Quin age, pande Sinus: aliis nova gaudia quære
Artibus; explora quid amabile præbeat Auris,
Hærentes fi fortè fua dulcedine curas
Musica difpellat; fi Carmina blanda dolores
Eripiant Animo. Cecinerunt fæpe Poetæ
Ipfa lyræ cantu mansuescere corda Ferarum;
Hoc suadente, Lúpos torvum pofuiffe furorem
Spumantesque Ursas; ad carmina ftare Leones
Attentos pendente jubâ; Lyncasque ftupentes
Irarum oblitos, Citharædi lambere crura.
An tribuit Natura Feris minus afpera Corda?
Nonne etiam noftræ mulcentur carmine Curæ?

Ut dederam mandata, ad partes confona Turba Quisque suas properat; resonantia temperat Æra Dulce melos Citharæ: tenuem dat Dorica vocem Tibia lené fonans; reddit grave buccina murmur; Et misto raucarum unà clangore Tubarum Suaviùs argutos modulatur Fistula cantus. Mane agiles Numeri lentum excufsere Soporem; Exortum cecinere diem, Solemque recentem : Et sera optatas cum Nox induxerat umbras, Suaserunt faciles molli dulcedine Somnos: Necquicquam : ipfa novo pertentant Carmina luctu

Ægrum

Yet take thy Bent, my Soul; another Sense
Indulge; add Mufic to Magnificence:
Effay, if Harmony may Grief controll;
Or Pow'r of Sound prevail upon the Soul.
Often our Seers and Poets have confeft,
That Music's Force can tame the furious Beast;
Can make the Wolf, or foaming Boar reftrain
His Rage: the Lion drop his crefted Main,
Attentive to the Song; the Lynx forget
His Wrath to Man, and lick the Minstrel's Feet.
Are we, alas! more savage yet than these?
Else Music sure may human Cares appease.

I fpake my Purpose; and the chearful Choir Parted their shares of Harmony; the Lyre Soften'd the Timbrel's Noise: the Trumpet's Sound Provok'd the DORIAN Flute (both sweeter found When mix'd :) the Fife the Viol's Notes refin'd; And ev'ry Strength with ev'ry Grace was join'd. Each Morn they wak'd Me with a sprightly Lay: Of opening Heav'n they Sung, and gladsome Day. Each Evening their repeated Skill express'd Scenes of Repose, and Images of Reft: Yet still in vain; for Music gather'd Thought:

B

But

Ægrum Animum, & tacitis curis fomenta miniftrant.
Lætus quippe Sonus filo leviore resultans
Ocyus it, fummamque fugax prælabitur aurem;
Chorda gravis ferit ima animi, mæstumque dolorem
Incutit, atque altum figit sub pectore vulnus.

Jamque agitans mæstè mecum, quàm languet ocelli Imbecilla acies, vidi; quàm incerta vagatur, Utque novas quærit species fpernitque paratas Instabilis; piget heu! piget advertisse, sed aurem Adverti miseram simili languescere morbo; Illa etiam inconftans, brevibus fatiata fonorum Deliciis, fugit auditos, optatque recentes.

Continuo Juvenes cultos se adjungere le&tis Virginibus juffi, numerisque aptare Choreas. Fruftra! Compofitos redeuntesque ordine certo Culpabam motus, paffofque infana querebar Jura pedes : Artem observans Natura magiftram Imperio indecori paret, turpique laborat Servitio; Indignor tantum potuiffe protervi Artificis digitos agiles, neryumque fonantem.

Pro

But how unequal the Effects it brought?
The soft Ideas of the chearful Note,
Lightly receiv'd, were eafily forgot:
The folemn Violence of the graver Sound
Knew to strike deep, and leave a lasting Wound.

And now reflecting, I with Grief descry The fickly Luft of the fantastic Eye; How the weak Organ is with Seeing cloy'd, Flying e'er Night what it at Noon enjoy’d. And now (unhappy Search of Thought!) I found The fickle Ear foon glutted with the Sound, Condemn'd eternal Changes to pursue, Tir'd with the last, and eager of the New.

I bad the Virgins and the Youth advance, To temper Music with the sprightly Dance. In Vain! too low the Mimic-Motions seem: What takes our Heart, muft merit our Ésteem. Nature, I thought, perform'd too mean a Part, Forming her Movements to the Rules of Art; And vex'd I found, that the Musician's Hand Had o'er the Dancer's Mind too great Command.

Indulfi Cyathis; rabies mera; clamor ineptus,
Vanaque lætitiæ raptìm fugientis Imago.
Credulus ah nimium! speravi pocula mæstum
Poffe animum lenire, atrasque avertere Curas.
Poft Ludos sera jam nocte licentiùs actos
Incertus Sopor, interruptaque Somnia tnrbant;
Jamque ubi mane novo radiis victricibus alma
Dispulerat Ratio fimulacra fugacia noctis;
Quid facere & fari suaserunt pocula, mecum
Volvi animo; quales & quo de fonte Lepores
Fluxerunt, reputans. Risus, Jocus ille, solutos
Qui movit, læta circum plaudente corona,
Forsitan Ingenii nugis ab inanibus ortum
Duxerat, ambiguo lusu, vel imagine falsa,
Improbulisve lyræ numeris, cantuque protervo,
Cafta quibus metuat violari sordibus auris.
Forsitan heu! nimium lepidos movere cachinnos
Infelix Vitium, incauti levis Error Amici,
Quæque palàm fari Sapiens & Candidus ultrò
Parceret, & densa velaret honeftius umbra.

Quinetiam infidis Cyathis conferta malorum Agmina cæca latent; hinc linguæ effufa Venena Præcipitis, vanis nunquam revocanda querelis.

Sæ