II. Timotheus, placed on high With flying fingers touched the lyre: The song began from Jove, 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. The monarch hears, Assumes the god, Affects to nod, And seems to shake the spheres. Chorus. With ravished ears etc. III. 44 48 The praise of Bacchus then the sweet musician sung, The jolly god in triumph comes; He shows his honest face: Now give the hautboys breath; he comes, he comes. Drinking joys did first ordain; Sweet the pleasure; Sweet is pleasure after pain. Chorus. Bacchus' blessings are a treasure, etc. IV. Soothed with the sound the king grew vain, Fought all his battles o'er again; 60 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; He sung Darius great and good, Fallen from his high estate, The various turns of chance below; Chorus. Revolving in his altered soul etc. V. The mighty master smiled to see Softly sweet, in Lydian measures, 108 112 116 120 124 Never ending, still beginning, Take the good the gods provide thee.' Who caused his care, And sighed and looked, sighed and looked, At length, with love and wine at once oppressed, Chorus. The prince, unable to conceal his pain, etc. VI. 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. Has raised up his head; As awaked from the dead, 'Revenge, revenge,' Timotheus cries, See the snakes that they rear, How they hiss in their hair, And the sparkles that flash from their eyes! Each a torch in his hand! Those are Grecian ghosts, that in battle were slain, Behold how they toss their torches on high, 128 And glittering temples of their hostile gods.' 182 The princes applaud with a furious joy; And the king seized a flambeau with zeal to destroy; Thais led the way, To light him to his prey, And, like another Helen, fired another Troy. 136 Chorus. And the king seized a flambeau with zeal to destroy; etc. VII. Thus long ago, Ere heaving bellows learned to blow, While organs yet were mute, Timotheus, to his breathing flute 140 Could swell the soul to rage, or kindle soft desire. 144 148 Inventress of the vocal frame; The sweet enthusiast, from her sacred store, Enlarged the former narrow bounds, And added length to solemn sounds, With Nature's mother-wit, and arts unknown before. Or both divide the crown: He raised a mortal to the skies; Grand Chorus. At last devine Cecilia came etc. THE CHARACTER OF A GOOD PARSON. A Parish-Priest was of the pilgrim-train; Rich was his soul, though his attire was poor, Herrig-Forster, British Authors. 10 And oft with holy hymns he charmed their ears (A music more melodious than the spheres): For David left him, when he went to rest, 24 His lyre; and after him he sung the best. He bore his great commission in his look: But sweetly tempered awe, and softened all he spoke. He preached the joys of Heaven and pains of Hell, 28 And warned the sinner with becoming zeal; But on eternal mercy loved to dwell. He taught the gospel rather than the law; To threats the stubborn sinner oft is hard, The country churls, according to their kind, (Who grudge their dues, and love to be behind,) 48 The less he sought his offerings, pinched the more, And praised a priest contented to be poor. Yet of his little he had some to spare,. To feed the famished, and to clothe the bare. 52 For mortified he was to that degree, A poorer than himself he would not see. True priests, he said, and preachers of the word, 60 Who, should they steal, for want of his relief, Wide was his parish; not contracted close In streets, but here and there a straggling house: All this the good old man performed alone, |