By the hero's armed shades, Glittering through the gloomy glades; Wandering in the myrtle grove, Reftore, reftore Eurydice to life : Oh take the husband, or return the wife! He fung, and hell confented To hear the Poet's prayer; O'er death, and o'er hell, A conqueft how hard and how glorious! With Styx nine times round her, Yet mufic and love were victorious. VI. But foon, too foon the lover turns his eyes : 80 85 90 How wilt thou now the fatal fifters move? 95 No crime was thine, if 'tis no crime to love. Now with Furies furrounded, Defpairing, confounded, He trembles, he glows, Amidft Rhodope's snows: See, wild as the winds, o'er the defert he flies; Ah fee, he dies! Yet ev'n in death Eurydice he fung, Eurydice ftill trembled on his tongue, Eurydice the woods, Eurydice the floods, Eurydice the rocks and hollow mountains rung. VII. Music the fierceft grief can charm, And fate's feverest rage difarm : Music can soften pain to ease, And make despair and madness please : Our joys below it can improve, And antedate the blifs above. This the divine Cecilia found, And to her Maker's praise confin'd the found. 110 115 120 125 130 TWO TWO CHORUSE S то THE TRAGEDY OF BRUTUS. Altered from Shakespeare by the Duke of Buckingham, at whose defire these two Chorufes were compofed, to fupply as many, wanting in his play. They were fet many years afterwards by the famous Bononcini, and performed at Buckingham-house. Y CHORUS OF ATHENIANS. STROPHE I. E shades, where facred truth is fought; In vain your guiltless laurels ftood War, horrid war, your thoughtful walks invades, ANTISTROPHE I. Oh heaven-born fifters fource of art! Who charm the sense, or mend the heart; To what new clime, what distant sky, STROPHE 5 STROPHE II. When Athens finks by fates unjust, ANTISTROPHE II. Ye Gods! what justice rules the ball! Still, when the luft of tyrant power fucceeds, 20 23 30 CHORUS OF YOUTHS AND VIRGINS. SEMICHORUS. OH Tyrant Love! haft thou poffeft The prudent, learn'd, and virtuous breaft ? Wisdom and Wit in vain reclaim, And Arts but soften us to feel thy flame. Love, foft intruder, enters here, Marcus with blushes owns he loves, Why, Virtue, doft thou blame defire, Why, Nature, doft thou fooneft fire CHORUS. Love's purer flames the Gods approve ; Chafte as cold Cynthia's virgin light, SEMICHORUS. Oh fource of every focial tye, United wish, and mutual joy! What various joys on one attend, As fon, as father, brother, husband, friend? Whether his hoary fire he spies, While thoufand grateful thoughts arise; 30 Or meets his spouse's fonder eye; Or views his fmiling progeny; What tender paffions take their turns, His heart now melts, now leaps, now burns, 35 CHORUS. |