ACT I.

MERCURY _Descends._

_Mer._ Thou glorious fabric! stand, for ever stand: Well worthy thou to entertain The God of Traffic, and of Gain, To draw the concourse of the land, And wealth of all the main. But where the shoals of merchants meeting? Welcome to their friends repeating, Busy bargains' deafer sound? Tongue confused of every nation? Nothing here but desolation, Mournful silence reigns around.

_Aug._ O Hermes! pity me! I was, while heaven did smile, The queen of all this isle, Europe's pride, And Albion's bride; But gone my plighted lord! ah, gone is he! O Hermes! pity me!

_Tham._ And I the noble Flood, whose tributary tide Does on her silver margent smoothly glide; But heaven grew jealous of our happy state, And bid revolving fate Our doom decree; No more the King of Floods am I, No more the Queen of Albion, she! [_These two Lines are sung by Reprises betwixt_ AUGUSTA _and_ THAMESIS.

_Aug._ O Hermes! pity me! } _Sung by_ AUG. _and_ } THAM. _together._ _Tham._ O Hermes! pity me! }

_Aug._ Behold!

_Tham._ Behold!

_Aug._ My turrets on the ground, That once my temples crowned!

_Tham._ The sedgy honours of my brows dispersed! My urn reversed!

_Merc._ Rise, rise, Augusta, rise! And wipe thy weeping eyes: Augusta!--for I call thee so: 'Tis lawful for the gods to know Thy future name, And growing fame. Rise, rise, Augusta, rise.

_Aug._ O never, never will I rise, Never will I cease my mourning, Never wipe my weeping eyes, Till my plighted lord's returning! Never, never will I rise!

_Merc._ What brought thee, wretch, to this despair? The cause of thy misfortune show.

_Aug._ It seems the gods take little care Of human things below, When even our sufferings here they do not know.

_Merc._ Not unknowing came I down, Disloyal town! Speak! didst not thou Forsake thy faith, and break thy nuptial vow?

_Aug._ Ah, 'tis too true! too true! But what could I, unthinking city, do? Faction swayed me, Zeal allured me, Both assured me. Both betrayed me!

_Merc._ Suppose me sent Thy Albion to restore,-- Can'st thou repent?

_Aug._ My falsehood I deplore!

_Tham._ Thou seest her mourn, and I With all my waters will her tears supply.

_Merc._ Then by some loyal deed regain Thy long-lost reputation, To wash away the stain That blots a noble nation, And free thy famous town again From force of usurpation.

_Chorus of all._ We'll wash away the stain That blots a noble nation, And free this famous town again From force of usurpation. [_Dance of the Followers of_ MERCURY.

_Aug._ Behold Democracy and Zeal appear; She, that allured my heart away, And he, that after made a prey.

_Merc._ Resist, and do not fear!

_Chorus of all._ Resist, and do not fear!

_Enter_ DEMOCRACY _and_ ZEAL _attended by_ ARCHON.

_Democ._ Nymph of the city! bring thy treasures, Bring me more To waste in pleasures.

_Aug._ Thou hast exhausted all my store, And I can give no more.

_Zeal._ Thou horny flood, for Zeal provide A new supply; and swell thy moony tide, That on thy buxom back the floating gold may glide.

_Tham._ Not all the gold the southern sun produces, Or treasures of the famed Levant, Suffice for pious uses, To feed the sacred hunger of a saint!

_Democ._ Woe to the vanquished, woe! Slave as thou art, Thy wealth impart, And me thy victor know!

_Zeal._ And me thy victor know. Resistless arms are in my hand, Thy bars shall burst at my command, Thy tory head lie low. Woe to the vanquished, woe!

_Aug._ Were I not bound by fate For ever, ever here, My walls I would translate To some more happy sphere, Removed from servile fear.

_Tham._ Removed from servile fear. Would I could disappear, And sink below the main; For commonwealth's a load, My old imperial flood Shall never, never bear again. A commonwealth's a load, } THAMES. _and_ Our old imperial flood, } AUG. _together._ Shall never, never, never, bear again. }

_Dem._ Pull down her gates, expose her bare; I must enjoy the proud disdainful fair. Haste, Archon, haste To lay her waste[1]!

_Zeal._ I'll hold her fast To be embraced!

_Dem._ And she shall see A thousand tyrants are in thee, A thousand thousand more in me!

_Archon._ to _Aug._ From the Caledonian shore Hither am I come to save thee, Not to force or to enslave thee, But thy Albion to restore: Hark! the peals the people ring, Peace, and freedom, and a king.

_Chorus._ Hark! the peals the people ring, Peace, and freedom, and a king.

_Aug._ and _Tham._ To arms! to arms!

_Archon._ I lead the way!

_Merc._ Cease your alarms! And stay, brave Archon, stay! 'Tis doomed by fate's decree, 'Tis doomed that Albion's dwelling, All other isles excelling, By peace shall happy be.

_Archon._ What then remains for me?

