ANTISTROPНЕ ІІ.

Ye Gods! what justice rules the ball! 25
Freedom and Arts together fall;
Fools grant whate'er Ambition craves,
And men, once ignorant, are flaves.

Oh curs'd effects of civil hate,

In ev'ry age, in ev'ry state!

Still, when the luft of tyrant pow'r succeeds, Some Athens perishes, some Tully bleeds.

30

CHORUS of Youths and Virgins.

SEMICHORUS.

H Tyrant Love! haft thou poffeft
The prudent, learn'd, and virtuous breaft?

Wisdom and wit in vain reclaim,

And Arts but foften us to feel thy flame.
Love, soft intruder, enters here,

But entring learns to be fincere.
Marcus with blushes owns he loves,

And Brutus tenderly reproves.

Why, Virtue, dost thou blame defire,
Which Nature has impreft?
Why, Nature, dost thou fooneft fire
The mild and gen'rous breast?

CHORUS.

Love's purer flames the Gods approve;
The Gods and Brutus bend to love:

Brutus for absent Portia fighs,

And sterner Caffius melts at Junia's eyes.

NOTES.

5

10

15

VER. 9. Why, Virtue, etc.] In allufion to that famous conceit of Guarini,

" Se il peccare è sì dolce," etc.

What is loose love? a tranfient gust,
Spent in a fudden storm of luft,
A vapour fed from wild defire,
A wand'ring, self-consuming fire.

But Hymen's kinder flames unite;
And burn for ever one;
Chaste as cold Cynthia's virgin light,
Productive as the Sun.

SEMICHORUS.

20

25

Oh fource of ev'ry social tye,
United wish, and mutual joy!
What various joys on one attend,
As fon, as father, brother, husband, friend?
Whether his hoary fire he spies,
While thousand grateful thoughts arise; 30
Or meets his spouse's fonder eye;
Or views his smiling progeny;

What tender passions take their turns,
What home-felt raptures move?
His heart now melts, now leaps, now burns,
With rev'rence, hope, and love.

CHORUS.

Hence guilty joys, distastes, surmises,
Hence false tears, deceits, disguises,
Dangers, doubts, delays, furprizes ;

36

Fires that scorch, yet dare not shine :
Purest love's unwasting treasure,
Constant faith, fair hope, long leisure,
Days of ease, and nights of pleasure;

Sacred Hymen! these are thine *.

NOTES.

40

• These two Chorus's are enough to shew us his great talents for this species of Poetry, and to make us lament he did not prosecute his purpose in executing some plans he had chalked out; but the Character of the Managers of Playhoufes at that time, was what (he said) foon determined him to lay afide all thoughts of that nature.

ODE on SOLITUDE,

HAPPY

APPY the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,

Content to breathe his native air,

In his own ground.

Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire,
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter fire.

Bleft, who can unconcern'dly find

Hours, days, and years flide soft away,

In health of body, peace of mind,

Quiet by day,

Sound fleep by night; study and ease,
Together mixt; sweet recreation :
And innocence, which most does please
With meditation.

Thus let me live, unseen, unknown,
Thus unlamented let me die,

Steal from the world, and not a stone