So when black clouds furround heaven's glorious face, Tempestuous darkness covering all the place, If we difcern but the leaft glimmering ray Of that bright orb of fire which rules the day, The chearful fight our fainting courage warms; Fix'd upon that, we fear no future harms. Ο Ν ТНЕ D. E IT Y. WRETCHED mankind! void of both strength and skill! Dextrous at nothing but at doing ill! In merit humble, in pretensions high, Among them none, alas! more weak than I, And none more blind: though ftill I worthless thought But zealous heat exalts the humblest mind; Yet fuch the subjects, various, and so high, But on that theme which ev'n the wise abuse, While others vainly strive to know Thee more, Wishing that human power were higher rais'd, PROLOGUE то THE ALTERATION OF JULIUS CÆSAR. HOPE to mend Shakespeare! or to match his style! Of greatest actions, and of noblest men, At At diftance now of feventeen hundred years, Whom, though forbid by virtue to excufe, A nymph might pardon, and could scarce refufe. CHORUSES IN JULIUS CÆSAR. CHORUS I. WHIT I. HITHER is Roman honour gone? That valour, which so bright has fhone, Muft to a haughty mafter bow : Who, with our toil, our blood, and all we have befide, Gorges his ill-got power, his humour, and his pride. II. Fearless he will his life expofe; So does a lion or a bear. His very virtues threaten those, Who more his bold ambition fear. How ftupid wretches we appear, Who round the world for wealth and empire roam, Did men for this together join, Quitting the free wild life of Nature? What other beast did e'er design The fetting up his fellow-creature, And of two mischiefs chufe the greater? Oh! Oh! rather than be flaves to bold imperious men, Give us our wildness, and our woods, our huts, and caves again. IV. There, fecure from lawless sway, Living up to Nature's rules, Not deprav'd by knaves and fools; Happily we all fhould live, and harmless as our fheep, And at laft as calmly die as infants fall asleep. L O! to prevent this mighty empire's doom, The awful genius of majestic Rome. Great is her danger but I will engage 'Tis hard, a man fo great fhould fall fo low; To one themfelves have rais'd, who fcorns them now. Yet, oh! I grieve t! at Brutus fhould be ftain'd, But only he can make the reft combine; Unthinking men no fort of fcruples make; Thus fome for envy, or revenge, intend CHORUS III. BY TWO AERIAL SPIRITS. I. ELL, oh! tell me, whence arife Rome's great genius wildly gaz'd, |