University of Virginia Library

Orpheus and Eurydice.

The Widow'd Orpheus for the Bride he lost,
Undaunted hastens to the Stygian Coast.
Thinking to Charm with Verse the Powers below,
And hopes his Wife may be recover'd so.
Already now the Courts of Death he past,
And mov'd all Hell with his soft Songs at last.
The Fiends with silent Admiration heard,
The Mornful Musick of the Artful Bard.
His Harp and Tongue did Joy to all afford,
While the Black roofs the wond'rous Song restor'd.
No more does Tantalus in vain essay,
To tast the streams which ran too fast away,
Now, ev'n the floods their rapid torrents stay.
The wretch forgets what he desir'd so long,
And only thirsts to hear the charming Song.
The fifty Maids no longer fill their Urn,
Nor the quick'loss of their spilt Waters mourn.
Ixion now does a short respit feel,
And leans, and listens on his quiet Wheel.
The rav'nous Vulture now torments no more,
And Titius Liver is no longer sore.
The Fiends to torture Wretched Souls forbear,
And Furies Weep with a relenting care.
All Hell Harmonious with his Voice appears,
Of equal sweetness with the moving Spheres.
Nor was the Musick, which he made, in vain,
All Hell consents to give his Bride again.
But a short time she with the Youth remain'd,
His Passion loses what his Poem gain'd.
The Pow'rs below did on these Terms restore
His Wretched Wife to leave the Stygian shore.
If, till he quite the Shades of Night had past,
And reach'd the clear Ætherial light at last,
He turn'd his Eyes, his longing Eyes, to see
His doubtful prize, it should for ever flee.
Long now he wanders, and Extreamly burns,
Long he forbears, but urg'd at last, he turns.
And now arriv'd to a faint, glimm'ring light,
Where the Sun's rays pierc'd thro' the gloomy Night,
He casts his eager Eyes, to see the wish'd-for sight.
His Wretched Wife can now no longer stay,
From his last look she fleets in hast away.
In vain he thought to catch the Shade again,
She too bent Backwards, to be caught, in vain.
Her double Death could not her anger move,
He had no fault but his excess of Love.
Gods! What curs'd Thoughts urg'd his rais'd Passions on,
When he perceiv'd she was forever gone!
Fled from his hold, and must return no more;
He thinks he's now in Hell, and was in Heav'n before.
What Anxious ills did in his fancy rowl,
And what Tumultuous Pangs perplext his Soul!
In vain he wish'd he might with her return,
But that deny'd, he could do nought but Mourn.
In vain he Sung, his Notes were all in vain,
No Verse, no Charm could bring her back again.
Stay, dear Eurydice, Ah! Stay, he Cries,
How fast the Lovely, fleeting Shadow flies!
How fast she shuns me, tho' I can't pursue!
This were not Hell, should it receive me too.
She's now already on the farther Coast,
Lost is Eurydice, my Wife is lost.
No track of time again can set her free,
She's gone for ever, ever gone from me.
No Charms a second time Hell's Pow'rs can move,
Oh! They will ne'er release my Wretched Love.
No sacred Verse, no sacred Pray'rs will do,
Hell has her now, would Hell had Orpheus too.
In Titius Place let me his torments bear,
Love's a worse Vulture than that gnaws him there.
It preys, alas! On a much Nicer part,
That hurts the Liver, but this hurts the Heart.
Is this your goodness then? ye Hellish Pow'rs!
Yes, it may easily be known for yours.
Some spightful Fiend releas'd her from the shore,
But with design to make my suff'rings more.
For on such Terms you gave me back my Wife,
You knew I must lose her, and she her Life.
Thus is your Nature plainly understood,
You ne'er intended to be wholly good.
By some damn'd Pow'r contriv'd, I know not how,
You blest a short, short while, to curse me now.
Ah! Yet be kind, and my dear Bride restore,
Let me enjoy the Blessing, yet, once more.
Let my fond Eyes once more their Pleasure boast,
Which but for too much Love had ne'er been lost.
By that dread sway, that horrour which I view,
By those vast Realms which were allotted you,
By that unquestion'd right you rule them too.
By these my Pray'rs, and Tears, which once had Charms,
Once more restore her to my longing Arms.
A little while let her on Orpheus smile,
And she is yours, within a little while.
Life is but short, and when you please to call,
You can have her, you can have me, and all.
Thus Sung the Youth, but had not Pow'r to move,
No Charm the second time could gain his Love.
Rack'd with Despair, he quits the Stygian Coast,
Nor could he stay where his dear Wife was lost.
Back to the light he takes his mournful way,
But was not Chear'd at the approach of Day.
In sad complaints he does his griefs rehearse,
And tells his Sorrows in his moving Verse.
He Sings incessantly in Charming strains,
And draws Stones to him o'er the flow'ry plains.
His Pipe brings Herds, and their pleas'd Flocks along,
Which leave their pasture, to admire his Song.
The Trees Dance round, as if they understood,
By wond'rous Sympathy, the Voice of Wood.
His lays the Nymphs, and Sylvans did rejoice,
And ravish'd Maids lay melting at his Voice.
So much the Poet with his notes could move,
That all who heard them were engag'd in Love.
The wishing Virgins all their Pow'rs bestow,
To Charm the Youth who had o'ercome them so.
But still Eurydice his Thoughts does fill,
Her 'tis he Loves, to her he's constant still.
They, vex'd to bear their fond desires in vain,
Hate where they Lov'd, and furious o'er the plain,
Pursue the Youth, who by their Hands is slain.