O Hermes! pity me! Tham. And I the noble Flood, whose tributary tide Does on her silver margent smoothly glide; But heaven grew jealous of our happy state, Our doom decree; No more the King of Floods am I, No more the Queen of Albion, she! [These two Lines are sung by Reprises betwixt AUGUSTA and THAMESIS. Aug. O Hermes! pity me! Sung by AUG. and Tham. O Hermes! pity me!S THAM. together. Aug. Behold! Tham. Behold! Aug. My turrets on the ground, That once my temples crowned! Tham. The sedgy honours of my brows dispersed! My urn reversed! Merc. Rise, rise, Augusta, rise! And wipe thy weeping eyes: And growing fame. Rise, rise, Augusta, rise. Aug. O never, never will I rise, Never will I cease my mourning, Till my plighted lord's returning! Never, never will I rise! Merc. What brought thee, wretch, to this despair? The cause of thy misfortune show. Aug. It seems the gods take little care Of human things below, When even our sufferings here they do not know. Merc. Not unknowing came I down, Disloyal town! Speak! didst not thou Forsake thy faith, and break thy nuptial vow? But what could I, unthinking city, do? Zeal allured me, Both assured me, Both betrayed me! Merc. Suppose me sent Thy Albion to restore, Can'st thou repent? Aug. My falsehood I deplore! Tham. Thou seest her mourn, and I With all my waters will her tears supply. Merc. Then by some loyal deed regain Thy long-lost reputation, To wash away the stain That blots a noble nation, And free thy famous town again From force of usurpation. Chorus We'll wash away the stain of all. That blots a noble nation, And free this famous town again From force of usurpation. [Dance of the Followers of MERCURY. Aug. Behold Democracy and Zeal appear; She, that allured my heart away, And he, that after made a prey. Merc. Resist, and do not fear! Chorus of all. Resist, and do not fear ! Enter DEMOCRACY and ZEAL attended by ARCHON. Democ. Nymph of the city! bring thy treasures, Bring me more To waste in pleasures. Aug. Thou hast exhausted all my store, And I can give no more, Zeal. Thou horny flood, for Zeal provide A new supply; and swell thy moony tide, Suffice for pious uses, To feed the sacred hunger of a saint! Slave as thou art, Thy wealth impart, And me thy victor know! Zeal. And me thy victor know. Thy bars shall burst at my command, Woe to the vanquished, woe! Aug. Were I not bound by fate For ever, ever here, My walls I would translate Removed from servile fear. Tham. Removed from servile fear. Would I could disappear, And sink below the main; Shall never, never bear again. THAMES. and Shall never, never, never, bear again. SAUG, together. Haste, Archon, haste To lay her waste! * The reader must recollect the orders of the Rump parliament to general Monk, to destroy the gates and portcullises of Zeal. I'l hold her fast To be embraced! Dem. And she shall see A thousand tyrants are in thee, A thousand thousand more in me! Archon. to Aug. From the Caledonian shore Hither am I come to save thee, Not to force or to enslave thee, But thy Albion to restore: Peace, and freedom, and a king. Chorus. Hark! the peals the people ring, Peace, and freedom, and a king. Aug. and Tham. To arms! to arms! Merc. Cease your alarms! And stay, brave Archon, stay! "Tis doomed by fate's decree, "Tis doomed that Albion's dwelling, All other isles excelling, By peace shall happy be. Archon. What then remains for me? Merc. Take my caduceus! Take this awful wand, Sleep will creep on all his senses; Stand amazed without resistance. [ARCHON touches DEMOCRACY with a Wand. Dem. I feel a lazy slumber lays me down : Let Albion, let him take the crown. the city of London; which commission, by the bye, he actually executed, with all the forms of contempt, although, in a day or two after, he took up his quarters in the city, apologized for what had passed, and declared against the parliament. Still incumber: Know, you that have adored him, And sovereign power afford him, Of all your pains, [Falls asleep. And seem to have restored him. [ZEAL falls asleep. Aug. and Tham. A stupifying sadness Leaves her without motion; But sleep will cure her madness, And cool her to devotion. A double Pedestal rises: on the Front of it is painted, in Stone-colour, two Women; one holding a doublefaced Vizor; the other a Book, representing HyPOCRISY and FANATICISM; when ARCHON has charmed DEMOCRACY and ZEAL with the Caduceus of MERCURY, they fall asleep on the Pedestal, and it sinks with them. Merc. Cease, Augusta! cease thy mourning, Happy days appear; God-like Albion is returning Loyal hearts to chear. Every grace his youth adorning, Glorious as the star of morning, Or the planet of the year. Chor. Godlike Albion is returning, &c. Merc. to Arch. Haste away, loyal chief, haste away, No delay, but obey; To receive thy loved lord, haste away. [Ex. ARCH. |