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 Heroic Rage.
'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.
