SCENE III.

LANTONUS, HULACUS, _two Druids, in long robes;_ _hats like pyramids, branches of misletoe._

LAN. That souls immortal are, I easily grant; Their future state distinguish'd--joy or pain, According to the merits of this life. But then, I rather think, being free from prison And bodily contagion, they subsist In places fit for immaterial spirits; Are not transfus'd from men to beasts, from beasts To men again--wheel'd round about by change.

HUL. And were it not more cruel to turn out Poor naked souls stripp'd of warm flesh (like land-lords), Bidding them wander? then forsooth imagine Some unknown cave or coast, whither all the myriads Of souls deceas'd are shipp'd[284] and thrust together. Nay, reason rather says, as at one moment Some die, and some are born, so may their ghosts Without more cost serve the succeeding age: For (sure) they don't wear to be cast aside, But enter straight less or more noble bodies, According to desert of former deeds: The valiant into lions; coward minds Into weak hares; th' ambitious into eagles Soaring aloft; but the perverse and peevish Are next indeniz'd[285] into wrinkled apes, Each vice and virtue wearing seemly shapes.

LAN. So you debase the gods' most lively image. The human soul, and rank it with mere brutes, Whose life, of reason void, ends with their sense.

_Enter_ BELINUS.

BEL. Hail to heaven's privy councillors! The king Desires your judgment of these troublesome times.

LAN. The gods foretold these mischiefs long ago.

In Eldell's reign the earth and sky were fill'd With prodigies, strange sights, and hellish shapes: Sometimes two hosts with fiery lances met, Armour and horse being heard amid the clouds: With streamers red now march these airy warriors, And then a sable hearse-cloth wraps up all; And bloody drops speckled the grass, as falling From their deep-wounded limbs: Whilst staring comets[286] shook their flaming hair. Thus all our wars were acted first on high, And we taught what to look for.

HUL. Nature turns stepdame to her brood, and dams Deny their monstrous issue. Saturn, join'd In dismal league with Mars, portends some change. Late in a grove, by night, a voice was heard To cry aloud, _Take heed: more Trojans come!_ What may be known or done, we'll search, and help With all religious care.

BEL. The king and army do expect as much: That powers divine, perfum'd with odours sweet, And feasted with the fat of bulls and rams, Be pleas'd to bless their plots.

LAN. All rites and orisons due shall be perform'd: Chiefly night's empress fourfold honour craves, Mighty in heaven and hell, in woods and waves. [_Exeunt._