Poems on Several Occasions :: :: University of Virginia Library

When Beauty's Goddess from the Ocean sprung,
Ascending, o'er the Waves she cast a Smile
On fair Britannia's happy Isle,
And rais'd her tuneful Voice, and thus she sung.

AIR.

Hail Britannia! hail to thee,
Fairest Island of the Sea!
Thou my fav'rite Land shalt be.
Cyprus too shall own my Sway,
And dedicate to me its Groves;
Yet VENUS and her Train of Loves
Will with happier Britain stay.

132

Hail Britannia! hail to thee,
Fairest Island of the Sea!
Thou my fav'rite Land shalt be.

Recitative.

Britannia heard the Notes diffusing wide,
And saw the Pow'r whom Gods and Men adore
Approaching nearer with the Tide,
And in a Rapture loudly cry'd,
O welcome! welcome to my Shore!

AIR.

Lovely Isle! so richly blest!
Beauty's Palm is thine confest.
Thy Daughters all the World outshine,
Nor VENUS Self is so divine.
Lovely Isle! so richly blest!
Beauty's Palm is thine confest.

133

CANTATA II. ALEXIS.

Recitative.

See,—from the silent Grove Alexis flies,
And seeks with ev'ry pleasing Art
To ease the Pain, which lovely Eyes
Created in his Heart.
To shining Theatres he now repairs,
To learn Camilla's moving Airs,
Where thus to Musick's Pow'r the Swain address'd his Pray'rs.

AIR.

Charming Sounds! that sweetly languish,
Musick, O compose my Anguish!
Ev'ry Passion yields to thee:
Phœbus, quickly then relieve me;
Cupid shall no more deceive me;
I'll to sprightlier Joys be free.

Recitative.

Apollo heard the foolish Swain;
He knew, when Daphne once he lov'd,
How weak, t'asswage an Am'rous Pain,
His own Harmonious Art had prov'd,
And all his Healing Herbs how vain.

134

Then thus he strikes the speaking Strings,
Preluding to his Voice, and sings.

AIR.

Sounds, tho' charming, can't relieve thee;
Do not, Shepherd, then deceive thee,
Musick is the Voice of Love.
If the tender Maid believe thee,
Soft Relenting,
Kind Consenting,
Will alone thy Pain remove.

CANTATA III. ON THE SPRING.

[With Violins.]

AIR.

Fragrant FLORA! haste, appear,
Goddess of the youthful Year!
Zephyr gently courts thee now;
On thy Buds of Roses playing,
All thy breathing Sweets displaying,
Hark, his amorous Breezes blow!

135

Fragrant FLORA, haste, appear!
Goddess of the youthful Year!
Zephyr gently courts thee now.

Recitative.

Thus on a fruitful Hill, in the fair Bloom of Spring,
The tuneful Collinet his Voice did raise,
The Vales remurmur'd with his Lays,
And list'ning Birds hung hov'ring on the Wing.
In whisp'ring Sighs soft Zephyr by him flew,
While thus the Shepherd did his Song renew.

AIR.

Love and Pleasures gaily flowing,
Come this charming Season grace!
Smile, ye Fair! your Joys bestowing,
Spring and Youth will soon be going,
Seize the Blessings ere they pass.
Love and Pleasures gaily flowing,
Come this charming Season grace!

136

CANTATA IV. MIRANDA.

Recitative.

Miranda 's tuneful Voice and Fame
Had reach'd the wond'ring Skies;
From Heav'n the God of Musick came,
And own'd a pleas'd Surprize;
Then in a soft melodious Lay,
Apollo did these grateful Praises pay.

AIR.

Matchless Charmer! thine shall be
The highest Prize of Harmony.
Phœbus ever will inspire thee,
And th'applauding World admire thee;
All shall in thy Praise agree.
Matchless Charmer! thine shall be
The highest Prize of Harmony.

Recitative.

The God then summon'd ev'ry Muse t'appear,
And hail their Sister of the Quire;
Smiling they stood around, her soothing Strains to hear,
And fill'd her happy Soul with all their Fire.

137

AIR.

O Harmony! how wondrous sweet,
Dost thou our Cares allay!
When all thy moving Graces meet,
How softly dost thou steal our easy Hours away!
O Harmony! how wondrous sweet,
Dost thou our Cares allay!

CANTATA V. CORYDON.

Recitative.

While CORYDON the lonely Shepherd try'd
His tuneful Flute, and charm'd the Grove,
The jealous Nightingales, that strove
To trace his Notes, contending dy'd;
At last he hears within a Myrtle Shade
An Echo answer all his Strain,
Love stole the Pipe of sleeping Pan, and play'd,
Then with his Voice decoys the list'ning Swain.

138

AIR.

[With a Flute.]

Gay Shepherd, to befriend thee,
Here pleasing Scenes attend thee,
O this way speed thy Pace!
If Musick can delight thee,
Or Visions fair invite thee,
This Bow'r's the happy Place.
Gay Shepherd, to befriend thee,
Here pleasing Scenes attend thee,
O this way speed thy Pace!

Recitative.

The Shepherd rose, he gaz'd around,
And vainly sought the Magick Sound;
The God of Love his Motion spies,
Lays by the Pipe, and shoots a Dart
Thro' CORYDON's unwary Heart,
Then, smiling, from his Ambush flies;
While in his Room, divinely bright,
The reigning Beauty of the Groves surpriz'd the Shepherd's Sight.

AIR.

Who from LOVE his Heart securing,
Can avoid th'inchanting Pain?
PLEASURE calls with Voice alluring,
BEAUTY softly binds the Chain.
Who from LOVE his Heart securing,
Can avoid th'inchanting Pain?

139

CANTATA VI. THE COQUET.

Recitative.

Airy CLOE, proud and young,
The fairest Tyrant of the Plain,
Laugh'd at her adoring Swain.
He sadly sigh'd—She gaily sung,
And, wanton, thus reproach'd his Pain.

AIR.

Leave me, silly Shepherd, go;
You only tell me what I know,
You view a thousand Charms in me;
Then cease thy Pray'rs, I'll kinder grow,
When I can view such Charms in thee.
Leave me, silly Shepherd, go;
You only tell me what I know,
You view a thousand Charms in me.

Recitative.

AMYNTOR, fir'd by this Disdain,
Curs'd the proud Fair, and broke his Chain;
He rav'd, and at the Scorner swore,
And vow'd, he'd be Love's Fool no more—
But CLOE smil'd, and thus she call'd him back again.

140

AIR.

Shepherd, this I've done to prove thee,
Now thou art a Man, I love thee,
And without a Blush resign.
But ungrateful is the Passion,
And destroys our Inclination,
When, like Slaves, our Lovers whine.
Shepherd, this I've done to prove thee,
Now thou art a Man, I love thee,
And without a Blush resign.