Tolle oculos, tolle, ô tecum tua sydera nostros. Ah quid enim, quid agant hic sine sole suo? Id quod agant sine sole suo tua sydera, coelum: Id terrae haec agerent hic sine sole suo. Illa suo sine sole suis caeca imbribus essent: Caeca suis lacrymis haec sine sole suo.
O take, take with Thee, Lord, Thy stars, our eyes; What would they do left here without their sun? E'en what your sunless stars would do, ye skies, Would here by sunless stars of earth be done. Without their sun, those dark with showers we see; These without sun, dark with their tears would be. R. WI.
_Nam ego non solum vinciri, &c._ Act. xxi. 13.
Quid mortem objicitis nostro, quid vinc'la timori? Non timor est illinc, non timor inde meus. Vincula, quae timeam, sunt vincula sola timoris: Sola timenda mihi est mors, timuisse mori.
Why talk of death or bonds to me, As if these things a fear could be? My fear springeth not from thence; Nor in these is influence Me to trouble or alarm, Me to fret, or me to harm. The only bonds that fearful are Are the bonds themselves of fear; The only death looks dreadfully, Is lest I should fear to die. G.
_Legatio Baptistae ad Christum._ Matt. xi.
Oro, quis es? legat ista suo Baptista Magistro. Illi quae referant, talia Christus habet. Cui caecus cernit, mutus se in verba resolvit, It claudus, vivit mortuus: oro, quis est?
I ask, Who art Thou? is the Baptist's word. Straight from his Master this reply is heard: He by whose mighty power dumb speak, blind see, Lame walk, dead live: Who is This? I ask thee. R. WI.
Accipe dona, puer, parvae libamina laudis; Accipe, non meritis accipienda suis: Accipe dona, puer dulcis; dumque accipis illa, Digna quoque efficies, quae, puer, accipies. Sive oculo, sive illa tua dignabere dextra; Dextram oculumque dabis posse decere tuum. Non modo es in dantes, sed et ipsa in dona benignus; Nec tantum donans das, sed et accipiens.
Take, Lord, these gifts, small offerings of our hand, Though their own worth acceptance none command. Take, and while taking them, Thou Saviour sweet. E'en what Thou takest, Thou wilt render meet. Whether Thou deem them worthy eye or touch, Thou wilt be able, Lord, to make them such: Kind e'en to gifts themselves, as to those giving, Thou givest both when giving and receiving. R. WI.