Alexander's Feast

2931

re earth exposed he lies

a friend to close his eyes.

owncast looks the joyless victor sate,
g, in his altered soul,

us turns of Chance below;

and then, a sigh he stole, s began to flow.

-Revolving, in his altered soul,

The various turns of Chance below;
And, now and then, a sigh he stole.
And tears began to flow.

V

highty master smiled to see e was in the next degree; ut a kindred-sound to move, I melts the mind to love. weet, in Lydian measures soothed his soul to pleasures. sung, is toil and trouble, but an empty bubble; ending, still beginning, g still, and still destroying; world be worth thy winning, O think it worth enjoying: Thais sits beside thee,

he good the gods provide thee!

many rend the skies with loud applause;

re was crowned, but Music won the cause. ince, unable to conceal his pain,

on the fair

aused his care,

ghed and looked, sighed and looked,

and looked, and sighed again:

gth, with love and wine at once oppressed,

anquished victor sunk upon her breast.

JS-The prince, unable to conceal his pain,
Gazed on the fair

Who caused his care,

And sighed and looked, sighed and looked,
Sighed and looked, and sighed again:

At length, with love and wine at once oppressed,
The vanquished victor sunk upon her breast.

VI

Now strike the golden lyre again:

A louder yet, and yet a louder strain!

Break his bands of sleep asunder

And rouse him, like a rattling peal of thunder.

Hark, hark! the horrid sound

Has raised up his head:

As awaked from the dead,

And amazed he stares around.

Revenge, revenge, Timotheus cries,

See the Furies arise!

See the snakes that they rear

How they hiss in their hair,

And the sparkles that flash from their eyes!

Behold a ghastly band,

Each a torch in his hand!

Those are Grecian ghosts, that in battle were slain

And unburied 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

And glittering temples of their hostile gods.

-The princes applaud with a furious joy:

And the King seized a flambeau with zeal to destroy;

Thais led the way

To light him to his prey,

And, like another Helen, fired another Troy!

CHORUS-And the King seized a flambeau with zeal to de

stroy;

Thais led the way

To light him to his prey,

And, like another Helen, fired another Troy!

the soul to rage, or kindle soft desire.

e Cecilia came,

f the vocal frame;

thusiast from her sacred store

e former narrow bounds,

ength to solemn sounds,

e's mother-wit, and arts unknown before.

imotheus yield the prize

ide the crown;

mortal to the skies;

angel down!

-At last divine Cecilia came,

Inventress of the vocal frame;

The sweet enthusiast from her sacred store
Enlarged the former narrow bounds,
And added length to solemn sounds,

With Nature's mother-wit, and arts un

known before.

-Let old Timotheus yield the prize

Or both divide the crown;

He raised a mortal to the skies;

She drew an angel down!

John Dryden [1631-1700]

THE PASSIONS

AN ODE FOR MUSIC

Music, heavenly maid, was young, yet in early Greece she sung, 'assions oft, to hear her shell, ged around her magic cell,

Exulting, trembling, raging, fainting,
Possessed beyond the Muse's painting;
By turns they felt the glowing mind
Disturbed, delighted, raised, refined:
Till once, 'tis said, when all were fired,
Filled with fury, rapt, inspired,

From the supporting myrtles round
They snatched her instruments of sound;
And, as they oft had heard apart
Sweet lessons of her forceful art,
Each (for madness ruled the hour),
Would prove his own expressive power.

First Fear his hand, its skill to try,
Amid the chords bewildered laid,
And back recoiled, he knew not why,
Even at the sound himself had made.

Next Anger rushed; his eyes, on fire,

In lightnings owned his secret stings;

In one rude clash he struck the lyre,
And swept with hurried hand the strings.

With woful measures wan Despair
Low, sullen sounds his grief beguiled;
A solemn, strange, and mingled air;
'Twas sad by fits, by starts 'twas wild.

But thou, O Hope, with eyes so fair,
What was thy delightful measure?
Still it whispered promised pleasure,

And bade the lovely scenes at distance hail!
Still would her touch the strain prolong,
And from the rocks, the woods, the vale,
She called on Echo still, through all the song;
And, where her sweetest theme she chose,
A soft responsive voice was heard at every close,
And Hope enchanted smiled, and waved her golden hair.

The Passions

he sung,-but, with a frown,

batient rose;

od-stained sword in thunder down

withering look,

ncing trumpet took,

so loud and dread,

hetic sounds so full of woe.

d anon he beat

g drum with furious heat;

metimes, each dreary pause between,

ty, at his side,

duing voice applied,

pt his wild unaltered mien,

2935

ned ball of sight seemed bursting from his

alousy, to naught were fixed,

hy distressful state;

hes the veering song was mixed,

urted Love, now raving called on Hate.

ed, as one inspired,

sate retired,

ld sequestered seat,

ince made more sweet,

the mellow horn her pensive soul:

soft from rocks around,

els joined the sound;

ind glooms the mingled measure stole;
haunted stream, with fond delay,
oly calm diffusing,

ce and lonely musing,

murs died away.

red was its sprightlier tone,

ess, a nymph of healthiest hue, s her shoulder flung,

emmed with morning dew,

3 air, that dale and thicket rung, all to faun and dryad known!