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A Song by Orpheus.
Poor Tantalus, I pitty thee,
Who Court'st the Wave, and Woo'st the Tree;
The water slides just as he sips,
And so avoids his amorous Lips;
The Golden Fruit his lust intice,
VVhich he wou'd tast at any price:
But Fate resists his strong desires,
For whilst he gapes, the Fruit retires;
VVhat fault, alas! cou'd this deserve,
In midst of plenty thus to starve?
Thou art like a Miser cloath'd in Rags,
VVhilst he sits brooding o're his Bags,
And dares not touch ought of his store,
But is in midst of plenty Poor.
Hym.
Who Court'st the Wave, and Woo'st the Tree;
The water slides just as he sips,
And so avoids his amorous Lips;
The Golden Fruit his lust intice,
VVhich he wou'd tast at any price:
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For whilst he gapes, the Fruit retires;
VVhat fault, alas! cou'd this deserve,
In midst of plenty thus to starve?
Thou art like a Miser cloath'd in Rags,
VVhilst he sits brooding o're his Bags,
And dares not touch ought of his store,
But is in midst of plenty Poor.
Hail to the lovely pair,
For whose sweet sake I hither made repair,
Firmly to lie
In Amity,
Beauty and Love, which be
Compris'd in Orpheus and Euridice.
For whose sweet sake I hither made repair,
Firmly to lie
In Amity,
Beauty and Love, which be
Compris'd in Orpheus and Euridice.
Orph.
VVelcomer than the day,
Hymen, what was the cause of this delay?
Cou'dst thou find out
A cause of doubt,
Or thought that there might be
In either of us Mutability?
Hym.
Brave Prince of Poets, no;
By this delay I strove to let you know
Some cruel Fate
Does on you wait,
VVhich all your Pleasure banes,
Fast bound by Fate in Adamantine Chains.
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The Gods with ease afflict
Poor Mortals, who their power can't contradict;
And we adore
That power the more,
And herein surely trust,
If we but once are good, that they are just.
Eurid.
None but the Guilty fear,
And what they fear, 'tis Justice they shou'd bear:
Let nothing cause
A farther pause,
But in this Temple joyn
Two Hands, Two Hearts, which Fate cannot untwine.
Hym.
Goddess of Hearts,
Before whose Throne
VVith equal parts
Two and yet One
Themselves present,
To the intent
That thou mayst ever be
Propitious to their Love and Amity.
Grant their Requests,
Let lasting Peace
In mutual Breasts
Ever increase;
And may they prove
True as the Dove,
And may they also be
Inrich'd with a most numerous Progenie.
Let lasting Peace
In mutual Breasts
Ever increase;
And may they prove
True as the Dove,
And may they also be
Inrich'd with a most numerous Progenie.
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For by this Light,
And Altars fume,
Which in thy sight
We here consume,
Thou ne're didst bless
With happiness
Two Lovers that will prove
More great in Merit, or more true to Love.
Chorus.
And Altars fume,
Which in thy sight
We here consume,
Thou ne're didst bless
With happiness
Two Lovers that will prove
More great in Merit, or more true to Love.
Let pleasing smiles
And mutual Joy
The time beguile,
And never cloy.
Let pleasant Theams,
In gentle Dreams,
Increase their generous fire,
And kindle Flames that never shall expire.
Hymen.
The Goddess frowns, and with dejected Eyes
Seems slightly to regard our Sacrifice.
One of the Turtles which the Offering were,
Dy'd on the Altar, e're I made my Prayer.
The Tapers shone but with a heavy light,
One sputtering Blue, resign'd his Flame to Night.
Orpheus.
The Gods deep wills are seldom known,
'Till put in Execution;
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A certain doom none can prevent;
Then why shou'd we capitulate
With what recorded is by Fate?
Euridice.
The power of Fate cannot our love control,
And fear's too base for any generous Soul;
The Gods, who in a higher Orb do move,
May take our lives, but never wrong our Love.
Let's then like Turtles sitting on a Tree,
Wait for the Hawk wou'd catch us if we flee.
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