Celebration

How sweetly the merry bells ring, How sweetly the merry bells ring, How gay is each nymph and each swain, As blith as the lark in the spring, The tabor sounds over the plain: The tabor, &c. From the church comes the bridegroom and bride, Young Thyrsis Cleora has wed; The virgins all drest by her side, With blushes their cheeks overspread: With blushes, &c.

So rises the morn from the east, All nature to cherish below, With charms which cannot be express'd, And blessings on all to bestow; How happy is Thyrsis to prove, The sweets which on Hymen attend, The raptures of virtue and love, The mistress, the wife, and the friend.

Ye swains like young Thyrsis be true, Ye nymphs like Cleora be kind, Keep virtue and prudence in view, And sweets you will certainly find. Then the village for you shall be gay, The bells and the tabor resound, And pleasure prolong the glad day, When Hymen your wishes has crown'd,