301

Rittornel of flutes. After which Cupid rifes, and fings with his bow drawn.

Yield to the god of foft defires!
Whose gentle influence inspires
Every creature

Throughout nature

With fprightly joys and genial fires.

Chorus of the Shepherds and Nymfls.
Hail, thou potent deity!

Every creature

Throughout nature

Owns thy power as well as we.

Enter Hymen, in a faffron-coloured robe, a chaplet of flowers on bis bead, and in bis band the nuptial torch; attended by priefis.

Hymen.

Behold a greater power than he,

Behold the marriage deity!

Chorus, by Hymen's attendants.

Behold the marriage deity!
Cupid, Smiling.

Behold the god of household strife,
That spoils the happy lover's life,
And turns a mistress to a wife!
Eymen.

Foolish and inconstant boy!
Thine's a transitory joy;
Sudden fits in pleasure's fever;
Hymen's bleffings laft for ever.

Cupid.

Hymen's bondage lafts for ever; Love's free pleasures failing never. Hymen.

Love's flolen pleasures, infincere, Purchas'd at a rate too dear, Shame and forrow will deftroy, If Hymen license not the joy. Both together.

Then let us join hands and unite.

Laft Chorus of the Shepherds and Nymphs. How happy, how happy, how happy are we, Where Cupid and Hymen in confort agree! We'll ravel all day with sports and delight, And Hymen and Cupid fhall govern the night.

A CANTA T A. Set by Mr. Galliard.

RECITATIVE.

VENUS! thy throne of beauty now refign! Behold on earth a conquering fair,

302

Or afk the god of tuneful found, Who fings it to his lyre,

And does this maid inspire

With his own art, to give a furer wound.

AIR.

Hark! the groves her fongs repeat;
Echo lurks in hollow fprings,
And, tranfported while fhe fings,
Learns her voice, and grows more sweet;
Could Narciffus fee or hear her,
From his fountain he would fly,

And, with awe approaching near her,
For a real beauty die.

Hark! the groves her fongs repeat;
Echo lurks in hollow fprings,
And, transported while fhe fings,
Learns her voice, ard grows more sweet.

RECITATIVE.

Yet Venus once again my fuit attend!
And when from heaven you fhall defcend,

This flining empress to array,
When you present her all your train of loves,
Your chariot, and your murmuring doves,
Tell her the wants one charm to make the rest
more gay,

Then fmiling to th' harmonious beauty fay:

AIR.

To a lovely face and air,

Let à tender heart be join'd.
Love can make you doubly fair;
Mufic's sweeter when you're kind.
To a lovely face and air,
Let a tender heart be join'd.

A FRAGMENT.

In every age to brighter honours born,
Which lovelieft nymphs and sweetest bards adorn,
Beauty and wit each other's aid require,
And poets fing what once the fair infpire;
The fair for ever thus her charms prolong,
And live rewarded in the tuneful fong.
Thus Sachariffa fhines in Waller's lays,

And the, who rais'd his genius, fhares his praise.
Each does in each a mutual lite infufe,
Th' infpiring beauty, the recording muse.

Hæc largo matura die, faturataque vernis Roribus, indulget fpatio: latet altera nodo, Nec teneris audet foliis admittere foles.

TRANSLATED.

Venus coming to a nuptial ceremony, and entering the room, fees the bride and her mother fitting together,. &c. On which occasion Claudian makes the following defcription.

THE goddess paus'd; and, held in deep amaze,
Now views the mother's, now the daughter's face
Different in each, yet equal beauty glows,
That, the full moon, and this, the crefcent fhows;
Thus, rais'd beneath its parent tree is feen
The laurel shoot, while, in its early green,
Thick-fprouting leaves and branches are effay'd,
And all the promise of a future fhade.
Or, blooming thus, in happy Preflan fields,
One common stock two lovely roses yields;
Mature by vernal dews, this darcs difplay
Its leaves full blown, and boldly meets the day;
That, folded in its tender nonage lies,
A beauteous bud, nor yet admits the skies.

CLAUDIANUS.

IN EPITHALAMIO HONORII ET MARIE.

CUNCTATUR ftupefacta Venus Nunc ora puellæ, Nunc flavam niveo miratur vertice matrem. Hæc modo crefcenti, plenæ par altera lunæ : Affurgit ceu fortè minor fub matre virenti Laurus: et ingentes ramos, olimque futuras Promitit jam parva comas: vel florc fub uno, Ceu gemina Pæftana rofæ per jugera regnant.

I

THE SOLDIER IN LOVE.

A CANTATA.

Set with Symphonies by Mr. Pepufch.

AIR.

Why, too amorous hero! why Doft thou the war forego,

At Celia's feet to lie,

And fighing tell thy woe! Can you think that fneaking air Fit to move th' unpitying fair? She laughs to see thee trifle fo. Why, 100 amorous hero why Doft thou the war forego, At Calia's feet to lie,

And fighing tell thy woe?

RECITATIVE.

Cleander heard not this advice, Nor would his languishing refrain.

But while to Celia once he pray'd in vain,
By chance his image in a glats he fpies,

And, blushing at the fight, he grew a man again,
AIR. with a trumpet.]

Hark! the trumpet founds to arms!
I come, I come, the warrior cries,
And from fcornful Celia flies,
To court Victoria's charms.
Celia beholds his alter'd brow,
And would regain her lover now.
Hark! the trumpet founds to arms!
I come, I come, the warrior cries,
And from fcornful Celia flies,
To court Victoria's charmis.

Divineft art, whofe fame fhall never ceafe!

Thy honour'd voice proclaim'd the Saviour's birth;
When heaven vouchfaf'd to treat with earth,
Mufic was herald of the peace :

Thy voice could best the joyful tidings tell;
Immortal mercy! boundless love!
A God defcending from above,
To conquer death and hell.

* Milton.