| HAPPY those early dayes! when I | |
| Shin'd in my Angell-infancy. | |
| Before I understood this place | |
| Appointed for my second race, | |
| Or taught my soul to fancy ought | 5 |
| But a white, Celestiall thought, | |
| When yet I had not walkt above | |
| A mile, or two, from my first love, | |
| And looking back (at that short space,) | |
| Could see a glimpse of his bright-face; | 10 |
| When on some gilded Cloud, or flowre | |
| My gazing soul would dwell an houre, | |
| And in those weaker glories spy | |
| Some shadows of eternity; | |
| Before I taught my tongue to wound | 15 |
| My Conscience with a sinfull sound, | |
| Or had the black art to dispence | |
| A sev'rall sinne to ev'ry sence, | |
| But felt through all this fleshly dresse | |
| Bright shootes of everlastingnesse. | 20 |
| O how I long to travell back | |
| And tread again that ancient track! | |
| That I might once more reach that plaine, | |
| Where first I left my glorious traine, | |
| From whence th' Inlightned spirit sees | 25 |
| That shady City of Palme trees; | |
| But (ah!) my soul with too much stay | |
| Is drunk, and staggers in the way. | |
| Some men a forward motion love, | |
| But I by backward steps would move, | 30 |
| And when this dust falls to the urn | |
| In that state I came return. | |
| |
