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
By too severe a fate,
Fall'n, fall'n, fall'n, fall'n, Fall'n from his high estate And welt'ring in his blood : Deserted at his utmost need By those his former bounty fed, On the bare earth expos'd he lies, With not a friend to close his eyes. With downcast look the joyless victor sate, Revolving in his alter'd soul
The various turns of fate below;
And now and then a sigh he stole ;
And tears began to flow.
The mighty master smil'd, to see
That love was in the next degree:
'Twas but a kindred sound to move;
For pity melts the mind to love.
Softly sweet in Lydian measures,
Soon he sooth'd his soul to pleasures.
War he sung is toil and trouble;
Honour but an empty bubble;
Never ending, still beginning,
Fighting still, and still destroying :
If the world be worth thy winning,
Think, O, think it worth enjoying!
Lovely Thais sits beside thee,
Take the good the gods provide thee. The many rend the skies with loud applause; So love was crown'd, but music won the cause. The prince, unable to conceal his pain,
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 vanquish'd victor sunk upon her breast.
Now strike the golden lyre again;
And louder yet, and yet a louder strain,'
Break his bands of sleep asunder,
And rouze him, like a rattling 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,
How they hiss in the air,
And the sparkles that flash from their eyes!
Behold a gbastly band,
Each a torch in his hand,
These are Grecian ghosts, that in battle were slain, And unbury'd remain
Inglorious on the plain;
Give the vengeance due
To the valiant crew:
Behold how they toss their torches on high;
How they point to the Persian abodes,
Aud glitt'ring temples of their hostile gods!
The Princes applaud, with a furious joy;
And the King seiz'd a flambeaux, with zeal to
destroy;
Thais led the way,
To light him to his prey,
And, like another Helen, fired another Troy.
Ere heaving bellows learn'd to blow,
While organs yet were mute;
Timotheus to his breathing flute
And sounding lyre,
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,
Enlarg'd the former narrow bounds,
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;
He rais'd a mortal to the skies;
She drew an angel down.
BY GRAINGER.
Soon as young reason dawn'd in Junio's breast
His father sent him from these genial isles,
To where old Thames with conscious pride surveys
Green Eton, soft abode of every Muse.
Each classic beauty he soon made his own;
And soon fam'd Isis saw him woo the Nine,
On her inspiring banks. Love tun'd his song;
For fair Theana was his only theme,
Acasto's daughter, whom in early youth
He oft distinguish'd; and for whom he oft
Had climb'd the bending cocoa's airy height,
To rob it of its nectar: which the maid,
When he presented, more nectareous deem'd.
The sweetest sappadillas oft he brought;
From him more sweet ripe sappadillas seem'd.
Nor had long absence yet effac'd her form;
Her charms still triumph'd o'er Britannia's fair.
One morn he met her in Sheen's royal walks;
Nor knew, till then, sweet Sheen contain'd his all.
His taste mature approv'd his infant choice.
Tn colour, form, expression, and in grace,
She shone all perfect while each pleasing art,
And each soft virtue that the sex adorns,
Adorn'd the woman. My imperfect strain
Can ill describe the transports Junio felt
At this discovery: he declar'd his love;
She own'd his merit, nor refus'd his hand.
And shall not Hymen light his brightest torch
For this delighted pair? Ah! Junio knew
His sire detested his Theana's house!
Thus duty, reverence, gratitude, conspir'd
To check their happy union. He resolv'd
(And many a sigh that resolution cost)
To pass the time, till death his sire remov'd,
In visiting old Europe's letter'd climes ;
While she (and many a tear that parting drew)
Embark'd, reluctant, for her native islé.
Tho' learned, curious, and tho' nobly bent
With each rare talent to adorn his mind,
His native land to serve; no joys he found.
Yet sprightly Gaul; yet Belgium, Saturn's reign;
Yet Greece, of old the seat of every Muse,
Of freedom, courage; yet Ausonia's clime
His steps explor'd, where painting, music's strains,
Where arts, where laws, (philosophy's best child)
With rival beauties his attention claim'd.
To his just-judging, his instructed eye,
The all-perfect Medicean Venus seem'd
A perfect semblance of his Indian fair:
But when she spoke of love, her voice surpass'd
The harmonious warblings of Italian song.
Twice one long year elaps'd, when letters came, Which briefly told him of his father's death. .Afflicted, filial, yet to Heav'n resign'd, Soon he reach'd Albion, and as soon embark'd, Eager to clasp the object of his love.
Blow, prosperous breezes; swiftly sail, thou Po:
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