The Works of John Sheffield Earl of Mulgrave, Marquis of Normanby, and Duke of Buckingham. In two volumes ... The third edition, Corrected |
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 | The Works of John Sheffield |  |
Between the second and third Act, these Verses are
to be sung by a Person representing the Genius of Rome.
Second CHORUS.
Lo! to prevent this mighty Empire's Doom,
From bright unknown Abodes of Bliss I come,
The awful Genius of majestick Rome.
From bright unknown Abodes of Bliss I come,
The awful Genius of majestick Rome.
Great is her Danger: but I will engage
Some few, the Master-Souls of all this Age,
To do an Act of just heroick Rage.
Some few, the Master-Souls of all this Age,
To do an Act of just heroick Rage.
260
'Tis hard, a Man so great should fall so low;
More hard, to let so brave a People bow
To one themselves have rais'd, who scorns them now.
More hard, to let so brave a People bow
To one themselves have rais'd, who scorns them now.
Yet, oh! I grieve that Brutus should be stain'd;
Whose Life, excepting this one Act, remain'd
So pure, that future Times will think it feign'd.
Whose Life, excepting this one Act, remain'd
So pure, that future Times will think it feign'd.
But only he can make the rest combine;
The very Life and Soul of their Design;
The Centre, where those mighty Spirits join.
The very Life and Soul of their Design;
The Centre, where those mighty Spirits join.
Unthinking Men no sort of Scruples make;
Others do ill, only for Mischief's Sake;
But ev'n the best are guilty by Mistake.
Others do ill, only for Mischief's Sake;
But ev'n the best are guilty by Mistake.
Thus some, for Envy, or Revenge, intend
To bring the bold Usurper to his End;
But for his Country, Brutus stabs his Friend.
To bring the bold Usurper to his End;
But for his Country, Brutus stabs his Friend.
| The Works of John Sheffield | |