صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

4. By this time, the other lady was come up, and addressed herself to the young hero in a very different manner. "Hercules," said she, "I offer myself to you, because I know you are descended from the gods, and give proofs of that descent, by your love of virtue, and application to the studies proper for your age. This makes me hope that you will gain, both for yourself and me, an immortal reputation. But before I invite you into my society and friendship, I will be open and sincere with you; and must lay this down as an established truth, that there is nothing truly valuable which can be purchased without pains and labor. The gods have set a price upon every real and noble pleasure. If you would gain the favor of Deity, you must be at the pains of worshiping him; if the friendship of good men, you must study to oblige them; if you would be honored by your country, you must take care to serve it; in short, if you would be eminent in war or peace, you must become master of all the qualifications that can make you so. These are the only terms and conditions upon which I can promise happiness."

5. The goddess of Pleasure here broke in upon her discourse; "You see," said she, "Hercules, by her own confession, the way to her pleasures is long and difficult, whereas that which I propose is short and easy." "Alas!" said the other lady, whose visage glowed with scorn and pity, "what are the pleasures you propose? To eat before you are hungry, drink before you are thirsty, sleep before you are tired; to gratify appetites before they are raised, and raise such appetites as nature never planted. You never heard the most delicious music, which is the praise of yourself; or saw the most beautiful object, which is the work of your own hands. Your + votaries pass away their youth in a dream of mistaken pleasures; while they are hoarding up anguish, torment, and remorse, for old age.

6. "As for me, I am the friend of the gods, and of good men; an agreeable companion of the artisan; a household guardian to the fathers of families; a patron and protector of servants; an associate in all true and generous friendships. The banquets of my votaries are never costly, but always delicious; for none eat or drink at them, who are not invited by hunger and thirst. Their slumbers are sound, and their wakings cheerful. My young men have the pleasure of hearing themselves praised by those who are in years: and those who are in years, of being honored by those who are young. In a word, my followers are favored by the gods, beloved by their acquaintance, esteemed by their country, and, after the close of their labors, honored by posterity."

7. We know, by the life of this memorable hero, to which of these two ladies he gave up his heart; and, I believe, every one who reads this, will do him the justice to approve of his choice.

TATLER.

LESSON CLXX.

ALEXANDER'S FEAST.

1. 'T WAS at the royal feast, for Persia won
By Philip's warlike son.
Aloft, in awful state,
The god-like hero sat
On his imperial throne.

2.

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,

Sat 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, deserve the fair.

Timotheus, placed on high

Amid the tuneful +choir,

With flying fingers touched the lyre.
The trembling notes ascend the sky,
And heavenly joys inspire.

The song began from Jove,

Who left his blissful seats above;
Such is the power of mighty love.

A dragon's fiery form belied the god;
Sublime on radiant spheres he rode,
When he to fair Olympia pressed,

And stamped an image of himself, a sovereign of the world.
The listening crowd admire the lofty sound:

A present deity! they shout around;

A present deity! the vaulted roofs rebound.
With ravished ears

The monarch hears;
Assumes the god,

Affects to nod,

And seems to shake the spheres.

3. The praise of Bacchus, then, the sweet musician sung; Of Bacchus, ever fair, and ever young.

The jolly god in triumph comes!

Sound the trumpets, beat the drums.
Flushed with a purple grace,

He shows his honest face.

Now, give the +hautboys breath, he comes! he comes!
Bacchus, ever fair and young,

Drinking joys did first ordain.

Bacchus' blessings are a treasure ;
Drinking is the soldier's pleasure;
Rich the treasure ;

Sweet the pleasure;

Sweet is pleasure after pain.

4. Soothed with the sound, the king grew vain,

Fought his battles o'er again;

And thrice he routed all his foes, and thrice he slew the slain. The master saw the madness rise,

5.

His glowing cheeks, his ardent eyes;
And while he heaven and earth defied,
Changed his hand, and checked his pride.
He chose a mournful muse

Soft pity to infuse.

He sang Darius, great and good,
By too severe a fate,

Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen,
Fallen from his high estate,
And weltering in his blood.
Deserted in his utmost need
By those his former bounty fed,
On the bare earth exposed he lies,
With not a friend to close his eyes.

With downcast look the joyless victor sat,
Revolving, in his altered soul,

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

The master smiled, to see

That love was in the next degree!

