 | Albion and Albanius |  |
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.
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!
3
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!
4
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,
5
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!
6
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.
| Albion and Albanius | |