Court Odes: Light of the world, and ruler of the year


 Selected item (#2017) = Light of the world, and ruler of the year
 Attributes of this item 
incipit (first line(s), normalized): Light of the world, and ruler of the year
version (if more than one exists):
the item's genre (general): ode
the item's genre (specific): New Year
the institution/place or purpose 
for which the work was first destined:
English court
the work's year (or focal date, if known): 1694
author of the text: Matthew Prior
composer of the music: ? Henry Purcell?
Number of texts stored: 1  
  • Selected text (below): #114 / Source: GB-Lbl, Ashley 4957
    special title: ‘For the New Year to the Sun.’
 Selected text (#114) / Source: GB-Lbl, Ashley 4957  
 Attributes of the selected text 
source for this text
(short title, or library & shelfmark):
GB-Lbl, Ashley 4957
location in the source?
(i.e. which vol., pp. or fols):
type of source:
the source online (if available):
modern edition of this text:
special title (if any): For the New Year to the Sun.
version (if more than one exists):
about this transcription: This ode differs considerably from the version in Prior’s collected Poems, 1709. But the text is the same as that in the fourth volume of Dryden’s ‘Miscellanies’.
Transcription:          
   File options:

[Written by hand:] For the New Year: To the Sun / 1694. / Prior.

[Printed:] For the / New Year / to the / Sun. / Intended / to be Sung before their Majesties on New-/ Years Day. 1693/4. / Written by Mr. Prior at the Hague.

Light of the World, and Ruler of the Year,
With happy Speed begin Thy great Career;
And as the radiant Journey’s run,
Where e’re thy Beams are spread, where e’re they Power is known,
Through all the distant Nations own,
That in fair Albion thou hast seen
The greatest Prince, the brightest Queen,
That ever Sav’d a People, ever Grac’d a Throne,

So may Thy God-head be confest,
So the returning Year be Blest,
As its Infant Months bestow
Springing Wreaths for William’s Brow;
As his Summers’s Youth shall shed
Eternal Sweets round Mary’s Head:
From the Blessings They shall know,
Our Times are Dated, and our Aera’s move,
They Govern, and Enlighten all Below,
As Thou dost all Above.

Let our Hero in the War
Active and Fierce like Thee, appear;
Like Thee, Great Son of Jove, like Thee,
When clad in rising Majesty,
Thou marchest down o’er Delos Hills confest,
With all thy Arrows Arm’d, with all Thy Glory drest.
Like Thee, the Heroe, does his Arms imploy,
The raging Python to destroy.
Cho. And give the injur’d Nations Peace and Joy

From Antient Times historic Scores
Gather all the smiling Hours,
All that with Friendly Care have guarded
Patriots and Kings in Rightful Wars,
All that with Conquest have rewarded
His Great Fore-fathers Pious Cares,
All that Story have Recorded
Sacred to Nassau’s long Renown,
For Countries Sack’d, and Battels Won.

Cho. March Them again in fair Array,
And bid Them form the happy Day,
The happy day design’d to wait

On William’s Fame, and Europe’s Fate.
Let the happy Day be Crown’d
With great Event, and fair Success,
No brighter in the Year be found,
But That which brings the Victor home in Peace.

Again Thy God-head We implore,
(Great in Wisdom as in Power)
Again for Mary’s sake and ours,
Chuse out other smiling Hours,
Such as with lucky Wings have fled
When Happy Counsels were advising,
Such as have glad Omens shed
O’er forming Laws, and Empires rising;
Such as many Lustres ran,
Hand in Hand, a goodly Train,
To bless the great Eliza’s Reign,
And in the Typic Glory show
The fuller Bliss which Mary should bestow.

As the Graver Hours advance,
Mingled send into the Dance,
Many fraught with all the Treasures,
Which the Eastern Travel views,
Many wing’d with all the Pleasures
Man can ask, or Heav’n diffuse.
To ease the Cares which for Her Subjects sake
The Pious Queen does with glad Patience take.

Cho. To let Her all the Blessings know
Which from those Cares upon Her Subjects flow.

For Thy own Glory sing our Sov’raign’s Praise,
(God of Verses and of Days)
Let all Thy tuneful Sons adorn
Their lasting Work with William’s Name,
Let chosen Muses yet unborn
Take Mary’s Goodness for their Theam:
Eternal Structures let Them raise,
On William’s and Mary’s Praise,
Nor want new Subjects for the Song,
Nor fear They can exhaust the Store;
’Till Nature’s Musick lies unstrung;
’Till Thou, shalt shine no more.

FINIS


Enquire about this database   |   Account login