Dark with excessive bright.
Farewell happy fields, Where joy forever dwells: Hail, horrors, hail.
It was the winter wild, While the Heaven-born child, All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies.
Hail holy light, offspring of heav'n firstborn!
At His birth a star, unseen before in heaven, proclaims Him come.
Methinks I see in my mind a noble and puissant nation rousing herself like a strong man after sleep, and shaking her invincible locks; methinks I see her as an eagle mewing her mighty youth, and kindling her undazzled eyes at the full midday beam.