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A HYMN TO HARMONY.

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A HYMN TO HARMONY, Written in HONOUR of St. CECILIA's Day, MDCCI.

By Mr. CONGREVE.

Set to Muſick by Mr. JOHN ECCLES, Maſter of Her Majeſties Muſick.

LONDON, Printed for Jacob Tonſon within Grays-Inn Gate next Grays-Inn Lane. 1703.

A HYMN TO HARMONY, In HONOUR of St. CECILIA's Day. MDCCI.

[1]
I.
O Harmony, to thee we ſing,
To thee the grateful Tribute bring
Of Sacred Verſe, and ſweet reſounding Lays;
Thy Aid invoking while thy Pow'r we praiſe.
All Hail to thee
All-pow'rful Harmony!
Wiſe Nature owns thy undiſputed Sway,
Her wond'rous Works reſigning to thy Care;
The Planetary Orbs thy Rule obey,
And tuneful roll, unerring in their way,
Thy Voice informing each melodious Sphere.
[2]CHORUS.
All Hail to thee
All-pow'rful Harmony!
II.
Thy Voice, O Harmony, with awful Sound
Could penetrate th' Abyſs profound,
Explore the Realms of ancient Night,
And ſearch the living Source of unborn Light.
Confuſion heard thy Voice and fled,
And Chaos deeper plung'd his vanquiſh'd Head.
Then didſt thou, Harmony, give birth
To this fair form of Heav'n and Earth;
Then all thoſe Shining Worlds above
In Myſtick Dance began to move
Around the radiant Sphere of Central Fire,
A never ceaſing, never ſilent Choir.
CHORUS.
Confuſion heard thy Voice and fled,
And Chaos deeper plung'd his vanquiſh'd Head.
III.
Thou only, Goddeſs, firſt could'ſt tell
The mighty Charms in Numbers found;
[3] And didſt to Heav'nly Minds reveal
The ſecret force of tuneful Sound.
When firſt Cyllenius form'd the Lyre,
Thou didſt the God inſpire;
When firſt the vocal Shell he ſtrung,
To which the Muſes ſung:
Then firſt the Muſes ſung; melodious Strains Apollo plaid,
And Muſick firſt begun by thy auſpicious Aid.
Hark, hark, again Urania ſings!
Again Apollo ſtrikes the trembling Strings!
And ſee, the liſt'ning Deities around
Attend inſatiate, and devour the Sound.
CHORUS.
Hark, hark, again Urania ſings!
Again Apollo ſtrikes the trembling Strings!
And ſee, the liſt'ning Deities around
Attend inſatiate, and devour the Sound.
IV.
Deſcend Urania, Heav'nly Fair,
To the relief of this afflicted World repair;
See how with various Woes oppreſt,
The wretched Race of Men is worn;
Conſum'd with cares, with doubts diſtreſt
Or by conflicting Paſſions torn.
[4] Reaſon in vain employs her Aid,
The furious Will on Fancy waits;
While Reaſon ſtill by Hopes or Fears betray'd,
Too late advances or too ſoon retreats.
Muſick alone with ſuddain Charms can bind
The wand'ring Senſe, and calm the troubled Mind.
CHORUS.
Muſick alone with ſuddain Charms can bind
The wand'ring Senſe, and calm the troubled Mind.
V.
Begin the pow'rful Song, yee Sacred Nine,
Your Inſtruments and Voices join;
Harmony, Peace, and ſweet Deſire
In ev'ry Breaſt inſpire.
Revive the melancholy drooping Heart,
And ſoft Repoſe to reſtleſs Thoughts impart.
Appeaſe the wrathful Mind,
To dire Revenge and Death inclin'd:
With balmy Sounds his boiling Blood aſſwage,
And melt to mild Remorſe his burning Rage.
'Tis done; and now tumultuous Paſſions ceaſe;
And all is huſht, and all is Peace.
The weary World with welcome Eaſe is bleſt,
By Muſick lull'd to pleaſing Reſt.
[5]CHORUS.
'Tis done; and now tumultuous Paſſions ceaſe;
And all is huſht, and all is Peace.
The weary World with welcome Eaſe is bleſt,
By Muſick lull'd to pleaſing Reſt.
VI.
Ah, ſweet Repoſe, too ſoon expiring!
Ah, fooliſh Man, new Toils requiring!
Curs'd Ambition, Strife purſuing,
Wakes the World to War and Ruin.
See, ſee, the Battle is prepar'd!
Behold the Hero comes!
Loud Trumpets with ſhrill Fifes are heard,
And hoarſe reſounding Drums.
War, with diſcordant Notes and jarring Noiſe,
The Harmony of Peace deſtroys.
CHORUS.
War, with diſcordant Notes and jarring Noiſe,
The Harmony of Peace deſtroys.
VII.
See the forſaken fair, with ſtreaming Eyes
Her parting Lover mourn;
[6] She weeps, ſhe ſighs, deſpairs and dies,
And watchful waſtes the lonely livelong Nights,
Bewailing paſt Delights
That may no more, no never more return.
O ſooth her Cares
With ſofteſt, ſweeteſt Airs,
'Till Victory and Peace reſtore
Her faithful Lover to her tender Breaſt,
Within her folding Arms to reſt,
Thence never to be parted more,
No never to be parted more.
CHORUS.
Let Victory and Peace reſtore
Her faithful Lover to her tender Breaſt,
Within her folding Arms to reſt,
Thence never to be parted more,
No never to be parted more.
VIII.
Enough, Urania, heav'nly fair,
Now to thy Native Skies repair,
And rule again the Starry Sphere;
Cecilia comes, with holy Rapture fill'd,
To eaſe the World of Care.
[7] Cecilia, more than all the Muſes skill'd!
Phoebus himſelf to her muſt yield,
And at her Feet lay down
His Golden Harp and Lawrel Crown;
The ſoft enervate Lyre is drown'd
In the deep Organ's more majeſtick Sound.
In peals the ſwelling Notes aſcend the Skies;
Perpetual Breath the ſwelling Notes ſupplies,
And laſting as her Name,
Who form'd the tuneful Frame,
Th' immortal Muſick never dies.
Grand CHORUS.
Cecilia, more than all the Muſes skill'd!
Phoebus himſelf to her muſt yield,
And at her Feet lay down
His Golden Harp and Lawrel Crown;
The ſoft enervate Lyre is drown'd
In the deep Organ's more majeſtick Sound.
In peals the ſwelling Notes aſcend the Skies;
Perpetual Breath the ſwelling Notes ſupplies,
And laſting as her Name,
Who form'd the tuneful Frame,
Th' immortal Muſick never dies.
FINIS.

Appendix A Books Printed for Jacob Tonſon at Grays-Inn Gate.

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LATELY PUBLISH'D.
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