THE JUDGMENT OF MIDAS. A MASQUE. Christopher Smart Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
Broad Street Oxford OX1 3BG UK
Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive
Taylor Institution Library St Giles' Oxford OX1 3NA UK info@eighteenthcenturypoetry.org https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/
Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. T42626 K041581.000 Smart, Christopher, 1722-1771. Poems on several occasions: By Christopher Smart, A. M. Fellow of Pembroke-Hall, Cambridge. London printed for the author, by W. Strahan; and sold by J. Newbery, at the Bible and Sun, in St. Paul’s Church-Yard, MDCCLII. 1752 pp. []-230. [16],230p.,plates; 4⁰.

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THE JUDGMENT OF MIDAS . A MASQUE . Auriculas Asini Mida Rex habet . JUV.
PERSONS represented . APOLLO . PAN . TIMOLUS , God of the Mountain . MIDAS . CALLIOPE . MELPOMENE . AGNO , MELINOE , Two Wood-nymphs . SATYRS , &c.
THE JUDGMENT of MIDAS . TIMOLUS , MELINOE and AGNO , two Wood-nymphs . TIMOLUS . AGNO , To-day we wear our acron crown , The parsley wreath be thine ; it is most meet We grace the presence of these rival gods With all the honours of our woodland weeds . Thine was the task , Melinoe , to prepare The turf-built theatre , the boxen bow'r , And all the sylvan scenery . MELINOE . That task , Sire of these shades , is done . On yester eve , Assisted by a thousand friendly fays , While fav'ring Dian held her glitt'ring lamp , We ply'd our nightly toils , nor ply'd we long , For Art was not the mistress of our revels , 'Twas gentle Nature , whom we jointly woo'd ; She heard , and yielded to the forms we taught her , Yet still remain'd herself — Simplicity , Fair Nature's genuine daughter , was there too , So soft , yet so magnificent of mien , She shone all ornament without a gem . The blithsome Flora , ever sweet and young , Offer'd her various store : We cull'd a few To robe , and recommend our darksome verdure , But shun'd to be luxuriant . — TIMOLUS . It was well . Agno , thy looks are pensive : What dejects Thy pleasure-painted aspect ? Sweetest nymph , That ever trod the turf , or sought the shade , Speak , nor conceal a thought . AGNO . King of the woods , I tremble for the royal arbiter . 'Tis hard to judge , whene'er the great contend , Sure to displease the vanquish'd : When such pow'rs Contest the laurel with such ardent strife , 'Tis not the sentence of fair equity , But 'tis their pleasure that is right or wrong . TIMOLUS . 'Tis well remark'd , and on experience founded . I do remember that my sister Ida ( Whenas on her own shadowy mount we met , To celebrate the birth-day of the Spring , And th' orgies of the May ) wou'd oft recount The rage of the indignant goddesses , When shepherd Paris to the Cyprian queen , With hand obsequious gave the golden toy . Heav'n's queen , the sister and the wife of Jove , Rag'd like a feeble mortal ; fall'n she seem'd , Her deity in human passions lost : Ev'n Wisdom's goddess , jealous of her form , Deem'd her own attribute her second virtue . Both vow'd and sought revenge . AGNO . If such the fate Of him who judg'd aright , what must be his Who shall mistake the cause ? for much I doubt The skill of Midas , since his fatal wish : Which Bacchus heard , and curs'd him with the gift . Yet grant him wise , to err is human still , And mortal is the consequence . MELINOE . Most true . Besides , I fear him partial ; for with Pan He tends the sheep-walks all the live-long day , And on the braky lawn to the shrill pipe In aukward gambols he affects to dance , Or tumbles to the tabor — 'tis not likely That such an umpire shou'd be equitable , Unless he guess at justice . TIMOLUS . Soft — no more — 'Tis ours to wish for Pan , and fear from Phoebus , Whose near approach I hear : Ye stately cedars Forth from your summits bow your awful heads , And reverence the gods . Let my whole