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THE

DESCENT OF LIBERTY.

PERSONS OF THE DRAMA.

SPEAKERS.

EUNOMUS an old Nobleman, reduced and living in solitude. PHILARET his son, supposed to be dead.

MYRTILLA-his daughter-in-law, Philaret's wife.

THREE SHEPHERDS-reduced to that condition.

LIBERTY.

FOUR GENII OF THE KINGDOMS.

PHANIEL and MABIEL-attendant Spirits.

SPRING, PEACE, and POETRY--Goddesses.

THE SABLE GENIUS.

MUTES.

THE ENCHANTER.

PAINTING, MUSIC, and DANCING-Goddesses.

CERES,

AMBRIEL-a Spirit.

Visions and Pageants, &c.

THE

DESCENT OF LIBERTY.

PROLOGUE.

THE scene of the Prologue is nothing but clouds and sky, the former lying in heaps of silvery snow for a ground, and the latter, which is of a deep blue, presenting an occasional planet in motion. A sudden light strikes over the place, and Liberty, with a cheerful step, issues out of it. She is in the bloom of youth, buskined up with an active dress like Diana, her large and airy curls enwreathed with laurel, and a light staff with a cap on it across her shoulder. As she advances she makes a stop, and casts her eyes downwards, as if looking into the distance afar off.

LIBERTY.

This is the point at which the rolling world

Opens upon me.

There it is, broad gleaming!

O what a sight of loveliness art thou,

Earth, my dear care; and what would some of those,

Who spoil thee, think if they could see thine orb

As I do now, smoothing along the air

With full-turn'd face divine, and all the while
Serv'd with the beauty of the silver moon!

Now the wide waters heavingly come round,
Opaque and restless, with a lingering sweep;
Fair islands now, and there, my favourite soil,
Among them, upon which I first set foot
Whene'er I visit earth; and now at last,
The suffering land, which I must free to day.

With what a clinging darkness is it cover'd! The Enchanter, foiled in his attempt to force His art beyond it's limits, and to work

His fiery magic in the northern snows,

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