More fair thou art, my lovely prey,

More comely in my sight, Than ever Tirzah once fo

gay, Or Salem once so bright. Thine aspect's awful majesty

Does strike thy foes with fear;
As armies do when banners fly,

And martial flags appear.
How does thine armour glitt'ring bright

Their frighted spirits quell!
The weapons of thy warlike might

Defy the gates of hell.

Turn away

*.

Verse 5.

tbine eyes from me, for they bave overcome me Small wonder that thy foes must bow

When faith does keep the field;
For, lo! I am thy captive too,

And kindly forc'd to yield.
Thy charming eyes of faith and love,

That make myself their prize,
Have overcome me; pray remove

And turn away thine eyes.
They pow'rfully my heart detain,

My kindly passions fill;
Yet no unwilling vict'ry gain,

But win me to thy will.
Thy daring, gallant arms of grace,

Have o'er me such a sway :
I'm conquer'd with their kind embrace,

And cannot say thee nay.
Thy piercing eyes, that ravish me,

Commands me as they list:
My Spirit's aiding force in thee

Is pow'r I can't refift.
Cease wrestling Jacob, let me go,

My love, let me alone :
If not, except I bless thee ; lo !

My blessing thou hast won.
* See more on this subject, Chap. iii. 4. and iv. 9.

-f Tby bair is as a flock of goats that appear from

Gilead. Verse 6.' Tky teerb are as a flock of sheep, which go up from the washing, wbereof every one beareth twins, and there is 110t one barren among tbem. Verse 7. As a piece of a pomegranate are

tby temples within thy locks. Thy flothful carriage toward me

At our last interview,
Though I observ'd with jealousy,

And thereupon withdrew :
Yet never judge thy change of frame,

My heart from thee could move ;
For still (like folid rocks) the same
Is my unshaken love.

niy
Thy praise I founded in thine ears

Ere thou wait fo unkind;
And now indulge no faithless fears,

As if I chang'd my mind.
For, to evince the love I bore

Does still the same remain,
I now commend thee as before,

And in the former strain.
Gay, like a comely flock of goats

On Gilead's stately height,
Is thine adorning hair, that notes

Thy conversation bright.
No broider'd ornamental hair

That trimis up mortal clay,
Can parallel the heav'nly air

Of thy well-order'd way.
Thy teeth the bread of life that eat,

And feed upon my flesh,
Are acts of faith in number great,

In nature fair and fresh.
Thine active zeal, yet mild, does keep

A just equality,
Like ev’nly rounded flocks of sheep

New past the shearer's eye.
+ See these words more largely explained, Chap. iv. 1, 2, 3.

Thy purity exceeds their fleece,

Wash'd in the crystal flood;
Thy fruits of holiness and peace

Outvie their num'rous brood.
There does not in the flock appear

One barren fruitless womb :
But all my twins their offspring bear,

And bring them bleating home.
Like 'granates halv'd thy temples fair

Within thy locks appear,
While ruddy blushes deck thy pray'r

When none but God doth hear.
Thou modest híd' It thy rosy cheeks,

When fins with shame them fluth:
Yet, through the mask, thy mean detects

Thy beauteous holy blush.

Ver. 8, 9. Tbere are threescore queers, and fourscore

concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled, is but one : Me is ibe only one of ber motber; she is the cboice one of her tbat bare ber : the daughters Juw her, and blessed ber ; yea, the

queens and the concubines, and they praised ber.
Thy song gave me the chiefest name

Among ten thousand heirs,
And thee the fairelt I proclaim

Among ten thousand fairs.
Queens, concubines, and virgins are

Unnumber'd, whom they call
Bright dazling beauties, charming fair;

But thou excell'ft them all.
Most holy souls (of high descent)

Are beauties most renown'd:
The righteous is more excellent

Than all his neighbours round.
My spotless dove as one I view ;

Yea, all in one to me;
Her mother.church's darling too,

And choiceft progeny.

The daughters, her professing friends,

Beheld her beauty great;
And straight admir'd her in their minds,

And bleft her in the gate.
Yea, queens and damfels more renown'd

Did all to her give place,
And with extolling praises crown'd

Her comely shining grace.

Verse 10. Who is she thai looketh forth as the morning, fair as tbe moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army witb banners ?

“ Who's this, said they, fo brightly springs

“ Like to the morning-ray, “ That cleaves night-shades with silver wings,

“ To haste the golden day? " Much fairer than the gilded moon

“ Her graces shine in dress; . And clearer than the fun at noon

“ Her spotless righteousness. “ Behold, in love to brats forlorn,

“ What wonders Heav'n performs ! “ That does with stateliness adorn

" Defild and loathfome worms. “ By armour which her Captain lends,

“ Until her warfare close, “ She's render'd helpful to her friends,

" And hurtful to her foes. “ Yea, while she does her rank inaintain,

“ And cast her airs abroad, “ Her grace is awful toward men,

“ And pow'rful toward God.” Verse 11. I went down into the garden of nuis, 10 See

the fruits of the valley, and to see wbether the vine flourised, and ibe pomegranates budded.

With friendly mind I hid my face,

Yet went not far away,
Retiring but a little space

My orchard to survey.
I went but down to see anew

My garden of sweet nuts,
Within the shady grove, and view

The pleasant valley.fruits.
To notice round my labour'd plain,

If all was very good ;
If tender vines produc'd their grain,

And pomegrantes their bud:
If all the water'd flow'ry plains,

Along the verdant field,
Did fruits, proportion'd to my pains,

Ev’n in my absence yield:
Into my heart what chearfulness

And pleasure did it bring,
To see the early buds of grace

And blessings of the spring ?
I ravilh'd saw my beauteous bride

Lament my absence fore;
Nor could myself in thickets hide

From her a moment more.

Verse 12. Or ever I was aware, my soul † made me

like the chariots of Ammi-nadib.
Such had my bride's inviting frame

Ev’n in my absence been,
No longer could I hide the flame

Of my affections keen.
Ravish’d, ere (in effect) I knew,

My bowels did me move;
Into her praying arms I flew

On speedy wings of love.
Sweet rapt'rous passion rose in me,

But most divine in mode,
As far as rapture can agree,

Or passion to a God.
• Or, fet me on the chariots of any princely tvilling people.