mountain tremble , Not with a fearful , but religious awe , And holiness of horror . You , ye winds , That make soft , solemn music 'mongst the leaves , Be all to stillness hush'd ; and thou their echo Listen , and hold thy peace ; for see they come . SCENE opens , and discovers Apollo , attended by Clio and Melpomene , on the right hand of Midas , and Pan on the left , whom Timolus , with Agno and Melinoe , join . MIDAS . Begin , celestial candidates for praise , Begin the tuneful contest : I , mean while , With heedful notice and attention meet , Will weigh your merits , and decide your cause . APOLLO . From Jove begin the rapturous song , To him our earliest lays belong , We are his offspring all ; 'Twas he , whose looks supremely bright , Smil'd darksome chaos into light , And fram'd this glorious ball . PAN . Sylvanus , in his shadowy grove , The seat of rural peace and love , Attends my Doric lays ; By th' altar on the myrtle mount , Where plays the wood-nymph's favourite fount , I'll celebrate his praise . CLIO . Parnassus , where's thy boasted height , Where , Pegasus , thy fire and flight , Where all your thoughts so bold and free , Ye daughters of Mnemosyne ? If Pan o'er Phoebus can prevail , And the great god of verse shou'd fail ? AGNO . From nature's works , and nature's laws , We find delight , and seek applause ; The prattling streams and zephyrs bland , And fragrant flow'rs by zephyrs fann'd , The level lawns and buxom bow'rs , Speak Nature and her works are ours . MELPOMENE . What were all your fragrant bow'rs , Splendid days , and happy hours , Spring's verdant robe , fair Flora's blush , And all the poets of the bush ? What the paintings of the grove , Rural music , mirth and love ? Life and ev'ry joy wou'd pall , If Phoebus shone not on you all . MELINOE . We chant to Phoebus , king of day , The morning and the evening lay . But Pan , each satyre , nymph and fawn , Adore as laureat of the lawn ; From peevish March to joyous June He keeps our restless souls in tune , Without his oaten reed and song , Phoebus , thy days wou'd seem too long . APOLLO . Am I not he , who prescious from on high , Sends a long look thro' all futurity ? Am I not he , to whom alone belong The powers of Med'cine , Melody and Song ? Diffusely lib'ral , as divinely bright , Eye of the universe and sire of light . PAN . O'er cots and vales , and every shepherd swain , Inpeaceable pre-eminence I reign ; With pipe on plain , and nymph in secret grove , The day is music , and the night is love . I blest with these , nor envy nor desire Thy gaudy chariot , or thy golden lyre . CLIO . Soon as the dawn dispels the dark , Illustrious Phoebus 'gins t' appear , Proclaimed by the herald lark , And ever-wakeful chanticleer , The Persian pays his morning vow , And all the turban'd easterns bow . AGNO . Soon as the evening shades advance , And the gilt glow-worm glitters fair , For rustic gambol , gibe and dance , Fawns , nymphs and dryads all prepare , Pan shall his swains from toil relieve , And rule the revels of the eve . MELPOMENE . In numbers as smooth as Callirhoe's stream , Glide the silver-ton'd verse when Apollo's the theme ; While on his own mount Cyparissus is seen , And Daphne preserves her immutable green . We'll hail Hyperion with transport so long , Th' inventor , the patron , and subject of song . MELINOE . While on the calm ocean the Halcyon shall breed , And Syrinx shall sigh with her musical reed , While fairies , and satyres , and fawns shall approve The music , the mirth , and the life of the grove , So long shall our Pan be than thee more divine , For he shall be rising when thou shalt decline . MIDAS . No more — To Pan and to his beauteous nymphs I do adjudge the prize , as is most due . Enter two Satyres , and crown MIDAS with a pair of ass's ears APOLLO . Such rural honours all the gods decree , To those who sing like Pan , and judge like thee . [ Exeunt Omnes .