_Merc._ Take my caduceus! Take this awful wand, With this the infernal ghosts I can command, And strike a terror through the Stygian land. Commonwealth will want pretences, Sleep will creep on all his senses; Zeal that lent him her assistance, Stand amazed without resistance. [ARCHON _touches_ DEMOCRACY _with a Wand._

_Dem._ I feel a lazy slumber lays me down: Let Albion, let him take the crown. Happy let him reign, Till I wake again. [_Falls asleep._

_Zeal._ In vain I rage, in vain I rouse my powers; But I shall wake again, I shall, to better hours. Even in slumber will I vex him; Still perplex him, Still incumber: Know, you that have adored him, And sovereign power afford him, We'll reap the gains Of all your pains, And seem to have restored him. [ZEAL _falls asleep._

_Aug._ and _Tham._ A stupifying sadness Leaves her without motion; But sleep will cure her madness, And cool her to devotion.

_A double Pedestal rises: on the Front of it is painted, in Stone-colour, two Women; one holding a double-faced Vizor; the other a Book, representing_ HYPOCRISY _and_ FANATICISM; _when_ ARCHON _has charmed_ DEMOCRACY _and_ ZEAL _with the Caduceus of_ MERCURY, _they fall asleep on the Pedestal, and it sinks with them._

_Merc._ Cease, Augusta! cease thy mourning, Happy days appear; God-like Albion is returning Loyal hearts to chear. Every grace his youth adorning, Glorious as the star of morning, Or the planet of the year.

_Chor._ Godlike Albion is returning, &c.

_Merc._ to _Arch._ Haste away, loyal chief, haste away, No delay, but obey; To receive thy loved lord, haste away. [_Ex._ ARCH.

_Tham._ Medway and Isis, you that augment me, Tides that increase my watery store, And you that are friends to peace and plenty, Send my merry boys all ashore; Seamen skipping, Mariners leaping, Shouting, tripping, Send my merry boys all ashore!

_A dance of Watermen in the King's and Duke's Liveries._

_The Clouds divide, and_ JUNO _appears in a Machine drawn by Peacocks; while a Symphony is playing, it moves gently forward, and as it descends, it opens and discovers the Tail of the Peacock, which is so large, that it almost fills the opening of the Stage between Scene and Scene._

_Merc._ The clouds divide; what wonders, What wonders do I see! The wife of Jove! 'Tis she, That thunders, more than thundering he!

_Juno._ No, Hermes, no; 'Tis peace above As 'tis below; For Jove has left his wand'ring love.

_Tham._ Great queen of gathering clouds, Whose moisture fills our floods, See, we fall before thee, Prostrate we adore thee!

_Aug._ Great queen of nuptial rites, Whose power the souls unites, And fills the genial bed with chaste delights, See, we fall before thee, Prostrate we adore thee!

_Juno._ 'Tis ratified above by every god, And Jove has firmed it with an awful nod, That Albion shall his love renew: But oh, ungrateful fair, Repeated crimes beware, And to his bed be true!

IRIS _appears on a very large Machine. This was really seen the 18th of March, 1684, by Captain_ Christopher Gunman, _on Board his R.H. Yacht, then in Calais Pierre: He drew it as it then appeared, and gave a Draught of it to us. We have only added the Cloud where the Person of_ IRIS _sits._

_Juno._ Speak, Iris, from Batavia, speak the news! Has he performed my dread command, Returning Albion to his longing land, Or dare the nymph refuse?

_Iris._ Albion, by the nymph attended, Was to Neptune recommended; Peace and Plenty spread the sails, Venus, in her shell before him, From the sands in safety bore him, And supplied Etesian gales. [_Retornella._ Archon, on the shore commanding, Lowly met him at his landing, Crowds of people swarmed around; Welcome rang like peals of thunder; Welcome, rent the skies asunder; Welcome, heaven and earth resound.

_Juno._ Why stay we then on earth, When mortals laugh and love? 'Tis time to mount above, And send Astræa down, The ruler of his birth, And guardian of his crown. 'Tis time to mount above, And send Astræa down.

_Mer. Jun. Ir._ 'Tis time to mount above, And send Astræa down. [MER. JU. _and_ IR. _ascend._

_Aug._ and _Tham._ The royal squadron marches, Erect triumphal arches, For Albion and Albanius; Rejoice at their returning, The passages adorning: The royal squadron marches, Erect triumphal arches For Albion and Albanius.

_Part of the Scene disappears, and the Four Triumphal arches, erected on his Majesty's Coronation, are seen._

ALBION _appears,_ ALBANIUS _by his Side, preceded by_ ARCHON, _followed by a Train, &c._

_Full Chorus._ Hail, royal Albion, Hail!

_Aug._ Hail, royal Albion, hail to thee, Thy longing people's expectation!

_Tham._ Sent from the gods to set us free From bondage and from usurpation!

_Aug._ To pardon and to pity me, And to forgive a guilty nation!

_Tham._ Behold the differing Climes agree, Rejoicing in thy restoration.

Entry. _Representing the Four Parts of the World, rejoicing at the Restoration of_ ALBION.