Englands Parnassus: or the choysest flowers of our moderne poets, with their poeticall comparisons Descriptions of bewties, personages, castles, pallaces, mountaines, groues, seas, springs, riuers, &c. Whereunto are annexed other various discourses, both pleasaunt and profitable.

Angels.

FAire is the heauen where happie soules haue place, In full enioyment of felicitie, Whence they do still behold the glorious face Of the diuine eternall maiestie. More faire is that where those Idees on hie Enraunged be, which Plato so admirde, And pure intelligences from God inspirde. Yet fairer is that heauen, in which do raigne The soueraigne powers and mightie Potentates, Which in their hie protections do containe All mortall Princes and imperiall states. And fairer yet, whereas the royall seats And heauenly Dominations are set: From whom all earthly gouernance is fet. Yet farre more faire be those bright Cherubins Which all with golden wings are ouer dight, And those eternall burning Seraphins Which from their faces dart out fiery light. Yet fairer then they both, and much more bright Be th' Angels and Archangels, which attend On Gods owne person, without rest or end. Ed. Spencer.

The first composing of the number nine, Which of all numbers is the most diuine, From orders of the Angels doth arise, Which be contained in three Hierarchies, And each of these three Hierarchies in three, The perfect forme of true felicitie: And of the Hierarchies I spake of erst, The glorious Epiphania is the first, In which the hie celestiall orders bin Of Thrones, of Cherubs, and of Seraphin: The second holds the mightie Principates The Ephionia, the third Hierarchie With Vertues, Angels, and Archangels bee. And thus by threes we aptly do define, And do compose this sacred number nine: Yet each of these nine orders grounded be Vpon some one particularitie. M. Drayton.

Out of the Hierarchies of Angels sheene, The gentle Gabriell God cald from the rest: Twixt God and soules of men that righteous beene. Embassador he is for euery blest. The iust commands of heauens eternall king, Twixt skies and earth he vp and downe doth bring. Ed. Fairfax. Transl.

Our walls of flesh that close our soules, God knew how weak, and gaue A further gard, euen euery man, an Angell guide to saue: And men for vs be angels, while they work our souls to saue. ƲƲ. ƲƲarner.

—If Angels fight Weake men must fall, for heauen stil gards the right. W. Shakespeare.