ; But farther than these sacred hills his will Forbids its flow — too bright for eyes beyond. This is the last ascent of Virtue ; here All trial ends, and hope ; here perfect joy. With perfect righteousness, which to these heights Alone can rise, begins, above all fall. —

And now, on wing of holy ardour strong. Hither ascends the stranger, borne upright ; For stranger he did seem, with curious eye Of nice inspection round surveying all. And at the feet alights of those that stood His coming, who the hand of welcome gave, And the embrace sincere of holy love ; 4nd thus, with comely greeting kind, began.

Hail, crother ! hail, thou son of happiness ! Thou son beloved of God ! welcome to heaven ! To bliss that never fades ! thy day is past Of trial, and of fear to fall. Well done, Thou good and faithful servant ; enter nowr Into the joy eternal of thy Lord. Come with us, and behold far higher sight Than e'er thy heart desired, or hope conceived. See, yonder is the glorious hill of God, *Bove angel's gaze in brightness rising high. Come, join our wing, and we will guide thy flight To mysteries of everlasting bliss ; — The tree, and fount of life, the eternal throne, And presence chamber of the King of kings. But what concern hangs on thy countenance, Unwont within this place 1 perhaps thou deemst Ty;yself unworthy to be brought before The always Ancient One ? so are we too Unworthy ; but our God is all in all, And gives us boldness to approach his throne.

Sons of the highest ! citizens of heaven ! Began the new arrived, right have ye judged : Unworthy, most unworthy is your servant, To stand in presence of the King, or hold Most distant and most humble place in this Abode of excellent glory unrevealed. But God Almighty be for ever praised, Who, of his fulness, fills me with all grace And ornament, to make me in his sight Well pleasing, and accepted in his court. But, if your leisure waits, short narrative Will tell, why strange concern thus overhangs My face, ill seeming here ; and haply, too, Your elder knowledge can instruct my youth, Of what seems dark and doubtful unexplained.

Our leisure waits thee : speak ; and what we can —

BOOK I. l\

Delighted most to give delight — we will ; Though much of mystery yet to us remains. /Virtue — I need not tell, when proved, and full ■MVf atured — inclines us up to God, and heaven, By law of sweet compulsion, strong and sure ; As gravitation to the larger orb The less attracts, through matter's whole domain. Virtue in me was ripe — I speak not this In boast, for what I am to God I owe, Entirely owe, and of myself am nought. Eauipped, and bent for heaven, I left yon world, My native seat, which scarce your eye can reach. Rolling around her central sun, far out, On utmost verge of light. But first to see What lay beyond the visible creation Strong curiosity my flight impelled. Long was my way, and strange. I passed the bounds Which God doth set to light, and life, and love ; Where darkness meets with day, where order meets Disorder, dreadful, waste, and wild ; and down The dark, eternal, uncreated night Ventured alone. Long, long, on rapid wing, I sailed through empty, nameless regions vast, VVliere utter Nothing dwells, unformed and void. There neither eye, nor ear, nor any sense Of Being most acute, finds object ; there For aught external still you search in vain. Try touch, or sight, or smell ; try what you will. You strangely find nought but yourself alone. But why should I in words attempt to tell What that is like which is — and yet — is not ? Tliis past, my path, descending, still me led O'er unclaimed continents of desert gloom Immense, where gravitation, sliifting, turns The other way; and to some dread, unknown, Infernal centre downward weighs : and now.

12 'J'HE COURSE OF TIME.

Far travelled from the edgt of darkness, far As from that glorious moiint of God to light's Remotest limb — dire sights I saw, dire sounds I heard ; and suddenly before my eye A wall of fiery adamant sprung up — Wall mountainous, tremendous, flaming high Above all flight of hope. I paused, and looked ; And saw, where'er I looked upon that mound, Sad figures traced in fire — not motionless, But imitating life. One I remarked Attentively ; but how shall I describe What nought resembles else my eye hath seen? Of worm or serpent kind it something looked,. But monstrous, with a thousand snaky heads. Eyed each with double orbs of glaring wrath ; And with as many tails, that twisted out In horrid revolution, tipped with stings ; And all its mouths, that wide and darkly gaped, And breathed most poisonous breath, had each a stir Forked, und long, and venomous, and sharp ; And, in its writhings infinite, it grasped Malignantly what seemed a heart, swollen, black, And quivering with torture most intense ; And still the heart, with anguish throbbing high. Made effort to escape, but could not ; for Howe'er it turned, and oft it vainly turned, •These complicated foldings held it fast. And still the monstrous beast with sting of head Or tail transpierced it, bleeding evermore. What this could image, much I searched to know * And while I stood, and gazed, and wondered long, A voice, from whence I knew not, for no one I saw, distinctly whispe'-ed in my ear These words — This is the Worm that never dies.

