In vain I try my ev'ry art - Boyce, William

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"Written for The Chaplet, a musical entertainment, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Also used in the London pleasure gardens."

⌛ Period → Baroque ◈ Genre → Arias ♬ Voicing → Solo high ¶ Language → English

Parts 1

Instruments Basso continuo|Violin obbligato

CPDL # 69976

Editor Christopher Shaw

Posted 2022-07-11

License Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike

¶Lyrics / Text

In vain I try my ev'ry art, Nor can I fix a single heart, Yet I'm not old or ugly. Let me consult my faithful glass A face much worse than this might pass, Methinks I look full smugly. Yet bless'd with all these powerful charms, The young Palaemon fled these arms, That wild unthinking rover. Hope silly maids as soon to bind The rolling streams, the flying wind, As fix a rambling lover. But hamper'd in the marriage noose, In vain they struggle to get loose, And make a mighty riot. Like madmen now they rove and stare, Awhile they make their chains and swear, And then lie down in quiet.