Third Concert. TO APOLLO AND DIANA.
Chorus of Youths and Virgins.
Ye radiant Glories of the Skies,
Ever-beaming God of Light,
Sweetly-shining Queen of Night,
Beneath whose Wrath the wood-born Savage dies;
Ye Powers, to whom with ceaseless Praise
A grateful World its Homage pays,
Let our Prayer, our Prayer be heard,
Now in this solemn Hour prefer'd,
When by the Sibyl's dread Command,
Of spotless Maids a chosen Train,
Of spotless Youths a chosen Band,
To all our guardian Gods uplift the hallow'd Strain.
Chorus of Youths.
Fair Sun, who with unchanging Beam
Rising another, and the same,
Canst from thy beamy Car unfold
The glorious Day,
Or hide it in thy setting Ray,
Of Light and Life immortal Source,
May'st Thou, in all thy radiant Course,
Nothing more great than seven-hill'd Rome behold.
Chorus of Virgins.
Goddess of the natal Hour,
Or if other Name more dear,
Propitious Power,
Can charm your Ear,
Our pregnant Matrons gracious hear:
Wlth lenient Hand their Pangs compose,
Heal their agonizing Throes;
Give the springing Birth to Light,
And with every genial Grace,
Prolific of an endless Race,
Oh! crown our Marriage-Laws, and bless the nuptial Rite;
Chorus of Youths and Virgins.
That when the circling Years complete
Again this awful Season bring,
Thrice with the revolving Light,
Thrice beneath the Shades of Night,
In countless Bands our youthful Choirs may sing
These festal Hymns, these pious Games repeat.
Ye Fates, from whom unerring flows
The Word of Truth; whose firm Decree
Its stated Bounds, and Order knows,
Wide-spreading through Eternity,
With guardian Care around us wait,
And with successive Glories crown the State.
Let Earth her various Fruitage yield,
Her living Verdure spread,
And form, amid the waving Field,
A sheafy Crown for Ceres' Head;
Fall genial Showers, and o'er our fleecy Care
May Jove indulgent breathe his purest Air.
Chorus of Youths.
Phœbus, whose kindly Beams impart
Health and Gladness to the Heart,
While in its Quiver lies thy pestilential Dart,
Thy youthful Suppliants hear;
Chorus of Virgins.
Queen of the Stars, who rul'st the Night
In horned Majesty of Light,
Bend to thy Virgins a propitious Ear.
Chorus of Youths and Virgins.
If, ye Gods, the Roman State
Was form'd by your immortal Power,
Or if, to change th'imperial Seat,
And other Deities adore,
Beneath your Guidance the Dardanian Ho
Pour'd forth their Legions on the Tuscan Coast;
For whom Æneas, through the Fire,
In which he saw his Troy expire,
A Passage open'd to an happier Clime,
Where they might nobler Triumphs gain,
And, to never-ending Time,
With boundless Empire reign,
Ye Gods, inform our docile Youth
With early Principles of Truth;
Ye Gods, indulge the waning Days
Of silver'd Age with placid Ease,
And grant to Rome an endless Race,
Treasures immense, and every sacred Grace.
The Prince, who owes to Beauty's Queen his Birth,
Who bids the snowy Victim's Blood
Pour forth to Day its purple Flood,
Oh! may He glorious rule the conquer'd Earth;
But yet a milder Glory show
In Mercy to the prostrate Foe.
Already the fierce Mede his Arms reveres,
Which wide extend th' imperial Sway,
And bid th' unwilling World obey;
The haughty Indian owns his Fears,
And Scythians, doubtful of their Doom,
Await the dread Resolves of Rome.
Faith, Honour, Peace, celestial Maid!
And Modesty, in ancient Guise array'd,
And Virtue (with unhallow'd Scorn
Too long neglected) now appear,
While Plenty fills her bounteous Horn,
And pours her Blessings o'er the various Year.
Chorus of Youths.
If the prophetic Power divine,
Fam'd for the golden Bow, and quiver'd Dart,
Who knows to charm the listening Nine,
And feeble Mortals raise with healing Art;
If He with gracious Eye survey the Towers,
Where Rome his Deity adores,
Oh! let each Æra still presage
Increase of Happiness from Age to Age;
Chorus of Virgins.
And may Diana, on these favourite Hills
Whose diffusive Presence fills
Her hallow'd Fane,
Propitious deign
Our holy Priests to hear,
And to our Youth incline her willing Ear.
Chorus of Youths and Virgins.
Lo! We the chosen, youthful Choir,
Taught with harmonious Voice to raise
Apollo's and Diana's Praise,
In full and certain Hope retire,
That all th' assembled Gods, and sovereign Jove
These pious Vows, these choral Hymns approve.