Fast by the side of this unsightly thing Another was portrayed, more hideous still :

BOOK I. 13

Who sees it once shall wish to see't no more.

For ever undescribed let it remain !

Only tliis much I may or can unfold —

Far out it thrust a dart that might have made .'-The knees of terror quake, and on it hung,

Within the triple barbs, a being pierced

Through soul and body both : of heavenly make

Original the being seemed, but fallen,

A.nd worn and wasted with enormous wo.

A.nd still around the everlasting lance

t writhed convulsed, and uttered mimic groans ;

Vnd tried and wished, and ever tried and wished

To die ; but could not die. — Oh, horrid sight !

1 trembling gazed, and listened, and heard this voice

Approach my ear — This is Eternal death. Nor these alone. — Upon that burning wall,

In horrible emblazonry, were limned

All shapes, all forms, all modes of wretchedness,

And agony, and grief, and desperate wo.

And prominent, in characters of fire.

Where'er the eye could light, these words 3'ou reao .

" Who comes this way — behold, and fear to sin !"

Amazed I stood ; and thought such imagery

Foretokened, within, a dangerous abode.

But yet to see the worst a wish arose :

For virtue, by the holy seal of God

Accredited and stamped, immortal all,

And all invulnerable, fears no hurt.

As easy as my wish, as rapidly

I through the horrid rampart passed, unscathed

And unopposed ; and, poised on steady wing,

I hovering gazed. Eternal Justice ! Sons

Df God ! tell me, if ye can tell, what tiien [ saw, what then I heard. — Wide was the place, And deep as wide, and ruinous as deep. Bonealh, I saw a lake of burninsr fire, B ^

With tempest tost perpetually, and still

The waves of fiery darkness, 'gainst the rocks

Of dark damnation broke, and music made

Of melancholy sort; and over head,

And all around, wind warred with wind, storm howled

To storm, and lightning-, forked lightning, crossed,

And thunder answered thunder, muttering sounds

Of sullen wrath ; and far as sight could pierce,

Or down descend in caves of hopeless depth,

Through all that dungeon of unfading fire,

I saw most miserable beings walk,

Burning continually, yet unconsumed ;

For ever wasting, yet enduring still ;

Dying perpetually, j'et never dead.

Some wandered lonely in the desert flames.

And some in fell encounter fiercely met,

With curses loud, and blasphemies, that made

The cheek of darkness pale ; and as they fought.

And cursed, and gnashed their teeth, and wished to die,

Their hollow eyes did utter streams of wo.

And there were groans that ended not, and sighs

That always sighed, and tears that ever wept,

And ever fell, but not in Mercy's sight.

And Sorrow, and Repentance, and Despair,

Among them walked, and to their thirsty lips

Presented frequent cups of burning gall.

And as I listened, I heard these beings curse

Almighty God, and curse the Lamb, and curse

The Earth, the Resurrection morn, and seek.

And ever vainly seek, for utter death.

And to their everlasting anguish still.

The thunders from above responding spoke

These words, which, through the caverns of perdition

Forlornly echoing, fell on every ear :

" Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not."

And back again recoiled a deeper groan.

BOOK I. 15

A deeper gruan ! Oh, what a groan was that ! 1 wailed not, but swift on speediest wing. With unaccustomed thoughts conversing, back Retraced my venturous path from darli to light : Then up ascending, long ascending up, I hasted on ; though whiles the chiming spheres, By God's own finger touched to harmony, Held me delaying — till I here arrived. Drawn upward by the eternal love of God, Of wonder full and strange astonishment. At what in yonder den of darkness dwells. Which now your higher knowledge will unfold. They answering said : to ask and to bestow

/Knowledge, is much of Heaven's delight ; and now Most joyfully what thou requirest we would ; For much of new, and unaccountable, Thou bring'st : something indeed we heard before, In passing conversation slightly touched. Of such a place ; yet, rather to be taught, Than teaching, answer what thy marvel asks, We need; for we ourselves, though here, are but Of yesterday — creation's younger sons. But there is one, an ancient bard of Earth, Who, by the stream of life, sitting in bliss, Has oft beheld the eternal years complete The mighty circle round the throne of God ; Great in all learning, in all wisdom great. And great in song*; whose harp in loflty strain Tells frequently of what thy wonder craves. While round him, gathering, stand the youth of heaven With truth and melody delighted both ; To him this path directs, an easy path. And easy flight will bring us to his seat.

