The Poetical Works of John Dryden Volume Ii Part 18

War, he sung, is toil and trouble; Honour, but an empty bubble; Never ending, still beginning, Fighting still, and still destroying: If the world be worth thy winning, Think, O think it worth enjoying: Lovely Thais sits beside thee, Take the good the G.o.ds provide thee.

The many rend the skies with loud applause; So Love was crown'd, but Music won the cause.

The prince, unable to conceal his pain, Gazed on the fair Who caused his care, And sigh'd and look'd, sigh'd and look'd, Sigh'd and look'd, and sigh'd again: At length, with love and wine at once oppress'd, The vanquish'd victor sunk upon her breast.

CHORUS.

The prince, unable to conceal his pain, Gazed on the fair Who caused his care, And sigh'd and look'd, sigh'd and look'd, Sigh'd and look'd, and sigh'd again: At length, with love and wine at once oppress'd, The vanquish'd victor sunk upon her breast.

6 Now strike the golden lyre again: A louder yet, and yet a louder strain.

Break his bands of sleep asunder, And rouse him, like a rattling peal of thunder.

Hark, hark, the horrid sound Has raised up his head: As awaked from the dead, And amazed, he stares around.

Revenge, Revenge, Timotheus cries, See the Furies arise: See the snakes that they rear, How they hiss in their hair, And the sparkles that flash from their eyes!

Behold a ghastly band, Each a torch in his hand!

Those are Grecian ghosts, that in battle were slain, And unburied remain Inglorious on the plain: Give the vengeance due To the valiant crew.

Behold how they toss their torches on high, How they point to the Persian abodes, And glittering temples of their hostile G.o.ds.

The princes applaud, with a furious joy; And the king seized a flambeau with zeal to destroy; Thais led the way, To light him to his prey, And, like another Helen, fired another Troy.

CHORUS.

And the king seized a flambeau with zeal to destroy; Thais led the way, To light him to his prey, And, like another Helen, fired another Troy.

Thus, long ago, Ere heaving bellows learn'd to blow, While organs yet were mute; Timotheus, to his breathing flute, And sounding lyre, Could swell the soul to rage, or kindle soft desire.

At last divine Cecilia came, Inventress of the vocal frame; The sweet enthusiast, from her sacred store, Enlarged the former narrow bounds, And added length to solemn sounds, With nature's mother-wit, and arts unknown before.

Let old Timotheus yield the prize, Or both divide the crown; He raised a mortal to the skies; She drew an angel down.

GRAND CHORUS.

At last, divine Cecilia came, Inventress of the vocal frame; The sweet enthusiast, from her sacred store, Enlarged the former narrow bounds, And added length to solemn sounds, With nature's mother-wit, and arts unknown before.

Let old Timotheus yield the prize, Or both divide the crown; He raised a mortal to the skies; She drew an angel down.

XXI

THE SECULAR MASQUE.[45]

_Enter_ Ja.n.u.s.

_Ja.n.u.s_. Chronos, Chronos, mend thy pace; An hundred times the rolling sun Around the radiant belt has run In his revolving race.

Behold, behold the goal in sight, Spread thy fans, and wing thy flight.

_Enter_ CHRONOS, _with a scythe in his hand, and a globe on his back; which he sets down at his entrance_.

_Chronos_. Weary, weary of my weight, Let me, let me drop my freight, And leave the world behind.

I could not bear, 10 Another year, The load of human kind.

_Enter_ MOMUS, _laughing_.

_Momus_. Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! well hast thou done To lay down thy pack, And lighten thy back.

The world was a fool, ere since it begun, And since neither Ja.n.u.s nor Chronos, nor I, Can hinder the crimes, Or mend the bad times, 'Tis better to laugh than to cry. 20

_Chorus of all three_. 'Tis better to laugh than to cry.

_Ja.n.u.s_. Since Momus comes to laugh below, Old time begin the show, That he may see, in every scene, What changes in this age have been.

_Chronos_. Then G.o.ddess of the silver bow begin.

[_Horns, or hunting-music within._]

_Enter_ DIANA.

_Diana_. With horns and with hounds, I waken the day, And hie to the woodland walks away; I tuck up my robe, and am buskin'd soon, And tie to my forehead a waxing moon; 30 I course the fleet stag, unkennel the fox, And chase the wild goats o'er summits of rocks; With shouting and hooting we pierce through the sky, And Echo turns hunter, and doubles the cry.

_Chorus of all_. With shouting and hooting we pierce through the sky, And Echo turns hunter, and doubles the cry.

_Ja.n.u.s_. Then our age was in its prime:

_Chronos_. Free from rage:

_Diana_.--And free from crime.

_Momus_. A very merry, dancing, drinking, 40 Laughing, quaffing, and unthinking time.

_Chorus of all_. Then our age was in its prime, Free from rage, and free from crime, A very merry, dancing, drinking, Laughing, quaffing, and unthinking time.

[_Dance of Diana's attendants_.]

_Enter_ MARS.

_Mars_. Inspire the vocal bra.s.s, inspire; The world is past its infant age: Arms and honour, Arms and honour, Set the martial mind on fire, 50 And kindle manly rage.

Mars has look'd the sky to red; And Peace, the lazy G.o.d, is fled.

Plenty, peace, and pleasure fly; The sprightly green, In woodland walks, no more is seen; The sprightly green has drunk the Tyrian dye.

_Chorus of all._ Plenty, peace, &c.

_Mars._ Sound the trumpet, beat the drum; Through all the world around, 60 Sound a reveillie, sound, sound, The warrior G.o.d is come.

_Chorus of all._ Sound the trumpet, &c.

_Momus._ Thy sword within the scabbard keep, And let mankind agree; Better the world were fast asleep, Than kept awake by thee.

The fools are only thinner, With all our cost and care:

But neither side a winner, 70 For things are as they were.

_Chorus of all_. The fools are only, &c.

_Enter_ VENUS.