illKHIY LIBRARY UNIVERSITY Of CALIFORNIA \ sX^t. / . . Like a pale lily bent, was pouring forth Her most ambrosial sighs into the ear Of her eternal Father, — now at length Has yielded up her eyelids to repose. Morning returns emblazoning with gold Yon eastern pinnacle. The hideous storm. £ A MASQUE OF ANGELS. Rais'd by the vagrant spirits of the night, Which seem'd to shake this temple to its base, Is past — no cloud appears ; And through the spicy air softly diffus'd A halcyon calm is basking, as becomes This day of our young Queen's Nativity, The seventh in its order since she came Immaculate into a world defil'd. A day it is well worthy of observance Now as in after-time ; and our custom Has been to celebrate it hitherto With song and festal show, in entertainment Of this dear Maid. Now, therefore, Azael, Most bright deviser of our pageantries, Say, what new mystery hast thou prepar'd For this auspicious mom, which thrills the world With life, and joy, and glad expectancy? Last year thine art was most felicitous, Bringing before our eyes, as I remember, The happy pastoral times ; and setting forth, With infinite delight to this fair soul, As in a drama, Abraham's sacrifice Of Isaac on the holy Mount of Vision, Timely averted by an angel's hand. AZAEL. Dread Lord, our mystery of to-day attempts (After the manner of the sacred masques A MASQUE OF ANGELS. Play'd by the youth of modern Israel) To represent, by aid of a Procession, The glories of this heaven-created Child ; Personifying the early Patriarchs, As we remember each, in face and garb, While journeying on his earthly pilgrimage, Now in the groves of Paradise at rest. These, as they pass, in turn will homage pay To this new blossom of their ancient tree ; Felicitating in triumphant strains The birthday morn of Her, in whom alone The hope of poor mortality is hid. All was prepar'd, and we were busy choosing Last night our parts, when of a sudden leapt The tempest down, and summon'd us away To the defence of this all-sacred head, From the satauic crew that strove so hard To sweep into the bottomless abyss Our Temple and its Treasure. ITHTJRIEL. It was well. First among all our duties was enjoin' d us, By Michael the Archangel, our high Prince, Ever by day and night, with heedful watch To guard this paragon of innocence From her innumerable relentless foes, Headed by false apostate Lucifer. This task ye well perform'd, Angelic Powers : 4 A MASQUE OF ANGELS. I mark'd each several deed of noble daring, While Hell in vain before your serried front Its nether depth upheav'd. Now, therefore, go, Ye who this entertainment have in charge, And what remains complete with diligence ; For I expect some j^rincely visitors With the first slanting sunbeam, in high state, Coming from bright Italia, to salute The Queen of Sion, and perchance to stay As your spectators. We, who here remain, Will sing meanwhile in this fair sleeper's ear Our liirtliday smi;' of gratulation, Blending and parting in alternate strains. [Exeunt Azael and Companions. Angels' Birth i>av Song m Maby. Hail to the Flower of grace divine ! Hail to the Heir of David's line ! Hail to the world's great Heroine ! 1 1 ail to the Virgin pre-elect ! Hail to the Work without defect Of the supernal Architect ! Hail to the Maid ordain'd of old, Deep in eternities untold, Ere the blue waves of ocean roll'd ! Ere the perennial founts had sprung ; Ere in ether the globe was hung ; Ere the morning stars had sung ! A MASQUE OF ANGELS. O Welcome the beatific morn When the Mother of Life was born, Only hope of a world forlorn ! What a thrill of ecstatic mirth Danc'd aloug through Heav'n and Earth, At the tidings of Mary's birth ! How was Hell to its centre stirr'd ! How sang Hades when it heard Of her coming so long deferr'd ! Happy, happy, the Angel band, Chosen by Mary's side to stand As her defence on either hand ! Safe beneath our viewless wings, Mother elect of the King of kings, Fear no harm from hurtful things ! What though Eden vanish' d be, More than Eden we find in thee ! Thou, our joy and jubilee ! Enter Herald, with a banner inscribed Roma and surmounted by a golden eagle. HERALD. Most mighty Prince ! Foremost among the Chivalry of Heaven ! Know that the Angels of Italia, With their high Potentate, the Guardian Of world-subjecting Rome, mov'd by report 6 A MASQUE 01 A "I I- Of Palestine's new wonder, have arriv'd : And crave permission of thee to behold The world's young joy. 1 I III KIEL. They are most welcome here. Enter, in glistering apparel, the Tutelary Angels o/Rome mul other I tnl imi Cities. ii n;i. \;:v am. ii. or some (kneeling to Mary), Hail, thou, of love and fear and holy hope Mother that art to be ! Hail. Woman blest Above all women ! Mightier than all Before or after thee ! Effulgent Mirror Wholly untouch'd by breath of primal sin ! Brightness of light eternal! within whom Nothing defil'd hath place. All beautiful ! Lovelier than Cherubim or Seraphim ! Surpassing all th' Angelic Hierarchies ! Temple and throne of blazing Deity ! Praise, lustre, excellence, of humankind! Through whom celestial dovelike peace returns To the long-ruffled and disorder'd world! Who shalt on earth ineffably conceive The Lord of Heav'n. Hail, living Fount of Life ! From whom the Maker of the Universe, The Father's consubstantial Word and Son, Shall into His eternal Person take Perfect humanity, thenceforth to be A MASQUE OF ANGELS. 