So saying, they linked hand in hand, spread out

C Their golden wings, by living breezes fanned, And iver heaven's broad champaign sailed serene.

'O'er hill and valley, clothed with verdure green 'That never fades ; and tree, and herb, and flower That never fades ; and many a river, rich With nectar, winding- pleasantly,, they passed ; And mansion of celestial mould, and work Divine. And oft delicious music, sung By saint and angel bands that walked the vales, Or mountain tops, and harped upon their harps, Their ear inclined, and held by sweet constraint Their wing ; not long, for strong desire awaked Of knowledge that to holy use might turn, Still pressed them on to leave what rather seemed Pleasure, due only when all duty's done.

And now beneath them lay the wished for spot, The sacred bower of that renowned bard ; That ancient bard, ancient in days and song ; But in immortal vigour young, and young In rosy health — to pensive solitude Retiring oft, as was his wont on earth. 5 Fit was the place, most fit, for holy musing. Upon a little mount, that gently rose. He sat, clothed in white robes ; and o'er his head A laurel tree, of lustiest, eldest growth. Stately and tall, and shadowing far and wide — Not fruitless, as on earth, but bloomed, and rich With frequent clusters, ripe to heavenly taste — Spread its eternal boughs, and in its arms A myrtle of unfading leaf embraced ; r The rose and lily, fresh with fragrant dew, ■i And every flower of fairest cheek, around Him, smiling, flocked ; beneath his feet, fast by. And round his sacred hill, a streamlet walked. Warbling the holy melodies of heaven-; The hallowed zephyrs brought him Incense sweet And out before him opened, in prospect long, The river of life, in many a winding mazo

BOOK I. 17

Descending from the lofty throne of God, That with excessive glory closed the scene.

Of Adam's race he was, and lonely sat, By chance that day, in meditation deep. Reflecting much of Time, and Earth, and Man : And now to pensive, now to cheerful notes, He touched a harp of wondrous melody ; A golden harp it was, a precious gift. Which, at the day of judgment, with the crown Of life, he had received from God's own hand. Reward due to his service done on earth.

He sees their coming; and with greeting kind, And welcome, not of hollow forged smiles. And ceremonious compliment of phrase, But of the heart sincere, into his bower Invites. Like greeting they returned ; not bent In low obeisancy, from creature-most Unfit to creature ; but with manly form Upright, they entered in ; though high his rank, His wisdom high, and mighty his renown. And thus, deferring all apology. The two their new companion introduced. Ancient in knowledge ! — bard of Adam's race 1 We bring thee one of us, inquiring what We need to learn, and with him wish to learn. His asking will direct thy answer best.

Most ancient bard ! began the new arrived, Few words will set my wonder forth, and guide Thy wisdom's light to what in me is dark.

Equipped for heaven, I left my native place; But first beyond the realms of light I bent My course ; and there, in utter darkness, far Remote, I beings saw forlorn in wo. Burning continually, yet unconsumed. And there were groans that ended not, and sighs That always sighed, and tears that ever wept, b'2

And ever fell, but not in Mercy's sight ; And still I heard these wretched beings curse Almighty God, and curse the Lamb, and curse The Earth, the Resurrection morn, and seek, And ever vamly seek, for utter death : And from above the thunders answered still, " Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not." And every where throughout that horrid den, ;' , I saw a form of excellence ; a form ' Of beauty without spot, that nought could see And not admire — admire, and not adore. And from its own essential beams it gave Light to itself, that made the gloom more dark And every eye in that infernal pit Beheld it still; and from its face — how fair I O how exceeding fair ! — for ever sought. But ever vainly sought, "to turn away. That image, as I guess, was Virtue ; for Nought else hath God given countenance so fair. But why in such a place it should abide ? What place it is ? What beings there lament ? Whence came they ? and for wliat their endless groan ' Why curse they God ? why seek they utter death i And chief, what means the Resurrection morn ? My youth expects thy reverend age to tell.

Thou rightly deem'st, fair youth, began the bard ; The form thou saw'st was Virtue, ever fair. Virtue, like God, whose excellent majesty, Whose glory virtue is, is omnipresent. jNo being, once created rational. Accountable, endowed with moral sense. With sapience of right and wrong endowed, \nd charged, however fallen, debased, destroyed ; However lost, forlorn, and miserable ; In guilt's dark shrouding wrapt, however thick; However drunk, delirious, and mad,

BOOK I. 19

With sin's full cup ; and with whatever damned, Unnatural diligence it work and toil, Can banish virtue from its sight, or once Forget that she is fair. Hides it in night. In central night ; takes it the lightning's wing, And flies for ever on, beyond the bounds Of all; drinks it the maddest cup of sin ; Dives it beneath the ocean of despair ; It dives, it drinks, it flies, it hides in vain : For still the eternal beauty, image fair. Once stampt upon the soul, before the eye All lovely stands, nor will depart ; so God Ordains : and lovely to the worst she seems, And ever seems ; and as they look, and still Must ever look upon her loveliness. Remembrance dire of what they were, of what They might have been, and bitter sense of what They are, polluted, ruined, hopeless, lost. With most repentmg torment rend their hearts. So God ordains — their punishment severe. Eternally inflicted by themselves. 'Tis this — this Virtue hovering evermore Before the vision of the damned, and in Upon their monstrous moral nakedness Casting unwelcome light, that makes their wo. That makes the essence of the endless flame : j'Where this is, there is Hell — darker than aught V That he, the bard three-visioned, darkest saw.

The place thovx saw'st was Hell ; the groans thou heard'st The wailings of the damned — of those who would Not be redeemed — and at the judgment day. Long past, for unrepented sins were damned. The seven loud thunders which thou heard'st, declare The eternal wrath of the Almighty God. But whence, or why they came to dwell in wo,

Why they curse God, what means the glorious morn Of Resurrection, — these a longer tale Demand, and lead the mournful lyre far back Through memory of sin, and mortal man. Yet haply not rewardless we shall trace The dark disastrous years of finished Time. Sorrows remembered sweeten present joy. Nor yet shall all be sad ; for God gave peace, Much peace, on earth, to all who feared his name.

But first it needs to say, that other style, And other language than thy ear is wont, Thou must expect to hear — the dialect Of man : for each in heaven a relish holds Of Ibrmer speech, that points to whence he came. But whether I of person speak, or place. Event or action, moral or divine ; Or things unknown compare to things unknown ; Allude, imply, suggest, apostrophize ; Or touch, when wandering through the past, on moods Of mind thou never felt'st, the meaning still. With easy apprehension, thou shalt take ; So perfect here is knowledge, and the strings Of sympathy so tuned, that every word That each to other speaks, though never heard Before, at once is fully understood, And every feeling uttered, fully felt.

So shalt thou find, as from my various song. That backward rolls o'er many a tide of years. Directly or inferred, thy asking, thou. And wondering doubt, shalt learn to answer, while I sketch in brief the history of Man.

THE

COURSE OF TIME.

Book II

This said, he waked the golden harp, and thus While on him inspiration breathed, began. As from yon everlasting hills, that gird Heaven northward, I thy course espied, I judge Thou from the arctic regions came ? Perhaps Thou noticed on thy way a little orb, Attended by one moon — her lamp by night ; With her fair sisterhood of planets seven. Revolving round their central sun — she third In place, in magnitude the fourth — that orb, New made, new named, inhabited anew, (Though whiles we sons of Adam visit still, Our native place ; not changed so far but we Can trace our ancient walks — the scenery COf childhood, youth, and prime, and hoary age — But scenery most of suifering and wo,) That little orb, in days remote of old. When angels yet were young, was made for man. And titled Earth — her primal virgin name : Created first so lovely, so adorned With hill, and dale, and lawn, and winding vale: Woodland, and stream, and lake, and rolling seas; Green mead, and fruitful tree, and fertile grain. And herb and flower : so lovely, so adorned With numerous beasts of every kind, with fowl Of every wing and every tuneful note ; 21

And with all fish that in the multitude

Of waters swam : so lovely, so adorned,

So fit a dwelling place for man, that, as

She rose, complete, at tlie creating word,

The mornmg stars — the Sons of God, aloud

Shouted for joy ; and God beholding, saw

The fair design, that from eternity

His mind conceived, accomplished ; and, well pleased,

His six days finislied work most good pronounced.

And man declared the sovereign prince of all.

