[Page 266]

CANTATA.

RECIT.
1 Beneath a verdant Lawrel's ample Shade,
2 His Lyre to mournful Numbers strung,
3 Horace, immortal Bard, supinely laid,
4 To Venus thus address'd the Song:
5 Ten thousand little Loves around
6 List'ning, dwelt on ev'ry Sound.
ARIET.
7 Potent Venus, bid Thy Son
8 Sound no more His dire Alarms.
9 Youth on silent Wings is flown:
10 Graver Years come rolling on.
11 Spare my Age, unfit for Arms:
12 Safe and humble let Me rest,
13 From all am'rous Care releas'd.
14 Potent Venus, bid Thy Son
15 Sound no more His dire Alarms.
RECIT.
16 Yet, Venus, why do I each Morn prepare
17 The fragrant Wreath for Cloe's Hair?
18 Why, why do I all Day lament, and sigh,
19 Unless the beauteous Maid be nigh?
[Page 267]
20 And why all Night pursue Her in my Dreams,
21 Thro' Flow'ry Meads, and Crystal Streams?
RECIT.
22 Thus sung the Bard; and thus the Goddess spoke:
23 Submissive bow to Love's imperious Yoke.
24 Ev'ry State, and ev'ry Age
25 Shall own My Rule, and fear My Rage:
26 Compell'd by Me Thy Muse shall prove,
27 That all the World was born to love.
ARIET.
28 Bid Thy destin'd Lyre discover
29 Soft Desire, and gentle Pain:
30 Often praise, and always love Her:
31 Thro' her Ear her Heart obtain.
32 Verse shall please, and Sighs shall move Her:
33 Cupid does with Phoebus reign.

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About this text

Title (in Source Edition): CANTATA.
Author: Matthew Prior
Themes:
Genres: ode; Pindaric ode; song

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Prior, Matthew, 1664-1721. Poems on Several Occasions [English poems only]. London: Printed for JACOB TONSON at Shakespear's-Head over against Katharine-Street in the Strand, and JOHN BARBER upon Lambeth-Hill. MDCCXVIII., 1718, pp. 266-267. [42],506,[6]p.: ill.; 2°. (ESTC T075639) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [H 6.8 Art.].)

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Typography, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been cautiously modernized. The source of the text is given and all significant editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. This ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.

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