Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE GUEST, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE GUEST, by                    
First Line: "yet if his majesty, our sovereign lord"
Last Line: "we entertain him always like a stranger, / and, as at first, still lodge him in the manger"
Variant Title(s): Preparations
Subject(s): Jesus Christ


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.





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