All else was prone, irrational, and mute, And imaccountable, by instinct led : But man He made of angel form erect. To hold communion with the heavens above, And on his soul impressed His image fair. His own similitude of holiness. Of virtue, truth, and love ; with reason high To balance right and wrong, and conscience quick To choose or to reject ; with knowledge great, Prudence and wisdom, vigilance and strength, To guard all force or guile ; and last of all, The highest gift of God's abundant grace. With perfect, free, unbiassed will. — l^hus man Was made upright, immortal made, and crowned The king of all; to eat, to drink, to do Freely and sovereignly his will entire — By one command alone restrained, to prove, As was most just, his filial love sincere, His loyalty, obedience due, and faith. And thus the proliibition ran, expressed, As God is wont, in terms of plainest truth.

Of every tree that in the garden grows Thou mayest freely eat ; but of the tree That knowledge hath of good and ill, eat not, Nor touch ; for in the day thou eatest, thou Shalt die. Go, and this one command obey ;

BOOK II. 23

A.dam, live and be happy, and, with thy Eve, Fit consort, multiply and fill the earth.

Thus they, the representatives of men. Were placed in Eden — choicest spot on earth; With royal Iionour, and with glory crowned, Adam, the Lord of all, majestic walked, Witli godlike countenance sublime, and form Of lofty towering strength ; and by his side Eve, fair as morning star, with modesty Arrayed, with virtue, grace, and perfect love : In holy marriage wed, and eloquent Of thought and comely words, to worship God And sing his praise — the giver of all good. Glad, in each other glad, and glad in hope ; Rejoicing in their future happy race.

O lovely, happy, blest, immortal pair ! Pleased with the present, full of glorious hope. But short, alas, the song that sings their bliss . Henceforth the history of man grows dark : Shade after shade of deepening gloom descends* And Innocence laments her robes defiled. Who farther sings, must change t^e pleasant lyro To heavy notes of wo. Why ? — dost thou ask, Surprised ? The answer will surprise thee more. Man sinned : tempted, he ate the guarded tree , Tempted of whom thou afterwards shalt hear : Audacious, unbelieving, proud, ungrateful, He ate the interdicted fruit, and fell ; And in his fall, his universal race ; For they in him by delegation were. In him to stand or fall — to live or die. Man most ingrate ! so full of grace ! to sin — Here in terposed the new arrived — so full Of bliss — to sin against the Gracious One ! The holy, jtst, and good ! the Eternal Love ! Unseen, unheard, unthought of wickedness !

a4 THE COURSE OF TIME.

Why slumbered vengeance ? No, it slumbered nov. The ever just and rig-hteous God would let His fury loose, and satisfy his threat.

That had been just, replied the reverend bard : But done, fair youth, thou ne'er hadst met me here : I ne'er had seen yon glorious throne in peace. Thy powers arc great, originally great, And purified even at the fount of light. Exert them now ; call all their vigour out ; Take room, think vastly ; meditate intensely , Reason profoundly ; send conjecture forth ; Let fancy fly ; stoop down ; ascend ; all length. All breadth explore ; all moral, all divine ; Ask prudence, justice, mercy ask, and might ; Weigh good with evil, balance right with wrong, With virtue vice compare — hatred with love ; God's holiness, God's justice, and God's truth. Deliberately and cautiously compare With sinful, wicked, vile, rebellious man, And see if thou can'st punish sin, and let Mankind go free. Thou fail'st — be not surpris'd- I bade thee search in vain. Eternal love — Harp, lift thy voice on high — eternal love, Eternal, sovereign love, and sovereign grace, Wisdom, and power, and mercy infinite. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God, Devised the wondrous plan — devised, achieved; And in achieving made the marvel more. Attend, ye heavens ! ye heaven of heavens, attend! Attend, and wonder ! wonder evermore ! When man had fallen, rebelled, insulted God ; Was most polluted, yet most madly proud ; Indebted infinitely, yet most poor ; Captive to sin, yet willing to be bound ; To God's incensed justice, and hot wrath Exposed ; due victim of eternal death

BOOK II. 25

And utter wo— Harp, lift thy voice on high ! Ye everlasting hills ! — ye angels, bow ! Bow, ye redeemed of men ! God was made flesh, And dwelt witli man on earth ! the Son of God, Only begotten, and well beloved, between Men and his Father's justice interposed; Put human nature on ; His wrath sustained ; And in their name suffered, obeyed, and died, Making his soul an offering for sin ; Just for unjust, and innocence for guilt. By doing, suffering, dying unconstrained, Save by omnipotence of boundless grace. Complete atonement made to God appeased; Made honourable his insulted law. Turning the wrath aside from pardoned man. ^Thus Truth with Mercy met, and Righteousness, Stooping from highest heaven, embraced fair Peace That walked the earth in fellowship with Love. /