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POEMS on Several OCCASIONS.

I.

ANNO ÆTATIS 17.

On the death of a fair Infant, dying of a cough.

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I.

Faireft flow'r no fooner blown but blafted, Soft filken primrose fading timelefly, Summer's chief honor, if thou hadft out-lafted Bleak Winter's force that made thy bloffom dry; For he being amorous on that lovely dye

That did thy cheek envermeil, thought to kiss, But kill'd, alas, and then bewail'd his fatal blifs.

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For

This was not inferted in consequently a daughter of his
elegy
of the author's fifter Philips, and probably her first
child.

the first

poems printed in 1645, but was added in the fecond edition printed in 1673. It was compos'd in the year 1625, that being the 17th year of Milton's age. In fome editions the title runs thus, On the death of a fair Infant, a nephew of bis, dying of a cough: but the fequel fhows plainly that the child was not a nephew, but a niece, and

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By boiftrous
rape th' Athenian damfel got,
He thought it touch'd his deity full near,
If likewise he fome fair one wedded not,

Thereby to wipe away th' infamous blot,

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Of long-uncoupled bed, and childless eld;, [held. Which 'mongst the wanton Gods a foul reproach was

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Through middle empire of the freezing air 114170 He wander'd long, till thee he fpy'd from far; O There ended was his queft, there ceas'd his care, Down he defcended from his fnow-foft chair, biuro

But all unwares with his cold-kind embrace 910 20 Unhous'd thy virgin foul from her fair biding places

8. For fince grim Aquilo &c] Boreas or Aquilo carried off by force Orithyia daughter of Erectheus king of Athens. Ovid. Met. VI. Fab. 9: Milton hath invented this fine fable of Winter's rape upon his fifter's daughter, on the fame grounds as that of Boreas on the daughter of Erectheus, whom he ravifh'd as the crofs'd over the river Ilyffus (as Apollodorus fays

Yet

lib. 3.) that is, fhe was drown'd in a high wind croffing that river.

Richardjon.

12. th' infamous blot
Of long-uncoupled bed, and child-

lefs eld, &c] The author probably pronounced infamous with the middle fyllable long as it is in Latin. Eld is old age, a word ufed in innumerable places of Spenfer and our old writers. And in fay

IV.

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Yet art thou not inglorious in thy fated til
For fo Apollo, with unweeting hand, alebo Pioď VI
Whilome did flay his dearly-loved mate,
Young Hyacinth born on Eurotas' ftrand,
Young Hyacinth the pride of Spartan land;
But then transform'd him to a purple flower:
Alack that fo to change thee Winter had no power.

V.

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21 Yet can Ì not perfuade me thou art dead,

Or that thy corfe corrupts in earth's dark womb, 30 Or that thy beauties lie in wormy bed,

Hid from the world in a low delved tombs of Could Heav'n for pity thee fo ftrictly doom? awa ca Oh no! for fomething in thy face did thine Above mortality, that show'd thou waft divineody

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VI.

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Refolve me then, oh Soul most surely blest,
(If fo it be that thou these plaints dost hear)
Tell me bright Spirit where'er thou hoverest,v
Whether above that high firft-moving sphere,
Or in th' Elyfian fields (if fuch there were)
Oh fay me true, if thou wert mortal wight,
And why from us fo quickly thou didst take thy flight.

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Wert thou fome ftar which from the ruin'd roofi
Of fhak'd Olympus by mifchance didft fall;
Which careful Jove in nature's true behoof How 145
Took up, and in fit place did reinftall?ved odW
Or did of late earth's fons befiege the wall des o
LA

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Of

cealed themselves in various shapes. See Ovid. Met. V. 319. &c. dre I 49. nectar'd bead? ]] As in Lycidas ver. 175.

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50. that juft Maid] Aftrea or the Goddess of juftice, who offended with the crimes of men forfook the earth. Ovid. Met. I. 150.

Ultima cœleftûm terras Aftrea reliquit.

53. that feet fmiling Youth P] At first I imagin'd that the author

meant

Of theeny Heav'n, and thou fome Goddess fled Amongst us here below to hide thy nectar'd head?

VIII.

Or wert thou that juft Maid who once before
Forfook the hated earth, O tell me footh,

And cam'ft again to vifit us once more?

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Or wert thou that fweet fmiling Youth?

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Or that crown'd matron fage white-robed Truth? -54 Or any other of that heav'nly brood

[good? Let down in cloudy throne to do the world fome

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Or wert thou of the golden-winged hoft,
Who having clad thy felf in human weed,
To earth from thy prefixed feat didft poft,

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03 200T

10 And

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