Forgetful what from him I still receiv'd; And understood not that a grateful mind By owing owes not, but still pays, at once Indebted and discharg'd; what burden then? O had his pow'rful destiny ordain'd Me some inferior angel, I had stood Then happy; no unbounded hope had rais'd Ambition. Yet why not? Some other power As great might have aspir'd, and me, though mean, Drawn to his part; but other pow'rs as great Fell not, but stand unshaken, from within Or from without, to all temptations arm'd. Hadst thou the same free will and pow'r to stand? Thou hadst: Whom hast thou then, or what to accuse, But heav'n's free love dealt equally to all ? Be then his love accurs'd, since love or hate, To me alike, it deals eternal woe. Nay curs'd be thou; since against his thy will Chose freely what it now so justly rues. Me miserable! which way shall I fly Infinite wrath, and infinite despair? Which way I fly is hell; myself am hell; And, in the lowest deep, a lower deep Still threat'ning to devour me opens wide, To which the hell I suffer seems a heaven. O then at last relent: Is there no place Left for repentance, none for pardon left? None left but by submission; and that word Disdain forbids me, and my dread of shame Among the sp'rits beneath, whom I seduc'd With other promises and other vaunts Than to submit, boasting I could subdue Th' Omnipotent. Ah me, they little know How dearly I abide that boast so vain, Under what torments inwardly I groan, While they adore me on the throne of hell, With diadem and sceptre high advanc'd, The lower still I fall, only supreme In misery: Such joy ambition finds. But say I could repent, and could obtain, By act of grace, my former state; how soon Would height recall high thoughts, how soon unsay What feign'd submission swore? ease would recant Vows made in pain, as violent and void. For never can true reconcilement grow Where wounds of deadly hate have pierc'd so deep: Which would but lead me to a worse relapse, And heavier fall: So should I purchase dear Short intermission bought with double smart.
From granting he, as I from begging peace: All hope excluded thus, behold instead Of us outcast, exil'd, his new delight, Mankind created, and for him this world. So farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear, Farewell remorse : All good to me is lost; Evil be thou my good: By thee at least Divided empire with heav'n's King I hold, By thee, and more than half perhaps will reign; As man ere long, and this new world shall know.
TWAS at the royal feast, for Persia won
By Philip's warlike son.
Aloft in awful state,
The godlike hero sat
On his imperial throne.
His valiant peers were plac'd around, Their brows with roses and with myrtles bound, So should desert in arms be crown'd.
The lovely Thais by his side, Sat like a blooming eastern 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, deserve the fair. Timotheus plac'd on high,
Amid the tuneful choir, With flying fingers touch'd the lyre:
The trembling notes ascend the sky, And heavenly joys inspire.
The song began from Jove, Who left his blissful seats above; Such is the power of mighty love! A dragon's fiery form bely'd the god; Sublime on radiant spheres he rode.
When he the fair Olympia press'd,
And stamp'd an image of himself, a sovereign of the world.
The list'ning crowd admire the lofty sound;
A present deity, they shout around;
A present deity; the vaulted roofs rebound.
With ravish'd ears the monarch hears,
Assumes the god, affects to nod,
And seems to shake the spheres.
The praise of Bacchus, then, the sweet musician sung;
Of Bacchus, ever fair and ever young.
21
Sound the trumpet; beat the drums;
Flush'd with a purple grace,
He shows his honest face :
Now give the hautboys breath-He comes! he comes!
Bacchus, ever fair and young,
Drinking joys did first ordain;
Bacchus' blessings are a treasure;
Drinking is the soldier's pleasure :
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;
And thrice he routed all his foes, and thrice he slew the slain.
The master saw the madness rise;
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 muse, Soft pity to infuse :
He sung Darius, great and good, By too severe a fate, Fall'n, fall'n, fall'n, fall'n, Fall'n from his high estate, 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 look the joyless victor sat, 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 smiled 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; Honor but an empty bubble;
Never ending, still beginning, Fighting still, and still destroying. If the world be worth thy winning, Think, oh, think it worth enjoying! Lovely Thais sits beside thee:
Take the good the gods provide thee; The many rend the skies with loud applause;
And sigh'd and look'd, and sigh'd and looked;
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; 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 rais'd up his head,
As awaken'd 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!
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,
And glittering temples of their hostile gods!
The princes applaud, with a furious joy;
And the king seiz'd a flambeau, with zeal to destroy:
Thais led the way,
To light him to his prey;
And, like another Helen-fir'd 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,
The combat deepens. On, ye brave, Who rush to glory, or the grave!
Wave, Munich, all thy banners wave!
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