University of Virginia Library

ACT 1.

Decorations of the Stage in the First Act.

The Curtain rises, and there appears on either side of the Stage, next to the Frontispiece, a Statue on Horse-back, of Gold, on Pedestal's of Marble, enrich'd with Gold, and bearing the Imperial Armes of England: one of these Statues is taken from that of the late King, at Charing-Cross; the other, from that Figure of his present Majesty (done by that noble Artist Mr. Gibbons) at Windsor.

The Scene, is a Street of Palaces, which lead to the Front of the Royal Exchange; the great Arch is open, and the view is continued through the open part of the Exchange, to the Arch on the other side, and thence to as much of the Street beyond, as could, properly be taken.

Mercury descends in a Chariot drawn by Ravens.

He comes to Augusta, and Thamesis. They lye on Couches, at a distance from each other, in dejected postures; She attended by Cities, He by Rivers.

On the side of Augusta's Couch are Painted Towers falling, a Scarlet Gown, and Gold Chaine, a Cap of Maintenance thrown

down, and a Sword in a Velvet Scabbard thrust through it, the City Arms, a Mace with an old useless Charter, and all in disorder. Before Thamesis, are broken Reeds, Bull-rushes, Sedge, &c. with his Urn Reverst.

Mercury Descends.
Merc.
Thou glorious Fabrick! stand for ever, stand:
Well Worthy Thou to entertain
The God of Traffique, and of Gain!
To draw the Concourse of the Land,
And Wealth of all the Main.
But where the shoales of Merchants meeting?
Welcome to their Friends repeating,
Busie Bargaines deafer sound!
Tongues Confus'd of every Nation?
Nothing here but Desolation,
Mournful silence reignes around.

Aug.
O Hermes! pity me!
I was, while Heav'n did smile,
The Queen of all this Isle,
Europes Pride,
And Albions Bride;
But gone my Plighted Lord! ah, gone is Hee!
O Hermes! pity mee!

Tham.
And I the Noble Flood, whose tributary Tide
Does on her Silver Margent smoothly glide;
But Heav'n grew jealous of our happy state:
And bid revolving Fate,
Our Doom decree:

These two Lines are Sung by Reprises, betwixt Augusta and Thamisis.
No more the King of Floods am I,
No more the Queen of Albion, She!

Sung by Augusta and Thamesis together.
Aug.
O Hermes! pity me!

Tham.
O Hermes! pity me!

Aug.
Behold!

Tham.
Behold!

Aug.
My Turrets on the ground
That once my Temples crown'd!

Tham.
The Sedgy Honours of my Brow's disperst!
My Urn reverst!

Merc.
Rise, rise, Augusta, rise!
And wipe thy weeping Eyes:
Augusta! for I call thee so!
'Tis lawful for the Gods to know
Thy Future Name,
And growing Fame.
Rise rise, Augusta, rise.

Aug.
O never, never will I rise!
Never will I cease my mourning,
Never wipe my Weeping Eyes,
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 Humane things below,
When even our Suff'rings here they do not know!

Merc.
Not unknowing came I down,
Disloyal Town!
Speak! did'st not Thou
Forsake thy Faith, and break thy Nuptial Vow?

Aug.
Ah 'tis too true! too true!
But what cou'd I, unthinking City, do?
Faction sway'd me,
Zeal allur'd me,
Both assur'd me,
Both betray'd me!

Merc.
Suppose me sent
Thy Albion to restore,
Can'st thou repent?

Aug.
My falshood 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!

Chor. of all.
We'll wash away the stain
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 allur'd my Heart away,
And He that after made a prey.

Merc.
Resist, and do not fear!

Chor. of all.]
Resist, & 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,
That on thy buxom Back the floating Gold may glide.

Tham.
Not all the Gold the Southern Sun produces,
Or Treasures of the fam'd Levant,
Suffice for Pious uses,
To feed the sacred hunger of a Saint!

Democ.
Woe to the Vanquisht, woe!
Slave as thou art,
Thy Wealth impart,
And me thy Victor know!

Zeal.
And me thy Victor know,
Resistless Arms are in my hand,
Thy Barrs shall burst at my Command,
Thy Towry Head lye low.
Woe to the Vanquish'd, woe!

Aug.
Were I not bound by fate
For ever, ever here,
My Walls I would translate
To some more happy Sphere,
Remov'd from servile fear.

Tham.
Remov'd from servile fear,
Wou'd I could disappear
And sink below the Mayn;
For Commonwealth's a Load
My old Imperial Flood
Shall never never bear again.
Thamesis and Augusta together.
A Commonwealth's a Load
Our old Imperial Flood
Shall never never never bear again.

Dem.
Pull down her Gates Expose her bare;
I must enjoy the proud, disdainful fair.
Haste, Archon, Haste
To lay her waste!

Zel.
I'll hold her fast
To be embrac'd!

Dem.
And she shall see
A Thousand Tyrants are in thee,
A Thousand thousand more in mee!

Archon
to Aug.
From the Caledonion Shore
Hither am I come to save thee,
Not to force or to enslave thee,
But thy Albion to restore:
Hark! the peales the People ring,
Peace, and freedom and a King.

Chor.]
Hark! the Peales the People ring.
Peace and freedom and a King.

Aug., Tham.
To Armes! to Armes!

Archon.
I lead the way!

