Lovely Thäis fits befide thee, Take the good the gods provide thee. The many rend the skies with loud applause; The prince unable to conceal his pain, Who caus'd his care, And figh'd and look'd, figh'd and look'd, At length, with love and wine at once opprefs'd, Now ftrike the golden lyre again; Aud louder yet, and yet a louder ftrain. Break his bands of fleep afunder, And roufe him like a rattling peal of thunder. Hark, hark, the horrid found Has rais'd up his head; As awak'd from the dead, And amaz'd, he ftares around. Revenge, revenge, Timotheus cries, See the faakes that they rear, How they hifs in the air, And the fparkles that flash from their eyes! Behold a ghaftly band,, Each a torch in his hand; These are Grecian ghosts, that in battle were flain, And unburied remain Inglorious on the plain; Behold how they tofs their torches on high, How they point to the Perfian abodes, And glitt❜ring temples of their hoftile gods! The 392 The princes applaud, with a furious joy; And the King feiz'd a flambeau, with zeal to destroy ; Thäis led the way, To light him to his prey, And, like another Helen, fir'd another Troy. Thus, long ago, Ere heaving bellows learn'd to blow, While organs yet were mute; Timotheus to his breathing flute And founding lyre, Could fwell the foul to rage, or kindle soft defire. And added length to folemn founds, Or both divide the crown; He rais'd a mortal to the skies; She drew an angel down. DRYDEN. CHAP. XXXIV. ON THE DEATH OF MRS. THROCKMORTON'S BULFINCH. Ye nymphs! if e'er your eyes were red With tears o'er haplefs fav'rites shed, O fhare Maria's grief! Her fav'rite, even in his cage, (What will not hunger's cruel rage?) 2 Where Where Rhenus ftrays his vines among, The egg was laid from which he sprung, Or only with a whistle blest, The honours of his ebon poll Were brighter than the fleekeft mole; With which Aurora decks the skies, Above, below, in all the houfe, Well lattic'd--but the grate, alas! .1 But fmooth with wands from Oufe's fide,. Night veil'd the pole. All feem'd fecure, Subfiftence to provide, A beaft forth fallied on the fcout, Long back'd, long-tail'd, with whisker'd fnout, And badger colour'd hide. He, He, ent'ring at the ftudy-door, And fomething in the wind Conjectur'd, fnifing round and round, Juft then, by adverfe fate imprefs'd, A rat, fait clinging to his cage, For, aided both by ear and fcent, Minute the horrours that enfued; His teeth were frong, the cage was wood- He left it but he should have ta’en: Might have repaid him well, I wote, |