To Mnemosyne, or the Goddess of Memory. The Fumigation from Frankincense.
The consort I invoke of Jove divine,
Source of the holy, sweetly-speaking Nine;
Free from th' oblivion of the fallen mind,
By whom the soul with intellect is join'd
Reason's increase, and thought to thee belong,
All-powerful, pleasant, vigilant, and strong
'Tis thine, to waken from lethargic rest
All thoughts deposited within the breast
And nought neglecting, vigorous to excite
The mental eye from dark oblivion's night.
Come, blessed power, thy mystic's mem'ry wake
To holy rites, and Lethe's fetters break,
To Aurora. The Fumigation from Manna.
Hear me, O Goddess! whose emerging ray
Leads on the broad refulgence of the day
Blushing Aurora, whose celestial light
Beams on the world with red'ning splendours bright:
Angel of Titan, whom with constant round,
Thy orient beams recall from night profound;
Labour of ev'ry kind to lead is thine,
Of mortal life the minister divine.
Mankind in thee eternally delight,
And none presumes to shun thy beauteous sight,
Soon as thy splendours break the bands of rest,
And eyes unclose with pleasing sleep oppress'd
Men, reptiles, birds, and beasts, with gen'ral voice,
And all the nations of the deep, rejoice
For all the culture of our life is thine,
Come, blessed pow'r and to these rites incline
Thy holy light increase, and unconfin'd
Diffuse its radiance on thy mystic's mind,
To Themis. The Fumigation from Frankincense.
Illustrious Themis, of celestial birth,
Thee I invoke, young blossom of the earth:
Beauteous-eyed virgin first from thee alone,
Prophetic oracles to men were known,
Giv'n from the deep recesses of the fane
In sacred Pytho, where renown'd you reign
From thee, Apollo's oracles arose,
And from thy pow'r his inspiration flows,
Honour'd by all, of form divinely bright,
Majestic virgin, wand'ring in the night:
Mankind from thee first learnt initial rites,
And Bacchus' nightly choirs thy soul delights
For holy honours to disclose is thine,
With all the culture of the pow'rs divine.
Be present, Goddess, to my pray'r inclin'd,
And bless the mystic rites with fav'ring mind.
To the North Wind. The Fumigation from Frankincense.
Boreas, whose wint'ry blasts, terrific, tear
The bosom of the deep surrounding air
Cold icy pow'r, approach, and fav'ring blow,
And Thrace a while desert expos'd to snow
The misty station of the air dissolve,
With pregnant clouds, whose frames in show'rs resolve:
Serenely temper all within the sky,
And wipe from moisture, Æther's beauteous eye.
To the West Wind. The Fumigation from Frankincense.
Sea-born, aerial, blowing from the west,
Sweet gales, who give to weary'd labour rest
Vernal and grassy, and of gentle sound,
To ships delightful, thro' the sea profound;
For these, impell'd by you with gentle force,
Pursue with prosp'rous Fate their destin'd course.
With blameless gales regard my suppliant pray'r,
Zephyrs unseen, light-wing'd, and form'd from air.
To the South Wind. The Fumigation from Frankincense.
Wide coursing gales, whose lightly leaping feet
With rapid wings the air's wet bosom beat,
Approach benevolent, swift-whirling pow'rs,
With humid clouds the principles of show'rs
For showry clouds are portion'd to your care,
To send on earth from all surrounding air.
Hear, blessed pow'rs, these holy rites attend,
And fruitful rains on earth all-parent send.
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