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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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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.
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.

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'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.
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.
But only he can make the rest combine;
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.
Thus some, for Envy, or Revenge, intend
To bring the bold Usurper to his End;
But for his Country, Brutus stabs his Friend.