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THE

SECULAR MASQUE.

Enter Janus.

Janus. Can hundred times the rolling fun

Hronos, Chronos, mend thy pace,

An

Around the radiant belt has run

In his revolving race.

Behold, behold, the goal in fight,

Spread thy fans, and wing thy flight.

Enter Chronos, with a fcythe in his hand, and a globe on his back; which he fets down at his

entrance.

Chronos. Weary, weary of my weight,

Let me, let me drop my freight,

And leave the world behind.

I could not bear,

Another year,

The load of human-kind.

Enter Momus laughing.

Momus. Ha! ha! ha!ha 'ha! ha! wellhaft thou don To lay down thy pack,

And lighten thy back,

The world was a fool, e'er fince it begun,

And fince neither Janus nor Chronos, nor I,
Can hinder the crimes,

Or mend the bad times,

'Tis better to laugh than to cry. Cho. of all three. 'Tis better to laugh than to cry.

Janus. Since Momus comes to laugh below,
Old Time begin the show,

That he may fee, in every scene,

What changes in this age have been. Chronos. Then goddess of the filver bow begin. [Horns, or bunting-mufic within.]

Enter Diana.

Di. With horns and with hounds, Iwaken the day;
And hye to the woodland-walks away;

I tuck up my robe, and am buskin'd soon,
And tie to my forehead a wexing moon.
I course the fleet stag, unkennel the fox,
And chace the wild goats o'er fummits of
rocks,

With shouting and hooting we pierce thro

the fky,

: And Ecchoturns hunter, and doubles the cry.

Cho. of all. With fhouting and hooting we pierce thro the sky,

And Eccho turns hunter, and doubles the cry.

Janus. Then our age was in in't's prime :

Chronos. Free from rage:

Diana.

And free from crime.

Momus. A very merry, dancing, drinking,

Laughing, quaffing, and unthinking time.

Cho. of all. Then our age was in't's prime,

Free from rage, and free from crime,
A very merry, dancing, drinking,
Laughing, quaffing, and unthinking time.
[Dance of Diana's attendants.]
Enter Mars.

Mars. Infpire the vocal brafs, infpire;

The world is past its infant age:

Arms and honor,

Arms and honor,

Set the martial mind on fire,

And kindle manly rage.

Mars has look'd the sky to red;

And Peace, the lazy good, is fled.

Plenty, peace, and pleasure fly;
The fprightly green,

In woodland-walks, no more is feen;
The sprightly green has drunk the Tyrian
dye,

Cho. of all. Plenty, peace, &c.

Mars. Sound the trumpet, beat the drum;
Thro all the world around,

Sound a reveille, found, found,

The warrior god is come.

Cho, of all, Sound the trumpet, &c,

Momus. Thy fword within the scabbard keep,
And let mankind agree;

Better the world were fast afleep,
Than kept awake by thee,
The fools are only thinner,

With all our coft and care;
But neither fide a winner,
For things are as they were,

Cho, of all. The fools are only, &c.

Enter Venus.

Venus. Calms appear, when forms are past;
Love will have his hour at laft;

Nature is my kindly care;

Mars deftroys, and I repair ;

Take me, take me, while you may,
Venus comes not ev'ry day.

Cho. of all. Take her, take her, &c.

Chronos. The world was then fo light,
I fcarcely felt the weight;

Joy rul'd the day, and Love the night.
But, fince the queen of pleasure left the
ground,

I faint, I lag,

And feebly drag

The pondrous orb around.

Momus. All, all of a piece throughout;
Point-

ing to Thy chace had a beast in view;
Diana

[To Mars] Thy wars brought nothing about;
[To Venus] Thy lovers were all untrue,
Janus. 'Tis well an old age is out,

Chronos. And time to begin a new.

Cho. of all. All, all of a piece throughout ;

Thy chace had a beaft in view:

Thy wars brought nothing about ;

Thy lovers were all untrue.

'Tis well an old age is out,

And time to begin a new.

Dance of huntsmen, nymphs, warriors, and lovers.

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