ANTISTROPHE II. Ye Gods! what justice rules the ball! In ev'ry age, in ev'ry state! 25 Still, when the luft of tyrant pow'r fucceeds, 30 CHORUS of Youths and Virgins. SEMICHORUS. H Tyrant Love! haft thou poffeft The prudent, learn'd, and virtuous breast? And Arts but foften us to feel thy flame. But entring learns to be fincere. And Brutus tenderly reproves. Why, Virtue, doft thou blame desire, Why, Nature, doft thou fooneft fire CHORUS. Love's purer flames the Gods approve; The Gods and Brutus bend to love: 10 REMARK S. VER. 9. Why Virtue, etc.] In allufion to that famous conceit of Guarini, "Se il peccare è sì dolce, etc. Brutus for abfent Porcia fighs, And fterner Caffius melts at Junia's eyes. Spent in a fudden storm of luft, A vapour fed from wild defire, A wand'ring, felf-confuming fire. But Hymen's kinder flames unite; And burn for ever one; Chaste as cold Cynthia's virgin light, Productive as the Sun. SEMICHORUS. Oh fource of ev'ry focial tye, United with, and mutual joy! What various joys on one attend, As fon, as father, brother, husband, friend? While thousand grateful thoughts arise; Or meets his spouse's fonder eye; Or views his smiling progeny; What tender paffions take their turns, 15 20 25 30 His heart now melts, now leaps, now burns, With rev'rence, hope, and love. 36 CHORUS. Hence guilty joys, diftastes, furmizes, Hence falfe tears, deceits, difguifes, Dangers, doubts, delays, furprizes; Fires that scorch, yet dare not shine: 40 Pureft love's unwasting treasure, REMARKS. These two Chorus's are enough to fhew us his great talents for this fpecies of Poetry, and to make us lament he did not profecute his purpose in executing fome plans he had chalked out; but the Character of the Managers of Playhouses was what (he faid) foon determined him to lay afide all thoughts of that nature. ODE on SOLITUDE'. H APPPY the man, whose wish and care Content to breathe his native air, In his own ground. Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread, Bleft, who can unconcern'dly find Quiet by day, Sound fleep by night; study and ease, 6 away, 10 And innocence, which most does please With meditation. Thus let me live, unfeen, unknown, Thus unlamented let me die, Steal from the world, and not a stone 15 Tell where I lie. 2 This was a very early production of our Author, written at out twelve years old. P. |