23.

THE BURNING BABE

SI in hoary winter's night stood shivering in the snow,

Surprised I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow;

And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near, A pretty Babe all burning bright did in the air appear. Who scorched with exceeding heat such floods of tears did shed,

As though His floods should quench His flames with what His tears were fed;

Alas, quoth He, but newly born in fiery heats I fry, Yet none approach to warm their hearts or feel my fire but I.

My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel wounding

thorns,

Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke, the ashes shame

and scorns;

The fuel Justice layeth on, and Mercy blows the coals; The metal in this furnace wrought are men's defilèd

souls;

For which, as now on fire I am, to work them to their good,

So will I melt into a bath, to wash them in my blood: With this He vanished out of sight, and swiftly shrunk

away,

And straight I called unto mind that it was Christmas

day.

ROBERT SOUTHWELL

24

NEW PRINCE, NEW POMP

EHOLD a silly tender Babe,
In freezing winter night,
In homely manger trembling lies,
Alas! a piteous sight.

The inns are full, no man will yield

This little Pilgrim bed;

But forced He is with silly beasts
In crib to shroud His head.

Despise Him not for lying there,
First what He is inquire;
An orient pearl is often found
In depth of dirty mire.

Weigh not His crib, His wooden dish,

Nor beast that by Him feed;
Weigh not His mother's poor attire,
Nor Joseph's simple weed.

This stable is a prince's court,
This crib His chair of state;
The beasts are parcel of His pomp,
The wooden dish His plate.

The persons in that poor attire
His royal liveries wear;

The Prince Himself is come from heaven,
This pomp is prizèd there.

New Prince, New Pomp

With joy approach, O Christian wight!
Do homage to thy King;

And highly praise this humble pomp

Which He from heaven doth bring.

ROBERT SOUTHWELL

25. NEW HEAVEN, NEW WAR

Семе

NOME to your heaven, you heavenly quires!
Earth hath the heaven of your desires:

Remove your dwelling to your God,

A stall is now His best abode;

Sith men their homage do deny,
Come, angels, all their faults supply.

His chilling cold doth heat require,
Come, Seraphim, in lieu of fire;
This little ark no cover hath,

Let Cherubs' wings His body swathe;
Come, Raphael, this Babe must eat,
Provide our little Tobie meat.

Let Gabriel be now His groom,
That first took up His earthly room;
Let Michael stand in His defence,
Whom love hath linked to feeble sense;
Let Graces rock when He doth cry,
And Angels sing His lullaby.

New Heaven, New War

The same you saw in heavenly seat
Is He that now sucks Mary's teat;

Agnize1 your King a mortal wight,

2

His borrowed weeds lets not your sight;
Come, kiss the manger where He lies;
That is your bliss above the skies.

This little Babe so few days old
Is come to rifle Satan's fold,

All hell doth at His presence quake,
Though He Himself for cold do shake;
For in this weak unarmèd wise
The gates of hell He will surprise.

With tears He fights and wins the field,
His naked breast stands for a shield;
His battering shot are babish cries;
His arrows, looks of weeping eyes;
His martial ensigns, cold and need;
And feeble flesh His warrior's steed.

His camp is pitchèd in a stall,
His bulwark but a broken wall,

His crib His trench, hay-stalks His stakes,
Of shepherds He His muster takes;
And thus, as sure His foe to wound,
The angels' trumps alarum sound.

My soul, with Christ join thou in fight;
Stick to the tents that He hath pight;

New Heaven, New War

Within His crib is surest ward,
This little Babe will be thy guard;
If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy,
Then flit not from this heavenly Boy.

ROBERT SOUTHWELL

26.

L

A CHILD MY CHOICE

ET folly praise that fancy loves,

I praise and love that Child,

Whose heart no thought, whose tongue no word,
Whose head no deed defiled.

I praise Him most, I love Him best,
All praise and love is His;
While Him I love, in Him I live,

And cannot live amiss.

Love's sweetest mark, laud's highest theme,
Man's most desirèd light,

To love Him life, to leave Him death,

To live in Him delight.

He mine by gift, I His by debt,

Thus each to other due,

First friend He was, best friend He is,

All times will try Him true.

Though young, yet wise; though small, yet strong;

Though man, yet God He is;

As wise He knows, as strong He can,

As God He loves to bless.