Quin age, pande Sinus: aliis nova gaudia quære
Artibus; explora quid amabile præbeat Auris,
Hærentes fi fortè fua dulcedine curas
Mufica difpellat; fi Carmina blanda dolores
Eripiant Animo. Cecinerunt fæpe Poetæ
Ipfa lyræ cantu manfuefcere corda Ferarum;
Hoc fuadente, Lupos torvum pofuiffe furorem
Spumantefque Urfas; ad carmina ftare Leones
Attentos pendente jubâ; Lyncafque ftupentes
Irarum oblitos, Citharædi lambere crura.
An tribuit Natura Feris minus afpera Corda?
Nonne etiam noftræ mulcentur carmine Cure?
Ut dederam mandata, ad partes confona Turba Quifque fuas properat; resonantia temperat Æra Dulce melos Citharæ: tenuem dat Dorica vocem Tibia lene fonans; reddit grave buccina murmur; Et mifto raucarum unà clangore Tubarum Suaviùs argutos modulatur Fiftula cantus. Mane agiles Numeri lentum excuffere Soporem; Exortum cecinere diem, Solemque recentem: Et fera optatas cum Nox induxerat umbras, Suaferunt faciles molli dulcedine Somnos: Necquicquam: ipfa novo pertentant Carmina luctu
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 Mufic's Force can tame the furious Beaft;
Can make the Wolf, or foaming Boar restrain
His Rage: the Lion drop his crefted Main,
Attentive to the Song; the Lynx forget
His Wrath to Man, and lick the Minftrel's Feet.
Are we, alas! more favage yet than these?
Elfe Mufic fure may human Cares appease.
I fpake my Purpofe; and the chearful Choir
Parted their shares of Harmony; the Lyre
Soften'd the Timbrel's Noife: 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 gladfome Day.
Each Evening their repeated Skill exprefs'd
Scenes of Repose, and Images of Reft:
Yet ftill in vain; for Mufic gather'd Thought:
Ægrum Animum, & tacitis curis fomenta miniftrant.
Lætus quippe Sonus filo leviore refultans
Ocyus it, fummamque fugax prælabitur aurem ;
Chorda gravis ferit ima animi, mœftumque dolorem
Incutit, atque altum figit fub pectore vulnus.
Jamque agitans mæstè mecum, quàm languet ocelli
Imbecilla acies, vidi; quàm incerta vagatur,
Utque novas quærit fpecies fpernitque paratas
Inftabilis; piget heu! piget advertiffe, fed aurem
Adverti miferam fimili languefcere morbo;
Illa etiam inconftans, brevibus fatiata fonorum
Deliciis, fugit auditos, optatque recentes.
Continuò Juvenes cultos fe adjungere lectis Virginibus juffi, numerifque aptare Choreas. Fruftra! Compofitos redeuntefque ordine certo Culpabam motus, paffofque infana querebar Jura pedes: Artem obfervans Natura magiftram Imperio indecori paret, turpique laborat Servitio; Indignor tantum potuiffe protervi Artificis digitos agiles, nervumque sonantem.
But how unequal the Effects it brought?
The foft Ideas of the chearful Note,
Lightly receiv'd, were eafily forgot:
The folemn Violence of the graver Sound
Knew to ftrike deep, and leave a lafting Wound.
And now reflecting, I with Grief descry The fickly Luft of the fantaftic 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 laft, and eager of the New.
I bad the Virgins and the Youth advance, To temper Mufic with the sprightly Dance. In Vain! too low the Mimic-Motions feem: What takes our Heart, muft merit our Efteem. 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! fperavi pocula mæstum`
Poffe animum lenire, atrasque avertere Curas.
Poft Ludos fera jam nocte licentiùs actos
Incertus Sopor, interruptaque Somnia tnrbant;
Jamque ubi mane novo radiis victricibus alma
Difpulerat Ratio fimulacra fugacia noctis;
Quid facere & fari fuaferunt pocula, mecum
Volvi animo; quales & quo de fonte Lepores
Fluxerunt, reputans. Rifus, Jocus ille, folutos
Qui movit, læta circum plaudente corona,
Forfitan Ingenii nugis ab inanibus ortum
Duxerat, ambiguo lufu, vel imagine falfa,
Improbulifve lyræ numeris, cantuque protervo,
Cafta quibus metuat violari fordibus auris.
Forfitan heu! nimium lepidos movere cachinnos
Infelix Vitium, incauti levis Error Amici,
Quæque palàm fari Sapiens & Candidus ultrò
Parceret, & denfa velaret honeftius umbra.
Quinetiam infidis Cyathis conferta malorum Agmina cæca latent; hinc linguæ effusa Venena Præcipitis, vanis nunquam revocanda querelis.
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