The New-Year's Gift: Or, Circumcision's Song. Sung To The King In The Presence At Whitehall.

1. Prepare for songs; He's come, He's come;             And be it sin here to be dumb,             And not with lutes to fill the room.      2. Cast holy water all about,             And have a care no fire goes out,             But 'cense the porch and place throughout.      3. The altars all on fire be;             The storax fries; and ye may see             How heart and hand do all agree     To make things sweet. Chor. Yet all less sweet than He.      4. Bring Him along, most pious priest,             And tell us then, whenas thou seest             His gently-gliding, dove-like eyes,             And hear'st His whimpering and His cries;             How can'st thou this Babe circumcise?      5. Ye must not be more pitiful than wise;             For, now unless ye see Him bleed,             Which makes the bapti'm, 'tis decreed     The birth is fruitless. Chor. Then the work God speed.      1. Touch gently, gently touch; and here             Spring tulips up through all the year;             And from His sacred blood, here shed,     May roses grow to crown His own dear head.     Chor. Back, back again; each thing is done             With zeal alike, as 'twas begun;             Now singing, homeward let us carry             The Babe unto His mother Mary;             And when we have the Child commended     To her warm bosom, then our rites are ended.                 Composed by M. Henry Lawes.