Court Odes: Summon to the cheerful plain


 Selected item (#2026) = Summon to the cheerful plain
 Attributes of this item 
incipit (first line(s), normalized): Summon to the cheerful plain
version (if more than one exists):
the item's genre (general): ode
the item's genre (specific): Birthday, William III
the institution/place or purpose 
for which the work was first destined:
English court
the work's year (or focal date, if known): 1697
author of the text: Nahum Tate
composer of the music: Nicholas Staggins
Number of texts stored: 1  
  • Selected text (below): #123 / Source: GB-Ob, G.Pamph. 1746 (5).
 Selected text (#123) / Source: GB-Ob, G.Pamph. 1746 (5).  
 Attributes of the selected text 
source for this text
(short title, or library & shelfmark):
GB-Ob, G.Pamph. 1746 (5).
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Transcription:          
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THE / Anniversary Ode / FOR THE / Fourth of December, 1697. / HIS / Majesty’s Birth-Day. / Another for / New-Year’s-Day, 1697/8 / Both Set to Musick, and Perform’d / At KENSINGTON. / The Words by N. TATE Servant to His MAJESTY. / LONDON: / Printed for Richard Baldwin near the Oxford-Arms / in Warwick-Lane. MDCXCVIII

THE / ODE / UPON / His Majesty’s Birth-Day. / Set to musick by Dr. STAGGINS.

Summon to the chearful Plain
The Graces and the Muses Train.

They come, they come, in pompous Throng,
This is the Burthen of their Song:

Chorus.] Virtue is at last Regarded,
And the Hero’s Toils Rewarded.

Hark how the Neighb’ring Nations round
To Britain’s Eccho’d Mirth resound!
And various Languages employ
To speak the Universal Joy.

Let Winter Smile, the fields be Gay,
Woods and Vales in Consort Sing,
Flowing Tides their Tribute bring
To Welcome Peace and Caesar’s Day.

The Trumpet’s Sound and Cannon’s Roar,
No longer are the Voice of War;
Yet both shall speak, and both be heard as far
In Triumph now as in Alarms before.

In ancinet Times of lawless Sway,
When Nations groaning lay,
Despairing all, and all forlorn,
Then was the Great ALCIDED Born.

Such was Europe’s late Distress,
When for the Suffering World’s Repose,
With equal Courage and Success,
Our Second HERCULES arose.

O Favour’d both of Earth and Heav’n!
To Thee, and only Thee, ’tis giv’n
Rome’s first Caesars to out-do;
Our Julius and Augustus too.

War’s dismal Scene is chang’d to Peace,
Yet shall not his Herculean Labours cease:
Nobler Wars he now will wage,
Against Infernal Pow’rs engage,
And quell the Hydra-Vices of the Age.

Grand CHORUS.

So Glorious a Task does a Hero require,
Whom
Valour and Virtue alike do Inspire:
’Tis a Triumph reserv’d for the
Just and the Brave,
Who Fights to give Freedom, and Conquers to Save.

FINIS.


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