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Yet ftill in vain: for mufick gather'd thought;

But how unequal the effects it brought?

The foft ideas of the chearful note,
Lightly receiv'd, were easily forgot;
The folemn violence of the graver found
Knew to strike deep, and leave a lafting wound.
And now reflecting, I with grief defcry
The fickly luft of the fantastick eye;
How the weak organ is with seeing cloy'd,
Flying ere night what it at noon enjoy'd.

And now (unhappy fearch of thought!) I found
The fickle ear foon glutted with the found;
Condemn'd eternal changes to pursue,

Tir'd with the last, and eager of the new.

I bade the virgins and the youth advance,
To temper mufick with the fprightly dance.
In vain! too low the mimick motions feem;
What takes our heart muft merit our esteem.
Nature, I thought, perform'd too mean a part,
Forming her movements to the rules of art;
And vex'd, I found that the musician's hand
Had o'er the dancer's mind too great command.
I drank; I lik'd it not: 'twas rage; 'twas noife;
An airy scene of tranfitory joys.

In vain I trusted that the flowing bowl

Would banish forrow and enlarge the foul.
To the late revel and protracted feast
Wild dreams fucceeded, and disorder'd rest;
And as at dawn of morn fair Reason's light
Broke thro' the fumes and phantoms of the night;
What had been said, I ask'd my foul-what done?
How flow'd our mirth, and whence the fource begun ?
Perhaps the jeft that charm'd the fprightly crowd,

And made the jovial table laugh fo loud,

To fome falfe notion ow'd it's poor pretence;

To an ambiguous word's perverted fenfe;

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To a wild fonnet, or a wanton air ;

Offence and torture to the fober ear.

Perhaps, alas! the pleafing ftream was brought
From this man's error, from another's fault;
From topicks which good-nature would forget,
And prudence mention with the laft regret.

Add yet unnumber'd ills, that lie unfeen
In the pernicious draught; the word obfcene,
Or harsh, which once elanc'd muft ever fly
Irrevocable; the too prompt reply,

Seed of fevere diftrust and fierce debate,
What we should shun, and what we ought to hate.
Add, too, the blood impov'rish'd, and the courfe
Of health fupprefs'd, by wine's continu'd force.
Unhappy man! whom forrow thus, and rage,
To diff'rent ills alternately engage:

Who drinks, alas! but to forget; nor fees
That melancholy floth, fevere disease,
Mem'ry confus'd, and interrupted thought,
(Death's harbingers) lie latent in the draught;
And in the flow'rs that wreath the fparkling bowl,
Fell adders hifs, and pois'nous ferpents roll.

Remains there aught untry'd that may remove
Sickness of mind, and heal the bofom ?-Love!
Love yet remains! indulge his genial fire;
Cherish fair Hope, folicit young Defire,
And boldly bid thy anxious foul explore
This laft great remedy's myfterious pow'r.
Why, therefore, hefitates my doubtful breaft?

Why ceases it one moment to be blefs'd?

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Fly swift, my friends! my fervants, fly! employ

• Your instant pains to bring your master joy.
Let all my wives and concubines be dress'd;
Let them to night attend the royal feaft;
All Ifrael's beauty, all the foreign fair,
The its of princes, or the fpoils of war:

• Before

Before their monarch they fhall fingly pass,
And the most worthy shall obtain the grace.'

I faid the feaft was ferv'd; the bowl was crown'd;
To the king's pleasure went the mirthful round.
The women came as custom wills, they pass'd.
On one (O that distinguish'd one!) I caft
The fav'rite glance-O! yet my mind retains
That fond beginning of my infant pains!
Mature the virgin was, of Egypt's race,
Grace fhap'd her limbs, and beauty deck'd her face:
Eafy her motion feem'd, ferene her air;

Full, tho' unzon'd, her bosom rofe; her hair
Unty'd, and ignorant of artful aid,

Adown her shoulders loosely lay difplay'd,

And in the jetty curls ten thoufand Cupids play'd.
Fix'd on her charms, and pleas'd that I could love,
Aid me, my friends, contribute to improve
• Your monarch's blifs!' I faid: fresh roses bring
To ftrew my bed, till the impov'rish'd Spring

