ODE for MUSIC O DE Ο Ν ST. CECILIA's DA Y. I. ESCEND, ye Nine! defcend and fing; Wake into voice each filent ftring, Let the warbling lute complain: The fhrill echoes rebound: While in more lengthen'd notes and slow, The deep, majeftic, folemn organs blow. Now louder, and yet louder rise And fill with spreading founds the skies; Exulting in triumph now fwell the bold notes, In broken air, trembling, the wild mufic floats; 5 10 15 "Till, by degrees, remote and fmall, The ftrains decay, And melt away, In a dying, dying fall. II. By Mufic, minds an equal temper know, 20 25 Or, when the foul is prefs'd with cares, Warriors fhe fires with animated founds; Pours balm into the bleeding lover's wounds: Melancholy lifts her head, Morpheus rouzes from his bed, Sloth unfolds her arms and wakes, Lift'ning Envy drops her fnakes; Inteftine war no more our Paffions wage, III. But when our Country's cause provokes to Arms, So when the first bold veffel dar'd the feas, 30 35 40 45 50 Tranfported demi-gods flood round, IV. But when thro' all th' infernal bounds, Love, ftrong as Death, the Poet led What founds were heard, O'er all the dreary coafts! Dreadful gleams, Difmal fcreams, Fires that glow, Sullen moans, Hollow groans And cries of tortur'd ghosts! But hark! he ftrikes the golden lyre; See, fhady forms advance! Thy flone, O Sifyphus, ftands ftill, And the pale spectres dance! 55 60 65 The Furies fink upon their iron beds, And fnakes uncuri'd hang lift'ning round the heads. V. By the streams that ever flow, Reftore, reftore Eurydice to life: Oh take the husband, or return the wife! He fung, and hell confented To hear the Poet's prayer: Stern Proferpine relented, And gave him back the fair. Thus fong could prevail 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. |