IV

The soft, complaining flute,

In dying notes, discovers

The woes of hopeless lovers;
Whose dirge is whispered by the warbling lute.

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V

Sharp violins proclaim
Their jealous pangs, and desperation,
Fury, frantic indignation,
Depth of pains, and height of passion,

For the fair, disdainful dame.

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VI

But, oh! what art can teach,

What human voice can reach,
The sacred organ's praise ?

Notes inspiring holy love,
Notes that wing their heavenly ways

To mend the choirs above.

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VII

Orpheus could lead the savage race;
And trees unrooted left their place,

Sequacious of the lyre:
But bright Cecilia raised the wonder higher;

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When to her organ vocal breath was given, An angel heard, and straight appeared,

Mistaking earth for heaven.

GRAND CHORUS

55

As from the power of sacred lays

The spheres began to move,
And sung the great Creator's praise

To all the blessed above;
So when the last and dreadful hour
This crumbling pageant shall devour,
The trumpet shall be heard on high,
The dead shall live, the living die,
And Music shall untune the sky.

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ALEXANDER'S FEAST

OR, THE POWER OF MUSIC

I

'Twas at a royal feast, for Persia won

By Philip's warlike son:

Aloft, in awful state,

The godlike hero sate
On his imperial throne.
His valiant peers were placed around;
Their brows with roses and with myrtles bound:

(So should desert in arms be crowned.)

5

с

The lovely Thais, by his side,
Sate 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 deserves the fair.

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CHORUS

Happy, happy, happy pair !
None but the brave,
None but the brave,
None but the brave deserves the fair.

II

20

25

Timotheus, placed on high

Amid the tuneful choir,

With flying fingers touched 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 belied the god;
Sublime on radiant spires he rode,

When he to fair Olympia pressed,
And while he sought her snowy breast;

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35

Then, round her slender waist he curled,
And stamped an image of himself, a sovereign of the

world.
The listening crowd admire the lofty sound,
A present deity! they shout around;
A present deity! the vaulted roofs rebound.

With ravished ears,
The monarch hears;
Assumes the god,

Affects to nod,
And seems to shake the spheres

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CHORUS

With ravished ears
The monarch hears;
Assumes the god,

Affects to nod,
And seems to shake the spheres.

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III

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;

Flushed with a purple grace

He shows his honest face:
Now, give the hautboys breath; he comes, he comes.

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70

Soothed 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 defied,
Changed his hand, and checked his pride.

He chose a mournful muse,

Soft pity to infuse,
He sung Darius great and good

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