The Works of the British Poets

+ There are several excellent fongs in his "King Arthur," which fhould have been copied, but that they are fo interwoven with the ftory of the drama that it would be improper to separate them. There is also a fong in "Love in a Nunnery;" and another in "The Duke of Guife;" but neither of them worth transcribing.

XIV.

ALEXANDER'S FEAST:

OR,

THE POWER OF MUSIC.

AN ODE IN HONOUR OF ST. CECELIA's DAY.

'Twas at the royal feast, for Perfia won

By Philip's warlike son :

Aloft in awful state

The godlike hero fate

On his imperial throne:

His valiant peers were plac'd around;

Their brows with roses and with myrtles bound. (So fhould defert in arms be crown'd :)

The lovely Thais, by his fide,

Sate like a blooming Eaftern bride,

In flower of youth and beauty's pride.
Happy, happy, happy pair!
None but the brave,

None but the brave,

None but the brave deserves the fair.

CHORUS.

Happy, happy, happy pair!

None but the brave,

None but the brave deferves the fair.

II.

Timotheus, plac'd on high
Amid the tuneful quire,

With flying fingers touch'd the lyre:
The trembling notes afcend the fky,
And heavenly joys inspire.

The fong began from Jove,

Who left his blifsful feats above,

(Such is the power of mighty love.)
A dragon's fiery form bely'd the god :
Sublime on radiant fpires he rode,

When he to fair Olympia prefs'd:
And while he fought her snowy breast :

CHORUS.

Bacchus bleffings are a treasure, Drinking is the foldier's pleasure; Rich the treasure,

Sweet the pleafure ;

Sweet is pleasure after pain."

IV.

Sooth'd with the found, the king grew vain;
Fought all his battles o'er again;

And thrice he routed all his foes; and thrice flew the flain.

The mafter faw the madnefs rife;
His glowing cheeks, his ardent eyes;
And while he heaven and earth defy'd,
Chang'd his hand, and check'd his pride.
He chose a mournful Mufe
Soft pity to infuse :

He fung Darius great and good,
By too fevere a fate,
Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen,
Fallen from his high estate,
And weltring in his blood;

Deferted, at his utmost need,
By thofe his former bounty fed :
On the bare earth expos'd he lies,
With not a friend to close his eyes.
With down-caft looks the joyless victor fate
Revolving in his alter'd foul

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

CHORUS.

Revolving in bis alter'd foul

The various turns of chance below ; And, now and then, a figh be ftole; And tears began to flow.

The mighty master smil'd, to sce
That love was in the next degree:
'Twas but a kindred found to move,
For pity melts the mind to love.

Softly fweet, in Lydian measures,
Soon he footh'd his foul to pleasures.
War, he fung, is toil and trouble;
Honour but an empty bubble;
Never ending, ftill beginning,
Fighting fill, and ftill destroying:
If the world be worth thy winning,
Think, O think, it worth enjoying:
Lovely Thais fits befide thee,

Take the good the gods provide thee.

The many read the skies with loud applause;

So Love was crown'd, but Mufic won the caufe. The prince, unable to conceal his pain, Gaz'd on the fair

Who caus'd his care

And figh'd and look'd, figh'd and look'd, Sigh'd and look'd, and figh'd again:

At length, with love and wine at once opprefs'd, The vanquish'd victor funk upon her breast.

GRAND CHORUS.

At laft, divine Cecilia came, Inventrefs of the vocal frame ; The fweet enthufiaft, from her facred flore, Enlarg'd the former narrow bounds, And added length to folemn founds,

With nature's mother-wit, and arts unknown before. Let old Timotheus yield the prize,

Or both divide the crown;

He raiz'd a mortal to the skies;
She drew an angel down.

XIII.