THE
TEARS OF MUSIC.
A
POEM,
TO THE MEMORY OF
MR. HANDEL.
WITH AN
ODE to the RIVER EDEN.
[line]
By the Reverend J. LANGHORNE.
[double line]
LONDON:
Printed for R. GRIFFITHS, in the Strand.
MDCCLX.
[page]
[v]
TO
The HONOURABLE Mrs. LANE.
MADAM,
NO Apology can be necessary for addressing to you a Poem to the Memory of a celebrated Musician. Without the Idea of Harmony, your Name cannot be mention’d: and again, it is impossible to conceive that Idea, without thinking of you. You, Madam, have been long and justly admired, as well on Account of your fine Taste, for one of the most Delightful of the Sciences, as for your generous Patronage of such as excel in it. The first may be esteem’d a Proof of an exalted Genius, but the last is an Indication of a noble Mind. Since to be grateful to those who have, in any Degree, contributed to our Pleasure or Happiness, is a most essential Part of human Virtue. From this Motive, the Poem, now [vi] presented to you, Madam, was first written. The Author thought himself obliged to shew every Instance of Gratitude to the Memory of Mr. HANDEL, in consideration of that Pleasure he had so often received from his Compositions. With what Propriety therefore this Poem is offered to you, no one, acquainted with your Character, will Dispute.
WITH Respect to the ODE annex’d, as the Subject is merely personal, and as it is only added by way of Ballast, let it be considered in that Light.
Permit me, Madam, to add, that I am,
With all possible Respect,
Your most obedient,
and most humble Servant,
Hackthorne, Lincolnshire,
Feb. 18. 1760.
JOHN LANGHORNE. [7]
A POEM, TO THE MEMORY OF Mr. HANDEL. SPIRITS of Music, and ye Powers of Song, That wak’d to painful Melody the Lyre Of young JESSIDES, when, on GILBOA’S Mount, He wept o’er bleeding Friendship; ye that mourn’d, While Freedom drooping o’er EUPHRATES’ Stream, Her pensive Harp on the pale Osier hung, Begin once more the Sorrow-soothing Lay. Ah! where shall now the Muse sit Numbers find? [8] What Accents pure to greet thy tuneful Shade? Sweet Harmonist! ’Twas thine, the tender Fall Of Pity’s plaintive Lay; for thee the Stream Of silver-winding Music sweeter play’d, And purer flow’d for Thee, —all silent now † Those Airs that, breathing o’er the Breast of THAMES, Led amorous ECHO down the long, long Vale, Delighted; studious from thy sweeter Strain To melodize her own; when the sad Hour She mourns in Anguish o’er the golden Breast Of young NARCISSUS. From their Amber Urns, ‡ Parting their green Locks streaming in the Sun, The NAIADS rose and smil’d: Nor since the Day, When first by Music, and by Freedom led From Grecian ACIDALE; nor since the Day, [9] When last from ARNO’s weeping Fount they came, To smooth the Ringlets of SABRINA’s Hair, Heard They like Minstresly— Fountains and Shades Of TWIT’NAM, and of WINDSOR fam’d in Song! Ye Mounts of CLERMONT, and ye Bowers of HAM! That heard the fine Strain vibrate thro’ your Groves, Ah! where were then your long-lov’d Muses fled, When HANDEL breath’d no more?—and Thou, sweet Queen, That nightly wrapt thy MILTON’s hallow’d Ear In the soft Ecstasies of LYDIAN Airs, * And since attun’d to HANDEL’s high-wound Lyre The Lay by Thee suggested; could’st not Thou Soothe with thy sweet Song the grim ‡ Fury’s Breast? Ah! no: from Thee too, heav’d the helpless Sigh, Thy fair Eyes floating in a mournful Tear, When MILTON died, and HANDEL breath’d no more. [10] COLD-HEARTED Death! his wanly-glaring
Eye Nor Virtue’s Smile attracts, nor Fame’s loud Trump Can pierce his Iron Ear, for ever barr’d To gentle Sounds: the golden Voice of Song, That charms the gloomy Partner of his Birth, That soothes Despair and Pain, He hears no more, Than rude Winds, blust’ring from the CAMBRIAN Cliffs, The Traveller’s feeble Lay. To court fair Fame, To toil with slow Steps up the Star-crown’d Hill, Where Science, leaning on her sculptur’d Urn, Looks conscious on the secret-working Hand Of Nature; on the Wings of Genius borne, To soar above the beaten Walks of Life, Is, like the Paintings of an Evening Cloud, Th’ Amusement of an Hour. Night, gloomy Night Spreads her black Wings, and all the Vision dies. [11] ERE long, the Heart, that heaves this