Merc.
Cease your Alarmes!
And stay, brave Archon, stay!
'Tis Doom'd by Fates Decree!
'Tis Doom'd that Albion's dwelling,
All other Isles excelling,
By Peace shall Happy be!

Archon.
What then remaines for me?

Merc.
Take my Caduceus! take this aweful Wand,
With this th'Infernal Ghosts I can command,
And strike a Terror thro the Stygian Land.
Common-wealth will want pretences
Sleep will Creep on all his Senses;
Archon touches Democracy with a Wand.
Zeal that lent him her assistance,
Stand amaz'd without resistance.

Dem.
I feel a lazy slumber layes me down!
Let Albion! let him take the Crown!
Happy let him reign,
Till I wake again!

[falls asleep.
Zel.
In vain I rage, In vain,
I rouze my Powers;
But I shall wake again;
I shall to better Houres.
Ev'n in slumber I will vex him;
Still perplex him,
Still incumber:
Know you that have ador'd him,
And Soveraign power afford him,
Wee'll reap the gains
Of all your paines
And seem to have restor'd him!

[Zel. falls asleep.
Aug. and Tham.
A stupyfying sadness
Leaves Her without motion;
But sleep will cure her madness,
And coole her to Devotion.

A double Pedestal rises: On the Front of it is painted, in Stone colour, two Women; one holding a double Fac'd Vizor; the other a Book, representing Hypocricy and Phanaticism; when Archon has charmed Democracy and Zeal with the Caduceus of Mercury, they fall a sleep on the Pedestal, and it sinks with them.
Merc.
Cease, Augusta! Cease thy mourning,
Happy dayes appeare,
Godlike Albion is returning
Loyal Hearts to Cheere!
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.
Hast away, Loyal chief, hast away.
No delay, but obey:
To receive thy lov'd Lord! hast away.

[Ex. Arch.
Tham.
Medway and Isis, you that augment me,
Tides that encrease my watry store,
And you that are Friends to Peace and Plenty,
Send my merry Boyes all ashore;
Sea Men Skipping,
Mariners Leaping,
Shouting, Tripping,
Send my merry Boyes all ashore!

A Dance of Watermen in the King's and Duke's Liveries.
The Clouds divide, and Juno appears in a Machine drawn by Peacocks; while a Symphony is playing, it moves gently forward, and as it descends, it opens and discovers the Tail of the Peacock, which is so Large, that it almost fills the opening of the Stage between Scene and Scene.
Merc.
The Clouds divide, what Wonders,
What Wonders do I see!
The Wife of Jove, 'Tis shee,
That Thunders, More than thundring Hee!

Juno.
No, Hermes, No;
'Tis Peace above
As 'tis below:
For Jove has left his wandring Love.

Tham.
Great Queen of gathering Clouds;
Whose Moisture fills our Floods,
See; we fall before Thee,
Prostrate wee adore Thee!

Aug.
Great Queen of Nuptial Rites,
Whose pow'r the Souls Unites,
And fills the Genial Bed with chast Delights,
See; we fall before Thee
Prostrate we adore Thee!

Juno.
'Tis ratifi'd above by every God,
And Jove has firm'd it with an Awfull Nod;
That Albion shall his love renew:
But oh, ungrateful Fair,
Repeated Crimes beware,
And to his Bed be true!

Iris appears on a very large Machine. This was really seen the 18th of March 1684. by Capt. Christopher Gunman, on Board his R. H. Yacht, then in Calais Pierre: He drew it as it then appear'd, and gave a draught of it to us. We have only added the Cloud where the Person of Iris sits.
Juno.
Speak Iris, from Batavia, speak the Newes!
Has she perform'd my dread Command,
Returning Albion to his longing Land,
Or dares the Nymph refuse?

Iris.
Albion, by the Nymph attended,
Was to Neptune recommended,
Peace and plenty spread the Sails:
Venus in her shell before him,
From the Sands in safety bore him,
And supply'd Etesian gales.
[Retornella
Archon on the Shore Commanding,
Lowly met him at his Landing,
Crowd's of People swarm'd around;
Welcome rang like Peals of Thunder;
Welcome, rent the Skies assunder;
Welcome, Heav'n and Earth resound.

Juno.
Why stay we then on Earth
When Mortals laugh and love?
Tis time to mount above
And send Astræa down,
The Ruler of his Birth,
And Guardian of his Crown.
'Tis time to mount above,
And send Astræa down.

Mer., Ju., Ir.
'Tis time to mount above,
And send Astræa down.

[Mer. Ju. and Iris ascend.
Aug. and Tham.
The Royal Squadron Marches,
Erect Tryumphal Arches,
For Albion and Albanius:
Rejoyce at their returning,
The passages adorning:
The Royal Squadron marches,
Erect Triumphal Arches
For Albion and Albanius.

Part of the Scene disappears, and the 4 Triumphal Arches erected at his Majesties Coronation are seen.
Albion appears, Albanius by his side, preceded by Archon, followed by a Train, &c.
Full Chor.
Hail, Royal Albion, Hail.

Aug.
Hail Royal Albion, Hail to thee,
Thy longing Peoples expectation:

Tham.
Sent from the Gods to set us free.
From Bondage and from Usurpation!

Aug.
To pardon and to pity me,
And to forgive a guilty Nation!

Tham.
Behold the differing Climes agree.
Rejoycing in thy Restauration.

Entry; Representing the Four parts of the World, rejoycing at the Restauration of Albion.