Occafioned by a LADY's having writ VERSES in Commendation of a POEM which was written in Praife of another LADY.

HARD is the task, and bold th' adventurous flight,

Of him, who dares in praife of beauty white;

For when to that high theme our thoughts afcend,
'Tis to detract, too poorly to commend.

And he, who, praifing beauty, does no wrong,
May boast to be successful in his fong :

But when the fair themfelves approve his lays,
And one excepts, and one vouchsafes to praise,
His wide ambition knows no farther bound,
Nor can his Mufe with brighter fame be crown'd.

EPIGRAM.

Written after the Deceafe of Mrs. ARA BELLA HUNT, under her Picture drawn playing on a Lute.

WERE there on earth another voice like thine,

Another hand fo bleft with fkill divine!. The late afflicted world fome hopes might have, And Harmony retrieve thee from the grave.

SONG.

Would I were free from this restraint,
Or elfe had hopes to win her!
Would she could make of me a faint,

Or I of her a finner!

A HYMN TO HARMONY,

IN HONOUR OF

ST. CECILIA'S DAY, MDCC I.

Set to MUSIC by Mr. JOHN ECCLES.

I.

Harmony, to thee we fing,

To thee the grateful tribute bring
Of facred verfe, and fweet refounding lays;
Thy aid invoking while thy Power we praise.
All hail to thee,

All powerful Harmony !

Wife Nature owns thy undisputed fway,
Her wondrous works refigning to thy care:
The planetary orbs thy rule obey,
And tuneful roll, unerring in their way,

Thy voice informing each melodious sphere.

CHORU S.

All hail to thee,

All-powerful Harmony!

II.

Thy voice, O Harmony, with awful found
Could penetrate th' abyfs profound,

Explore the realms of ancient night,
And fearch the living fource of unborn light.
Confufion heard thy voice, and fled,
And Chaos deeper plung'd his vanquish'd head.
Then didit thou, Harmony, give birth
To this fair form of heaven and earth;
Then all thofe fhining worlds above
In myftic dance began to move
Around the radiant sphere of central fire,
A never-ceasing, never-filent choir.

CHORUS.

Confufion heard thy voice, and fled,

And Chaos deeper plung'd his vanquish'd head.

III.

Thou only, goddess, firft could'st tell
The mighty charms in numbers found;
And didst to heavenly minds reveal
The fecret force of tuneful found.

When

When first Cyllenius form'd the lyre,
Thou didst the god inspire ;

When firft the vocal fhell he ftrung,

To which the Mufes fung:

Then firft the Mufes fung; melodious ftrains Apollo play'd,

And Mufic firft began by thy aufpicious aid.
Hark, hark! again Urania fings !

Again Apollo ftrikes the trembling strings!
And fee, the liftening deities around
Attend infatiate, and devour the found.

CHORUS.

Hark, hark, again Urania fings!

Again Apollo ftrikes the trembling ftrings!
And fee, the liftening deities around
Attend infatiate, and devour the found.

IV.

Defcend, Urania, heavenly fair!

To the relief of this afflicted world repair;
See how, with various woes oppreft,
The wretched race of men is worn;
Confum'd with cares, with doubts diftreft,
Or by conflicting paffions torn.

Reafon in vain employs her aid,
The furious will on fancy waits;

While reafon ftill by hopes or fears betray'd,
Too late advances, or too foon retreats.
Mufic alone with fudden charms can bind

The wandering fenfe, and calm the troubled mind.

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CHORUS.

Mufic alone with fudden charms can bind

The wandering fenfe, and calm the troubled mind.

V.

Begin the powerful fong, ye facred Nine,
Your inftruments and voices join;
Harmony, peace, and fweet defire,
In every breaft inspire.

Revive the melancholy drooping heart,
And foft repofe to reftlefs thoughts impart.
Appcafe the wrathful mind,

To dire revenge and death inclin'd
With balmy founds his boiling blood affuage,
And melt to mild remorfe his burning rage.
'Tis done; and now tumultuous paffions ceafe;
And all is hufh'd, and all is peace.

The weary world with welcome case is bleft,
By mufic lull'd to pleasing rest.

CHORU S.

'Tis done; and now tumultuous paffions cease;
And all is hufh'd, and all is peace.

The weary world with welcome eafe is bleft,
By mufic lull'd to pleasing reft.

VI.

Ah, fweet repofe, too foon expiring!
Ah, foolish man, new toils requiring !
Curs'd ambition, ftrife pursuing,

Wakes the world to war and ruin.