Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

Immenfe, and all his Father in him fhone.
About his chariot numberlefs were pour'd
Cherub and feraph, potentates and thrones,
And virtues; winged fpirits and chariots wing'd
From th' armoury of God: where ftand of old
Myriads, between two brazen mountains lodg'd
Against a folemn day, harness'd at hand,
Celestial equipage! and now came forth
Spontaneous, for within them fpirit liv'd,
Attendant on their Lord: heav'n open'd wide
Her ever-during gates, harmonious found!
On golden hinges moving, to let forth
The King of glory, in his pow'iful Word
And Spirit, coming to create new worlds.
On heav'nly ground they flood, ar from the fhore
They view'd the vast immeafurable abyfs,
Outrageous as a fea, dark, wafteful, wild;
Up from the bottom turn'd by furious winds;
And furging waves, as mountains to aficult
Heav'n's height, and with the center mix the pole.
Silence, ye troubled waves, and thou deep, peace
Said then th' omnific Word, your difcord end :-
Nor ftay'd; but on the wings of cherubim
Uplifted, in paternal glory rode

Far into Chaos, and the world unborn;
For Chaos heard his voice; him all his train
Follow'd in bright proceffion to behold
Creation, and the wonders of his might.
Then ftay'd the fervid wheels, and in his hand
He took the golden compaides, prepar'd
In God's eternal ftore, to circumfcribe
This univerfe, and all created things:
One foot he center'd, and the other turn'd
Round through the vaft profundity obfcure,
And faid, Thus far extend, thus far thy bound
This be thy juft circumference, O world!

Thus God the heav'n created, thus the earth,
Matter unform'd and void! Darkness profound
Cover'd th' abyfs: but on the watery calm
His brooding wings the Sp'rit of God outspread,
And vital virtue infus'd, and vital warmth
Throughout the fluid mass; but downward purg'd

[ocr errors]

The

The black, tartareous, cold, infernal dregs,
Adverfe to life: then founded, then conglob'd
Like things to like; the reft to feveral place
Difparted; and between, fpun out the air;
And earth, felf balanc'd, on her centre hung.

VIII. Overthrow of the Rebel Angels.

So fpake the Son: and into terrour chang'd
His countenance, too fevere to be beheld,
And full of wrath bent on his enemies.
At once, the four spread out their starry wings,
With dreadful fhade contiguous, and the orbs
Of his fierce chariot roll'd, as with the found
Of torrent floods, or of a numerous hoft.
He on his impious foes, right onward drove,
Gloomy as night. Under his burning wheels
The ftedfaft empyrean fhook throughout,
All but the throne itself of God. Full foon
Among them he arriv'd; in his right hand
Grafping ten thoufand thunders, which he fent
Before him, fuch as in their fouls infix'd
Plagues. They, aftonifh'd, all refiftance loft,
All courage: down their idle weapons dropt:
O'er fhields, and helms, and helmed heads, he rode,
Of thrones and mighty feraphim proftrate,
That wifh'd the mountains, now, might be again:
Thrown on them, as a fhelter from his ire.
Nor lefs on either fide, tempefluous fell
His arrows, from the fourfold-vifag'd four
Distinct with eyes, and from the living wheels
Diftinct alike with multitude of eyes:
One fpirit in them rul'd; and every eye
Glar'd lightning, and fhot forth pernicious fire
Among the accurs'd, that wither'd all their strength,
And, of their wonted vigour, left them drain'd,
Exhaufted, fpiritlefs, afflicted, fall'n.

Yet half his ftrength he put not forth; but check'd
His thunder in mid volley: for he meant,
Not to deftroy, but root them out of heav'n.
The overthrown he rais'd; and, as a herd
Of goats or timorous flock together throng'd,
Drove them before him, thunder-ftruck, purfued

With terrours, and with furies, to the bounde
And crystal wall of heav'n; which, opening wide,
Roll'd inward, and a spacious gap difclos'd

Into the wasteful deep. The monstrous fight

Struck them with horrour backward; but far worse
Urg'd them behind. Headlong themselves they threw
Down from the verge of heav'n eternal wrath
Burnt after them to the bottomlefs pit.

IX. Alexander's Feaft; or, The Power of Mufic
An Ode for St Cicilia's Day.

'TWAS at the royal feaft, for Perfia won
By Philip's warlike fon.-

Aloft in awful state,

The god-like hero fat

On his imperial throne.

His valiant peers were plac'd around, Their brows with rofes and with myrtle bound: So fhould defert in arms be crown'd.

The lovely Thais by his fide,

Sat 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, deferves the fair.

Timotheus plac'd on high

Amid the tuneful choir,

With flying fingers touch'd the lyre :

The trembling notes afcend the sky,
And heav'nly joys infpire.-

The fong began from Jove,
Who left his blissful feats above;
(Such is the pow'r of mighty love!).
A dragon's fiery form bely'd the god:
Sublime on radiant fpheres he rode,

When he to fair Olympia prefs'd,

And stamp'd an image of himself, a fovereign of the world. The lift'ning crowd admire the lofty found;

A prefent deity, they fhout around;

A prefent deity, the vaulted roofs rebound.

With ravish'd ears

The monarch hears,

Affumes the god,

Affects to nod,

And feems to shake the spheres.

The praife of Bacchus, then, the sweet musician funt; Of Bacchus, ever fair and ever young.

The jolly god in triumph comes!

Sound the trumpets; beat the drums :
Flush'd with a purple grace,

He fhows his honeft face.

Now give the hautboys breath-he comes! he comes! Bacchus, ever fair and young,

Drinking joys did first ordain:

Bacchus' bleffings are a treasure ;
Drinking is the foldier's pleafure:
Rich the treasure ;

Sweet the pleasure ;

Sweet is pleasure, 'after pain.

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

Andthrice he routed all his foes,and thrice he flew the flair.
The mafter faw the madness rife ;

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 chofe a mournful mufe,
Soft pity to infufe:

He fung Darius, great and good,
By too fevere a fate,

Fall'n, fall'n, fall'n, fall'n,

Fall'n from his high eftate, And weltering in his blood: Deserted at his utmoft need

By those his former bounty fed,

On the bare earth expos'd he lies,

With not a friend to close his eyes.

With downcaft look the joyless victor fat,
Revolving, in his alter'd foul,

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

The

The mighty mafter fmil'd, to fee
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 ftill, 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 rend the fkies with loud applaufe:
So love was crown'd; but mufic won the cause.-
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 fighi'd again; Ar length, with love and wine at once opprefs'd, The vanquifh'd victor-funk upon her breast.

Now, ftrike the golden lyre again;

A louder yet, and yet a louder strain :
Break his bands of fleep afunder,

And roufe him, like a rattling peal of thunder.
Hark! hark!—the horrid found

Has rais'd up his head,

As awak'd from the dead;
And, amaz'd, he ftares around.
Revenge, revenge! Timotheus cries-

See the furies arife!

See the fuakes that they rear,

How they hifs in their hair,

And the sparkles that flash from their eyes!
Behold a ghaftly band,

Each a torch in his hand!

These are Grecian ghofts, that in battle were flain,

And, unbury'd, remain

Inglorious on the plain.

« ForrigeFortsett »