VII.

Thus long ago,

Ere heaving bellows learn'd to blow,

While organs yet were mute,

Timotheus, to his breathing flute

And sounding lyre,

Could swell the soul to rage, or kindle soft desire.

At last divine Cecilia came,

Inventress of the vocal frame;

The sweet enthusiast, from her sacred store,

Enlarg'd the former narrow bounds,

And added length to solemn sounds,

With Nature's mother-wit, and arts unknown before.

Let old Timotheus yield the prize,

Or both divide the crown;

He rais'd a mortal to the skies,

She drew an angel down.

GRAND CHORUS.

"At last divine Cecilia came,

"Inventress of the vocal frame;

"The sweet enthusiast, from her sacred store,

"Enlarg'd the former narrow bounds,

"And added length to solemn sounds,

"With Nature's mother-wit, and arts unknown

"Let old Timotheus yield the prize,

"Or both divide the crown;

"He rais'd a mortal to the skies,

"She drew an angel down."

[before.

THE SECULAR MASK.

Enter JANUS.

JAN. CHRONOS, Chronos, mend thy pace;

An hundred times the rolling sun

Around the radiant belt has run

In his revolving race.

Behold, behold, the goal in sight,

Spread thy fans, and wing thy flight.

2

Enter CHRONOS, with a sythe in his band, and a globe on bis back; which he sets down at his entrance.

CHRO. 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.

MOM. Ha! haha! haha! ha! well hast thou done

To lay down thy pack,

And lighten thy back,

The world was a fool ere since it begun,

And since 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."

JAN. Since Momus comes to laugh below,

Old Time begin the show,

That he may see, in every scene,

What changes in this age have been,

CHRO. Then, goddess of the silver bow, begin. [Horns, or bunting music within,]

Enter DIANA.

DIA. With horns and with hounds I waken 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 summits of rocks;
With shouting and hooting we pierce thro' the sky,
And Echo turns hunter, and doubles the cry.

CHO. of all.]“With shouting and hooting we pierce "thro' the sky,

"And Echo turns hunter, and doubles the cry." JAN. Then our age was in its prime :

CHRO. Free from rage,

DIA.

And free from crime.

MOM. A very merry, dancing, drinking, Laughing, quaffing, and unthinking time.

CHO. of all.]" Then our age was in its 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. Inspire the vocal brass, inspire;

The world is past its infant age:

Arms and honour,

Arms and honour,

Set the martial mind on fire,
And kindle manly rage,
Mars has look'd the sky to red;
And Peace, the lazy god, is fled.
Plenty, Peace, and Pleasure fly;
The sprightly green,

In woodland-walks, no more is seen;

The sprightly green has drunk the Tyrian dye.

CHO. of all.]" Plenty, Peace, and Pleasure fly; "The sprightly green,

"In woodland-walks, no more is seen;

"The sprightly green has drunk the Tyrian dye.” MARS. Sound the trumpet, beat the drum;

Through all the world around

Sound a reveille, sound, sound;

The warrior god is come.

CHO. of all.] "Sound the trumpet, beat the drum; "Through all the world around

ແ

"Bound a reveille, sound, sound;

"The warrior god is come."

MOM. Thy sword within the scabbard keep,

And let mankind agree;

Better the world were fast asleep,

Than kept awake by thee.

The fools are only thinner
With all our cost and care?
But neither side a winner,
For things are as they were.

CHO, of all.] The fools are only thimmer, "With all our cost and care;

"But neither side a winner,

"For things are as they were."

Enter VENUS.

VEN. Calms appear when storms are past;

Love will have his hour at last :

Nature is my kindly care;

Mars destroys, and I repair.

Take me, take me, while you may,

Venus comes not ev'ry day.

CHO. of all]" Take her, take her, while you may,

Venus comes not ev'ry day."

CHRO. The world was then so light,

I scarcely felt the weight;

Joy rul'd the day, and Love the night :

But since the Queen of Pleasure left the ground,

I faint, I lag,

And feebly drag

The pond'rous orb around.

MOM. All, all of a piece throughout;

Pointing to Diana.] Thy chace had a beast in view; To Mars.] Thy wars brought nothing about;

To Venus.] Thy lovers were all untrue.

Volume II.

U.