7 Inseparably His for evermore ; So with a new regenerated race To fill our vacant thrones ! Virgin august ! As yet amid celestial sovereignties Only by dim anticipation known, But now, in thy predestinated time, Beginning partially to be reveal'd ! [Laying his crown at her feet. Never again since T have Mary seen Shall glitter on this humbled brow of mine Great Rome's imperial diadem ; hers it is, And mine by right no more. Accept it then, Empress elect of universal worlds ! Unworthy to adorn thy sacred head, Hardly deserving at thy feet a place. ITHCRIEL. Most noble Potentate, in the behalf Of this fair Daughter of Jerusalem And Queen of holy Sion, we accept Your loving worship ; and the time shall be When Mary to your Rome a hundredfold This homage shall repay ; if but aright I read the course of ages faintly streak'd In prophecy, or by conjecture weigh'd. And now, in token of our grateful love, I bid you to a Pageant, each and all, Prepar'd amongst us in a simple fashion For the diversion of this royal Child. 8 A :\tASQUE OF ANGELS. Which, presently commencing, will give space For your return ere night her sable wing Expand upon the Adriatic wave. ANGEL OF ROME. We count ourselves most fortunate ; already Fame of your Mysteries hath reached our ear. a/ael {re-enter in g i. All is complete, my Prince: we do but wait For your commands. ITHURIEL. Begin then, Azael ; While in their chalices ai'e spaxkling yet The dewdrops of the morn. a/ael. Please you that we Awake our Lady first? itiiuimel. Nay, as I think. Better she slumber on ; for much she needs, After the rabid uproar of last night, Some genial balm. Nor will your Spectacle Less clearly pass before her inward gaze, Than if those eyelids with their golden fringe Had been unlock'd ; finding an easy entrance, Beneath the semblance of a mystic dream, In that exact proportion best befitting Her present grace and knowledge. Such the power That to angelic ministries belongs. [Exit Azael. The rest arrange themselves for the spectacle THE MASQUE. Enter, personated by Angels, the High-Priest and Priests of the Temple, with censers and silver trumpets, on one side; and Virgins of the Sanctuary, with limps and tabrets, on the other. Before taking their place, they advance towards Our Lady and make solemn obeisance. high-priest. Daughter of Joachim and Anna blest ! Of David's race the loveliest and the best! Scion of Jesse, in whose stem entwine The sacerdotal and the regal line ; In whom, with ever-new delight, we trace New miracles of still increasing grace ; — Accept the homage that we come to pay On the bright morning of thy natal day. O, how can we enough record Our grateful thanks to Israel's Lord ! For sending us, in this the hour Of Juda's fast-departing power, Of Juda's crime, and Juda's shame, This Treasure of immortal fame ! This earnest of the Father's love ! This pure and spotless Turtle-dove ! 10 A M i-SQUl l i LS. This Paradisal prodigy ! This Flower of immortality ! Not without cause, Virgin pre-elect, Do we from thee auspicious days expect ; Remembering how from Anna's barren womb, Child of a vow, thou didst divinely come; How all the gifts of reason, virtue, grace, In thee, from thy Conception, found a place; — How, hither of thine own accord Thou earnest with thy parents dear To be presented to the Lord, And dwell with Him in 3< cret here, "While yet, O mystery divine! Only three shoi-t years were thine ! Nor earnest thou by Angels unattended ; — Myself beheld their guardian wings, O, sacred Heir of Judas kings ! High above thy radiant head A circumambient glory spread, In mystic rays of pearl and azure blended! Now, therefore, from prophetic signs most clear Knowing that soon Messias must appear; And having watch'd from day to day Thy soul its hidden wealth display, As from some unfathom'd mine Full of treasures all divine; — Marking thy life of ceaseless prayer and praise ;- ' Marking thy various superhuman ways ; — A MASQUE OF ANGELS. 11 Marking thy most august humility, That nothing worthy in itself can see; — We judge that thou must be None other but that Virgin, long foretold By woi-d, and type, and mysteries manifold, — That Virgin promised at Creation's morn, As her of whom Messias should be born ; Whose foot should crush the Serpent's head, And down in dust the pride of raging Satan tread ! Hail, then, Israel's joy! Hail, Orient Gate! Through which the everlasting Increate, — The Infinite Almighty King of kings, — Shall enter on the stage of finite things. Hail, Stair of light! That burst on Jacob's sight, Spangling the gloomy vault of ebon night ! What time, an exile flying, He rested, on his stony pillow lying! Stair of crystalline glass : Along whose sacred flights, that tier by tier Scale Heaven's etherial sphere, Angels ascending and descending pass ! — To whose firm base the earth a floor supplies, Whose azure heights are lost beyond the skies ! — Hail, thou, whose faith to Israel shall restore More than the glory that was hers of yore ; From whose most sacred and imperial womb The great High Priest in majesty shall come, 12 A MAS.. IT. OF AM,] I 3. Chosen for ever, as the Psalmist spake After the order of Melchisedech! [Taking a thurible, he solemnly incenses < >nr Lady as she lies asleep; after which Priests and Virgins arraii'ii- themselves in Choir mi either aide of tin Court. SCEXE I. The fountain cea ' stage, a melancholy prospect of rock and desert, veiled in mysterious gloom- Enter Eve, personated by