ALEXANDER'S FEAST. 623 ALEXANDER'S FEAST; OR, THE POWER OF MUSIC.-AN ODE IN HONOR OF ST. CECILIA'S DAY. 'T WAS at the royal feast for Persia won By Philip's warlike son: Aloft, in awful state, The godlike hero sate On his imperial throne; His valiant peers were placed around, Their brows with roses and with myrtles bound; (So should desert in arms be crowned); None but the brave deserves the fair. CHORUS. Happy, happy, happy pair! None but the brave, None but the brave deserves the fair. Timotheus, placed on high Amid the tuneful quire, With flying fingers touched the lyre; When he to fair Olympia pressed, The listening crowd admire the lofty sound- The monarch hears, And seems to shake the spheres. CHORUS. With ravished ears Assumes the god, And seems to shake the spheres. The praise of Bacchus, then, the sweet musician sung Of Bacchus ever fair and ever young; He shows his honest face; Now give the hautboys breath-he comes, he comes! Bacchus, ever fair and young, Drinking joys did first ordain; CHORUS. Bacchus' blessings are a treasure ; Sweet the pleasure; Soothed with the sound, the king grew vain; And thrice he routed all his foes, and thrice he slew the slain. The master saw the madness rise- He sung Darius great and good, And weltering in his blood; Revolving in his altered soul The various turns of chance below; And, now and then, a sigh he stole; And tears began to flow. CHORUS. Revolving in his altered soul The various turns of chance below; And, now and then, a sigh he stole ; And tears began to flow. The mighty master smiled, to see Softly sweet, in Lydian measures, Never ending, still beginning- Take the goods the gods provide thee. The many rend the sky 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 locked, 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. CHORUS. The prince unable to conceal his pain, Who caused his care, At length, with love and wine at once oppressed, The vanquished victor sunk upon her breast. Now strike the golden lyre again- And rouse him, like a rattling peal of thunder. |