When Orpheus went down, &c

When Orpheus went down to the regions below, Which men are forbidden to see; He tun'd up his lyre, as old histories show, To set his Eurydice free.

All hell was astonish'd, a person so wise Should rashly endanger his life, And venture so far: but how vast their surprise, When they heard that he came for his wife!

To find out a punishment due for his fault Old Pluto long puzzled his brain, But hell had not torments sufficient he thought, So he gave him his wife back again.

But pity succeeding soon vanquish'd his heart, And pleas'd with his playing so well, He took her again in reward of his art, Such merit had music in hell.