CHORUS. Happy, happy, happy pair! None but the brave, None but the brave deserves the fair. Timotheus, plac'd on high Amid the tuneful quire, With flying fingers touch'd the lyre: When he to fair Olympia press'd: And while he sought her snowy breast: Then, round her slender waist he curl'd, And stamp'd an image of himself, a sovereign of the world. The listening crowd admire the lofty sound, A present deity the vaulted roofs rebound: With ravish'd ears The monarch hears, Assumes the god, And seems to shake the spheres. CHORUS. With ravish'd ears Assumes the god, And seems to shake the spheres. The praise of Bacchus then, the sweet musician sung: Of Bacchus ever fair and ever young: The jolly god in triumph comes; Sound the trumpets; beat the drums; Now give the hautboys breath: he comes, he comes. Bacchus, ever fair and young, Drinking joys did first ordain; Rich the treasure, Sweet is pleasure after pain. CHORUS. Bacchus' blessings are a treasure, Rich the treasure, Sweet the pleasure; Sweet is pleasure after pain. Sooth'd with the sound, the king grew vain ; Fought all his battles o'er again; [the slain. And thrice he routed all his foes; and thrice he slew The master saw the madness rise; Soft pity to infuse: He sung Darius great and good, Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen, And weltring 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 looks the joyless victor sate Revolving in his alter'd soul The various turns of Chance below; And, now and then, a sigh he stole ; And tears began to flow. CHORUS. Revolving in his alter'd soul The various turns of Chance below; And, now and then, a sigh he stole ; And tears began to flow. The mighty master smil❜d, to see Softly sweet, in Lydian measures, Never ending, still beginning, If the world be worth thy winning, 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. CHORUS. 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 : B 3 Break his bands of sleep asunder, And rouse him, like a rattling peal of thunder. Has rais'd up his head! As awak'd from the dead, 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, Behold how they toss their torches on high, To light him to his prey, And, like another Helen, fir'd another Troy. CHORUS. And the king seiz'da flambeau with zeal to destroy; Thais led the way, To light him to his prey, And, like another Helen, fir'd another Troy. |