THE

SECULAR MASQUE.

Janus.

C

Enter Janus.

Hronos, Chronos, mend thy pace,
An hundred times the rolling fun

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 Scythe in his hand, and a globe on bis 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! haha! ha! wellhast 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 silver bow begin. [Horns, or hunting-mufic within.]

Enter Diana.

Di. 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 foon,
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

With shouting and hooting we pierce thro

the sky,

: And Ecchoturns hunter, and doubles thecry.

Cho. of all. With shouting 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, andunthinkingtime.

[Dance of Diana's attendants.]
Enter Mars.

Mars. Inspire the vocal brass, inspire;

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 sprightly green,

In woodland-walks, no more is seen;

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 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 fide a winner,

For things are as they were,

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

Enter Venus.

Venus. 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, &c.

Chronos. 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 pondrous orb around.

Momus. All, all of a piece throughout;

Point

ing to Thy

Diana

chace had a beast in view;

[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 beast 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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