"T was but a kindred sound to move;

For pity melts the mind to love.

Softly sweet in Lydian measures,
Soon, he soothed his soul to pleasures;
War, he sung, is toil and trouble;
Honor, but an empty bubble;
Never ending, still beginning,
Fighting still, and still destroying.
If the world be worth thy winning,
Think, oh! think it worth enjoying!
Lovely Thais sits beside thee;

Take the good the gods provide thee.
The many rend the skies with loud applause ;
So love was crowned, but music won the cause.
The prince, unable to conceal his pain,
Gazed on the fair

Who caused his care,

And sighed and looked; sighed and looked;
Sighed and looked; and sighed again:

At length, with love and wine at once oppressed,
The vanquished victor sunk upon her breast.

6. Now, strike the golden lyre again; A louder, and yet a louder strain: Break his bands of sleep asunder,

7.

And rouse him, like a rattling peal of thunder.
Hark! hark! the horrid sound

Hath raised up his head,

As awaked from the dead,
And amazed he stares around.
Revenge, revenge! Timotheus cries,
See the furies arise!

See the snakes that they rear,
How they hiss in the air,

And the sparkles that flash from their eyes!
Behold aghastly band,

Each a torch in his hand!

These are Grecian ghosts, that in battle were slain,
And, unburied, remain,
Inglorious on the plain.
Give the vengeance due
To the valiant crew.

Behold, how they toss their torches on high!
How they point to the Persian abodes,

And glittering temples of their hostile gods!

The princes applaud, with a furious joy;

And the king seized a flambeau, with zeal to destroy! Thais led the way,

To light him to his prey;

And, like another Helen, fired another Troy.

Thus, long ago,

Ere heaving bellows learned to blow,

While organs yet were mute;

Timotheus, to his breathing flute

And sounding lyre,

Could swell the soul to rage, or kindle soft desire.
At last divine Cecilia came,

Inventress of the vocal frame.

The sweet tenthusiast, from her sacred store

Enlarged the former narrow bounds,

And added length to solemn sounds,

With nature's mother-wit, and arts unknown before. Let old Timotheus yield the prize,

Or both divide the crown;

He raised a mortal to the skies;
She drew an angel down.

DEYDEN.

LESSON CLXXI.

SPEECH ON THE CATHOLIC QUESTION.

1. WHERE, I ask, where are those Protestant petitions against the Catholic claims, which we were told, would by this time have borne down your table? We were told, in the confident tone of prophecy, that England would have poured in petitions from all her counties, towns, and corporations, against the claims of Ireland. I ask, where are those petitions? Has London, her mighty capital, has the university of Dublin, mocked the calamities of your country, by petitioning in favor of these prejudices, that would render us less able to redress them? Have the people of England raised a voice against their Catholic fellow-subjects? No; they have the wisdom to see the folly of robbing the empire, at such a time, of one-fourth of its strength, on account of speculative doctrines of faith. They will not risk a kingdom, on account of old men's dreams about the prevalence of the Pope. They will not sacrifice an empire, because they dislike the sacrifice of the mass.

2. I say, then, England is not against us. She has put ten thousand signatures upon your table in our favor. And what says the Protestant interest in Ireland? Look at this petition; examine the names, the houses, the families. Look at the list of merchants, of divines. Look, in a word, at Protestant Ireland, calling to you in a warning voice; telling you, that if you are resolved to go on till ruin breaks, with a fearful surprise, upon your progress, they will go on with you; they must partake your danger, though they will not share your guilt.

3. Ireland, with her imperial crown, now stands before you. You have taken her parliament from her, and she appears in her own person at your bar. Will you dismiss a kingdom without a hearing? Is this your answer to her zeal, to her faith, to the blood that has so profusely graced your march to victory, to the treasures that have decked your strength in peace? Is her name nothing? her fate indifferent? Are her contributions insignificant? her six millions revenue? her ten millions trade? her two millions +absentee? her four millions loan? Is such a country not worth a hearing? Will you, can you dismiss her abruptly from your bar? You can not do it! The instinct of England is against it. We may be outnumbered now, and again; but, in calculating the amount of the real sentiments of the people, the ciphers that swell the evanescent majorities of an evanescent minister, go for nothing.

4. Can Ireland forget the memorable era of 1788? Can others forget the munificent hospitality, with which she then gave to her

« السابقةمتابعة »