No crime was thine, if 'tis no crime to love. Unheard, unknown, Now with furies surrounded See, wild, as the winds, o'er the desert he flies; Hark, Hamus resounds with the Bacchanal's cries Ah see, he dies! Yet even in death Eurydice he sung, Eurydice still trembled on his tongue, Eurydice the woods, Eurydice the floods, Eurydice the rocks, and hollow mountains rung, 7. Music the fiercest grief can charm Music can soften pain to ease, And make despair and madness please: And antedate the bliss above. And to her Maker's praise confin'd the sound. POPE. CHA P. XXXII I. Alexander's Feast. 1. "Twas at the royal feast, for Persia won, By Philip's warlike son: On his imperial throne; His valiant peers were plac'd around; Their brows with roses and with myrtle bound: So should desert in arms be crown'd. The lovely Thais by his side Sate, like a blooming eastern bride, None but the brave, None but the brave deserve the fair. 2. Timotheus, plac'd on high Amid the tuneful quire, With flying fingers touch'd the lyre; The song began from Jove; Who left his blissful seats above, When he to fair Olympia press'd; And while he sought her snowy breast, And stamp'd an image of himself, a sov'reign of the world. The list'ning crowd admire the lofty sound; A present deity, the vaulted roofs rebound :: 1 The monarch hears, Affects the nod, And seems to shake the spheres. 3. The praise of BACCHUS then, the sweet musician sung: Of Bacchus ever fair and ever young: He shews his honest face. Now give the hautboys breath; he comes, he comes! Sweet the pleasure; Sweet is pleasure after pain. Sooth'd with the sound, the king grew vain: And thrice he routed all his foes; and thrice he slew the slain. The master saw the madness rise; His glowing cheeks, his ardent eyes; And while he heav'n and earth defy'd, Chang'd his hand, and check'd his pride. He chose a mournful muse Soft pity to infuse: He sung DARIUS great and good, Fall'n, fall'n, fall'n, fall'n, With downcast look the joyless victor sate, Revolving in his alter'd soul The various turns of fate below; 5. The mighty master smil'd to see Take the good the gods provide thee.— Gaz'd on the fair Who caus'd his care And sigh'd and look'd, sigh'd and look'd, Sigh'd and look'd, and sigh'd again; At length, with Love and Wine at once oppress'd, The vainquish'd victor sunk upon her breast. 6. Now strike the golden lyre again, A louder yet, and yet a louder strain; And rouse him, like a ratling peal of thunder. Hark, hark, the horrid sound Has rais'd up his head, As awak'd from the dead, And amaz'd, he stares around. Revenge, revenge, Timotheus cries, See the furies arise, See the snakes that they rear And the sparkles that flash from their eyes! Each a torch in his hand, These are Grecian ghosts, that in battle were slain, And unbury'd remain To the valiant crew: Behold how they toss their torches on high, Thais led the way, To light him to his prey, And, like another Helen, fir'd another Troy. Thus, long ago, 7·་ Ere heaving billows learn'd to blow, Timotheus to his breathing flute And sounding lyre, ཨཱ Could swell the soul to rage, or kindle soft desire. At last divine CECILIA came, Inventress of the vocal frame; The sweet enthusiast, from her sacred store And added length to solemn sounds, With nature's mother-wit, and arts unknown before. Let old Timotheus yield the prize, Or both divide the crown; DRYDEN. |