Sigh to Thee, Shall beat no more! ere long, on this fond Lay Which mourns at HANDEL’s Tomb, insulting Time Shall strew his cankering Rust. Thy Strain, perchance, Thy sacred Strain shall the hoar Warrior spare; For Sounds like thine, at Nature’s early Birth, Arous’d Him slumbering on the dead Profound Of dusky Chaos; by the golden Harps Of choral Angels summon’d to his Race: And Sounds like thine, when Nature is no more, Shall call him weary from the lengthen’d Toils Of twice Ten Thousand Years.—O would his Hand Yet spare some Portion of this vital Flame, The trembling Muse that now faint Effort makes On young and artless Wing, should bear thy Praise Sublime, above the mortal Bounds of Earth, [12] With
heavenly Fires relume her feeble Ray, And learn of Seraphs how to sing of Thee. I FEEL, I feel the sacred Impulse—hark! Wak’d from according Lyres the sweet Strains flow In Symphony divine; from Air to Air The trembling Numbers fly: swift bursts away The Flow of Joy; now swells the Flight of Praise. Springs the shrill Trump aloft; the toiling Chords Melodious labour thro’ the flying Maze; And the deep Base his strong Sounds rolls away, Majestically sweet——Yet, HANDEL, raise, Yet wake to higher Strains thy sacred Lyre: The Name of Ages, the Supreme of Things, The great MESSIAH asks it; He whose Hand Led into Form yon everlasting Orbs, [13] The Harmony
of Nature—He whose Hand Stretch’d o’er the wilds of Space this beauteous Ball, Whose Spirit breathes thro’ all his smiling Works Music and Love—yet HANDEL raise the Strain. Hark! what angelic Sounds, what Voice divine Breathes thro’ the ravisht Air! my rapt Ear feels The Harmony of Heaven. Hail sacred Choir! Immortal Spirits, hail! If haply those That erst in favour’d PALESTINE proclaim’d Glory and Peace: her Angel-haunted Groves, Her piny Mountains, and her golden Vales Re-echo’d Peace—But, Oh! Suspend the Strain— The swelling Joy’s too much for mortal Bounds! ’Tis Transport even to Pain. Oh, lead me then, Convey me to the sad, the mournful Scene, Where trembling Nature saw her GOD expire. [14] Flow, stupid
Tears! and veil the conscious Eye That yet presumes to gaze—— Flow, stupid Tears! in vain— ye too confess That HE alone unequal’d Sorrow bore. BUT, hark! what pleasing Sounds invite mine Ear, So venerably sweet? ’Tis SION’s Lute. Behold her † Hero! from his valiant Brow Looks JUDAH’s Lyon, on his Thigh the Sword Of vanquish’d APOLLONIUS—The shrill Trump Thro’ BETHORON proclaims th’ approaching Fight. I see the brave Youth lead his little Band, With Toil and Hunger faint; yet from his Arm The rapid Syrian flies. Thus HENRY once, The British HENRY, with his way-worn Troop, Subdued the Pride of France—now louder blows [15] The martial Clangor, lo NICANOR’s Host! With threat’ning Turrets crown’d, slowly advance The ponderous Elephants.—— The blazing Sun, from many a golden Shield Reflected, gleams afar. Judean Chief! How shall thy Force, thy little Force sustain The dreadful Shock! * The Hero comes—’Tis boundless Mirth and Song And Dance and Triumph, every labouring String, And Voice, and breathing Shell in Concert strain To swell the Raptures of tumultuous Joy. O Master of the Passions and the Soul, Seraphic HANDEL! how shall Words describe Thy Music’s countless Graces, nameless Powers! WHEN † He of GAZA, blind, and sunk in Chains, [16] On female
Treachery looks greatly down, How the breast burns indignant! in thy strain, When sweet-voic’d Piety resigns to Heaven, Glows not each Bosom with the Flame of Virtue? O’ER JEPTHA’s votive Maid when the lost Lute Sounds the slow Symphony of Funeral Grief, What youthful Breast but melts with tender Pity! What Parent bleeds not with a Parents woe! O, longer than this worthless Lay can live! While Fame
and Music sooth the human Ear; Be this thy Praise: to lead the polish’d Mind To Virtue’s noblest Heights; to light the Flame Of British Freedom, rouse the generous Thought, Refine the Passions, and exalt the Soul To Love, to Heaven, to Harmony and Thee.[1] |
† The Water-Music.
‡ Borantesq; Comas a Fronte removit ad Aures. Ovid Met.
* L’Allegro and Il Penseroso, set to Music by Mr. HANDEL.
‡ See MILTON’s Lycidas.
† Judas Maccabeus.
* Chorus of Youths, in Judas Maccabeus.
† See the Oratorio of Samson.
[1] repr. as “A Poem to the Memory of Mr. Handel,” in John Langhorne, Poems on Several Occasions (Lincoln: W. Wood for R. Griffiths, [?1760]), 1-12; and as A Poem , To the Memory of George Frederick Handel (London: 1787).