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• Confefs her want; around my am'rous head

• Be dropping myrrh and liquid amber shed,

• Till Arab has no more; from the foft lyre,

• Sweet flute, and ten-string'd inftrument, require
Sounds of delight-and thou, fair nymph, draw nigh!
Thou, in whofe graceful form and potent eye
Thy mafter's joy, long fought, at length is found;
And as thy brow, let my defires be crown'd.
' O fav'rite virgin, that haft warm'd the breast
• Whose fov'reign dictates fubjugate the East!'
I faid; and fudden from the golden throne,
With a fubmiffive ftep, I hafted down.
The glowing garland from my hair I took,
Love in my heart, obedience in my look ;
Prepar'd to place it on her comely head-

O fav'rite virgin! yet again I faid,

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• Receive

• Receive the honours deftin'd to thy brow;
• And O, above thy fellows, happy thou!
Their duty muft thy fov'reign word obey—
Rife up, my love; my fair-one, come away!'
What pang, alas! what extafy of fmart

Tore up my fenfes and transfix'd my heart,

When fhe, with modeft fcorn, the wreath return'd,
Reclin'd her beauteous neck, and inward mourn'd!
Forc'd by my pride, I my concern fupprefs'd,
Pretended drowzinefs, and wish of rest;
And fullen, I forfook th' imperfect feaft:
Ord'ring the eunuchs, to whofe proper care
Our eastern grandeur gives th' imprison'd fair,
To lead her forth to a distinguish'd bow'r,
And bid her drefs the bed and wait the hour.

Reftlefs I follow'd this obdurate maid,
(Swift are the fteps that Love and Anger tread!)
Approach'd her perfon, courted her embrace,
Renew'd my flame, repeated my disgrace:
By turns put on the fuppliant and the lord;
Threaten'd this moment, and the next implor'd
Offer'd again the unaccepted wreath,

And choice of happy love, or instant death.
Averfe to all her am'rous king defir'd,

Far as the might she decently retir'd;

And darting scorn and forrow from her eyes—

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• What means,' faid he, King Solomon the wife?
• This wretched body trembles at your pow'r;

Thus far could Fortune, but the can no more.
Free to herself my potent mind remains,

• Nor fears the victor's rage, nor feels his chains.
'Tis faid that thou canst plaufibly dispute,
(Supreme of feers!) of angel, man, and brute;
• Canft plead, with fubtle wit and fair difcourfe,
Of paffion's folly and of reafon's force.

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• That

• That to the tribes attentive, thou canst know
• Whence their misfortunes or their bleffings flow:
That thou in fcience as in pow'r art great,

◄ And truth and honour on thy edicts wait.
Where is that knowledge now, that regal thought,
With juft advice and timely counfel fraught?
Where now, O Judge of Ifrael, does it rove?
• What in one moment doft thou offer? Love-
Love? why, 'tis joy or forrow, peace or ftrife;
• 'Tis all the colour of remaining life;
• And human mis'ry muft begin or end,
• As he becomes a tyrant or a friend.

• Would David's fon, religious, just, and grave,
To the firft bride-bed of the world receive

A foreigner, a heathen, and a flave?

'Or, grant thy paffion has these names destroy'd,
That Love, like Death, makes all distinction void;
Yet in his empire o'er thy abject breast,
• His flames and torments only are express'd;
• His rage can in my smiles alone relent,
And all his joys folicit my confent.

Soft love, fpontaneous tree, it's parted root 'Muft from two hearts with equal vigour fhoot; • Whilft each delighted, and delighting, gives The pleafing extafy which each receives:

• Cherish'd with hope, and fed with joy, it grows;
It's chearful buds their op'ning bloom disclose,
And round the happy foil diffusive odour flows.
'If angry Fate that mutual care denies,

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The fading plant bewails it's due fupplies; 'Wild with despair, or fick with grief, it dies.

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By force beafts act, and are by force reftrain'd;

• The human mind by gentle means is gain'd.

Thy useless ftrength, mistaken king, employ:

Sated with rage, and ignorant of joy,

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