'Twas at the royal feast, for Perfia won

By Philip's warlike fon :

Aloft in awful state

The godlike hero fate

On his imperial throne:

His valiant peers were plac'd around;

Their brows with rofes and with myrtles bound. (So fhould defert in arms be crown'd :)

The lovely Thais, by his fide,

Sate like a blooming Eastern bride,

In flower of youth and beauty's pride.
Happy, happy, happy pair!
None but the brave,
None but the brave,

None but the brave deferves the fair.

Sooth'd with the found, the king grew vain; Fought all his battles o'er again;

And thrice he routed all his foes; and thrice flew the flain.

The mafter faw the madness rife;
His glowing cheeks, his ardent eyes;
And while he heaven and earth defy'd,
Chang'd his hand, and check'd his pride.
He chofe a mournful Mufe
Soft pity to infuse:

He fung Darius great and good,
By too fevere a fate,
Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen,
Fallen from his high estate,
And weltring in his blood;

Deferted, at his utmost need,
By thofe his former bounty fed:
On the bare earth expos'd he lies,
With not a friend to close his eyes.

With down-caft looks the joyless victor fate
Revolving in his alter'd foul

The various turns of chance below;
And, now and then, a figh he stole;
And tears began to flow.

CHORUS.

Revolving in bis alter'd foul

The various turns of chance beloru; And, now and then, a figh be fiole; And tears began to flow.

V.

The mighty mafter smil'd, to fce
That love was in the next degree:
'Twas but a kindred found to move,
For pity melts the mind to love.

Softly fweet, in Lydian measures,
Soon he footh'd his foul to pleasures.
War, he fung, is toil and trouble;
Honour but an empty bubble;
Never ending, ftill beginning,
Fighting ftill, and still destroying:
If the world be worth thy winning,
Think, O think, it worth enjoying:
Lovely Thais fits befide thee,

Take the good the gods provide thee.

The many rend the fkies with loud applause;

So Love was crown'd, but Mufic won the cause. The prince, unable to conceal his pain,

Gaz'd on the fair

Who caus'd his care

And figh'd and look'd, figh'd and look'd, Sigh'd and look'd, and figh'd again :

At length, with love and wine at once opprefs'd, The vanquish'd victor funk upon her breast.

To lay down thy pack,

And lighten thy back,

The world was a fool, e'er fince it begun,

And fince neither Janus, nor Chronos,norl,

Can hinder the crimes,

Or mend the bad times,

'Tis better to laugh than to cry.

Cho. of all three. 'Tis better to laugh than to cry. JANUS. Since Momus comes to laugh below,

Old Time begin the show,

That he may fee, in every scene,
What changes in this age have been.

CHRONOS. Then, goddess of the filver bow, begin. [Horns, or hunting mufic, within.]

MARS.

Free from rage, and free from crime.
A very merry, dancing, drinking,

Laughing, quffing, and unthinking time. [Dance of Diana's attendants.]

Enter MARS.

Infpire the vocal brafs, infpire;

The world is paft its infant age:

Arms and honour,

Arms and honour,

Set the martial mind on fire,

And kindle manly rage.

Mars has look'd the sky to red;

And Peace, the lazy good, is fled,
Plenty, peace, and pleasure fly;

The fprightly green,

In woodland walks, no more is seen;
The Sprightly green has drunk the Ty-
rian dye.

Cho. of all. Plenty, peace, &c.
MARS.

Sound the trumpet, beat the drum;
Through all the world around,