Hail, Bard triumphant! and some care bestow On us, the Poets militant below: Oppos'd by our old enemy, adverse Chance, Attack'd by Envy and by Ignorance; Enchain'd by Beauty, tortur'd by desires, Expos'd by tyrant-love, to savage beasts and fires. Thou from low Earth in nobler flames didst rise, And like Elijah, mount alive the skies. Elisha-like (but with a wish much less, More fit thy greatness and my littleness;) Lo here I beg (I whom thou once didst prove So humble to esteem, so good to love) Not that thy sp'rit might on me doubled be, I ask but half thy mighty sp'rit for me: And when my Muse soars with so strong a wing, 'Twill learn of things divine, and first of thee to sing.[10] ALEXANDER B. GROSART. THE WORKS OF RICHARD CRASHAW. VOL. I. ENGLISH POETRY. NOTE. The title-pages, with collation, of the original and early editions of 'Steps to the Temple' and 'The Delights of the Muses' (1646 to 1670) are here given successively: _1st edition_, 1646. (1) STEPS TO THE TEMPLE. Sacred Poems, With other Delights of the MUSES. By RICHARD CRASHAW, _sometimes of_ PEMBROKE _Hall, and late Fellow of_ S. Peters _Coll._ in Cambridge. _Printed and Published according to Order._ LONDON, Printed by T.W. for _Humphrey Moseley_, and are to be sold at his shop at the Princes Armes in St _Pauls_ Church-yard. 1646. (2) THE DELIGHTS OF THE MUSES. OR, Other Poems written on severall occasions. By RICHARD CRASHAW, _sometimes of_ Pembroke _Hall, and late Fellow of_ St. Peters _Colledge in_ Cambridge. Mart. Dic mihi quid melius desidiosus agas. London, Printed by T.W. for _H. Moseley_, at the Princes Armes in S. _Pauls_ Churchyard, 1646. [12o] Collation: Title-page; the Preface to the Reader, pp. 6; the Author's Motto and short Note to Reader, pp. 2 [all unpaged]; 'Steps to the Temple,' pp. 99; title-page of 'Delights,' as _supra_, and pp. 103-138; the Table, pp. 4. _2d edition, 1648._ STEPS TO THE TEMPLE, Sacred Poems. With The Delights of the Muses. By RICHARD CRASHAW, _sometimes of_ Pembroke Hall, _and late fellow of_ S. Peters _Coll._ in Cambridge. _The second Edition wherein are added divers pieces not before extant._ LONDON, Printed for _Humphrey Moseley_, and are to be sold at his Shop at the Princes Armes in St. _Pauls_ Church-yard. 1648. [12o] The title-page to the 'Delights of the Muses' is exactly the same with that of 1646, except the date '1648.' Collation: Engraved title-page; title-page (printed); the Preface to the Reader and the Author's Motto, pp. 6; 'Steps,' pp. 110; the Table, pp. 4; the 'Delights;' title-page; the Table, pp. 3; Poems, pp. 71. _3d edition, 1652._ CARMEN DEO NOSTRO, TE DECET HYMNVS SACRED POEMS,