Chorus of Youths and Virgins
Semichorus.
Oh
Tyrant
Love!
hast
thou
possest
The
prudent,
learn'd,
and
virtuous
breast?
Wisdom
and
wit
in
vain
reclaim,
And
Arts
but
soften
us
to
feel
thy
flame.
Love,
soft
intruder,
enters
here,
But
ent'ring
learns
to
be
sincere.
Marcus
with
blushes
owns
he
loves,
And
Brutus
tenderly
reproves.
Why,
Virtue,
dost
thou
blame
desire,
Which
Nature
has
imprest?
Why,
Nature,
dost
thou
soonest
fire
The
mild
and
gen'rous
breast?
Chorus.
Love's
purer
flames
the
Gods
approve;
The
Gods
and
Brutus
bent
to
love:
Brutus
for
absent
Portia
sighs,
And
sterner
Cassius
melts
at
Junia's
eyes.
What
is
loose
love?
a
transient
gust,
Spent
in
a
sudden
storm
of
lust,
A
vapour
fed
from
wild
desire,
A
wand'ring,
self-consuming
fire,
But
Hymen's
kinder
flames
unite;
And
burn
for
ever
one;
Chaste
as
cold
Cynthia's
virgin
light,
Productive
as
the
Sun.
Semichorus.
Oh
source
of
ev'ry
social
tie,
United
wish,
and
mutual
joy!
What
various
joys
on
one
attend,
As
son,
as
father,
brother
husband,
friend?
Whether
his
hoary
sire
he
spies,
While
thousand
grateful
thoughts
arise;
Or
meets
his
spouse's
fonder
eye;
Or
views
his
smiling
progeny;
What
tender
passions
take
their
turns,
What
home-felt
raptures
move?
His
heart
now
melts,
now
leaps,
now
burns,
With
rev'rence,
hope,
and
love.
Chorus.
Hence
guilty
joys,
distastes,
surmises,
Hence
false
tears,
deceits,
disguises,
Dangers,
doubts,
delays,
surprises;
Fires
that
scorch,
yet
dare
not
shine
Purest
love's
unwasting
treasure,
Constant
faith,
fair
hope,
long
leisure,
Days
of
ease,
and
nights
of
pleasure;
Sacred
Hymen!
these
are
thine.
