Dem. and Zel. The wealth of Albion's isle was ours,
Augusta stooped with all her stately towers.
Dem. Democracy kept nobles under.
Zel. Zeal from the pulpit roared like thunder.
Dem. I trampled on the state.
Zel. I lorded o'er the gown.
Dem. and Zel. We both in triumph sate,
Usurpers of the crown.
But oh, prodigious turn of fate!
Heaven controuling,
Sent us rolling, rolling down.
Plu. I wondered how of late our Acherontic shore
Grew thin, and hell unpeopled of her store;
Charon, for want of use, forgot his oar.
The souls of bodies dead flew all sublime,
And hither none returned to purge a crime:
But now I see, since Albion is restored,
Death has no business, nor the vengeful sword.
'Tis too, too much that here I lie
245 From glorious empire hurled;
By Jove excluded from the sky;
By Albion from the world.
Dem. Were common-wealth restored again,
Thou shouldst have millions of the slain
To fill thy dark abode.
Zel. For he a race of rebels sends,
And Zeal the path of heaven pretends,
But still mistakes the road.
Plu. My labouring thought
At length hath wrought
A bravely bold design,
In which you both shall join.
In borrowed shapes to earth return;
Thou, Common-wealth, a Patriot seem,
Thou, Zeal, like true Religion burn,
To gain the giddy crowd's esteem.—
Alecto, thou to fair Augusta go,
And all thy snakes into her bosom throw.