Yet if his majesty, our Sovereign lord, Should of his owne accord Friendly himselfe invite, And say I'll be your guest tomorrowe night, How should we stir ourselves, call and command All hands to worke! "Let no man idle stand. Set me fine Spanish tables in the hall, See they be fitted all; Let there be roome to eate, And order taken that there want no meate. See every sconce and candlestick made bright, That without tapers they may give a light. Looke to the presence: are the carpets spred, The dazie o'er the head, The cushions in the chayres, And all the candles lighted on the stairs? Perfume the chambers, and in any case Let each man give attendance in his place.' Thus if a king were coming would we do; And 'twere good reason too; For 'tis a duteous thing To show all honor to an earthly king; And after all our travayle and our cost, So he be pleas'd, to think no labour lost. But at the coming of the King of Heaven All's set at six and seven: We wallow in our sin; Christ cannot finde a chamber in the inn. We entertaine him alwayes like a stranger, And, as at first, still lodge him in the manger. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...IN A RESTAURANT by SARA TEASDALE APRIL, 1885 by ROBERT SEYMOUR BRIDGES THE SONG OF THE SHIRT by THOMAS HOOD THE EAGLE THAT IS FORGOTTEN by NICHOLAS VACHEL LINDSAY PREPARATORY MEDITATIONS, 1ST SERIES: 32 by EDWARD TAYLOR IN MEMORIAM: W.G. WARD by ALFRED TENNYSON THE LEPRECAUN, OR THE FAIRY SHOEMAKER by WILLIAM ALLINGHAM THE SMUGGLER'S LEAP; A LEGEND OF THANET by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM |