II Or taught my soul to fancy ought 20 And round beneath it, Time, in hours, Thousands there were as frantic as him. TO CHLOE WEEPING See, whilst thou weep'st, fair Chloe, see The world in sympathy with thee! The cheerful birds no longer sing, Each droops his head, and hangs his wing; The clouds have bent their bosom lower, A SONG If wine and music have the power Let them their friendly aid employ To make my Chloe's absence light, And seek for pleasure to destroy The sorrows of this live-long night. But she to-morrow will return. Venus, be thou to-morrow great, Thy myrtles strew, thy odors burn, And meet thy favorite nymph in state. Kind goddess, to no other powers Let us to-morrow's blessings own; Thy darling loves shall guide the hours, And all the day be thine alone. JOHN DRYDEN (1631-1700) ALEXANDER'S FEAST, or THE POWER OF MUSIC. An Ode in Honor of St. Cecilia's Day. I 'Twas at the royal feast, for Persia won His valiant peers were placed around; Their brows with roses, and with myrtles bound: (So should desert in arms be crowned.) The lovely Thais, by his side, Sate like a blooming eastern bride, 10 Happy, happy, happy pair! None but the brave, None but the brave deserves the fair. CHORUS Happy, happy, happy pair! None but the brave, None but the brave deserves the fair. And sighed and looked, sighed and looked, CHORUS Sighed and looked, and sighed again; And the king seized a flambeau with zeal At length, with love and wine at once to destroy; Thais led the way, To light him to his prey, And, like another Helen, fired another Troy. VI Now strike the golden lyre again; 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. 130 Revenge, revenge! Timotheus cries, See the furies arise; See the snakes, that they rear, Behold a ghastly band, Each a torch in his hand! Those are Grecian ghosts, that in battle |