ACT II.

CHORUS OF ISRAELITES.O peace of mind, angelic guest!Thou soft companion of the breast!Dispense thy balmy store;Wing all our thoughts to reach the skies,Till earth, receding from our eyes,Shall vanish as we soar.

CHORUS OF ISRAELITES.

O peace of mind, angelic guest!Thou soft companion of the breast!Dispense thy balmy store;Wing all our thoughts to reach the skies,Till earth, receding from our eyes,Shall vanish as we soar.

O peace of mind, angelic guest!

Thou soft companion of the breast!

Dispense thy balmy store;

Wing all our thoughts to reach the skies,

Till earth, receding from our eyes,

Shall vanish as we soar.

FIRST PRIEST.

Recitative.

No more! Too long has justice been delay'd;The king's commands must fully be obey'd:Compliance with his will your peace secures;Praise but our gods, and every good is yours.But if, rebellious to his high command,You spurn the favours offer'd from his hand,Think, timely think, what terrors are behind;Reflect, nor tempt to rage the royal mind.

No more! Too long has justice been delay'd;

The king's commands must fully be obey'd:

Compliance with his will your peace secures;

Praise but our gods, and every good is yours.

But if, rebellious to his high command,

You spurn the favours offer'd from his hand,

Think, timely think, what terrors are behind;

Reflect, nor tempt to rage the royal mind.

SECOND PRIEST.Air.Fierce is the whirlwind howlingO'er Afric's sandy plain,And fierce the tempest rollingAlong the furrow'd main;But storms that flyTo rend the sky,Every ill presaging,Less dreadful showTo worlds belowThan angry monarch's raging.ISRAELITISH WOMAN.Recitative.

SECOND PRIEST.

Air.

Fierce is the whirlwind howlingO'er Afric's sandy plain,And fierce the tempest rollingAlong the furrow'd main;But storms that flyTo rend the sky,Every ill presaging,Less dreadful showTo worlds belowThan angry monarch's raging.

Fierce is the whirlwind howling

O'er Afric's sandy plain,

And fierce the tempest rolling

Along the furrow'd main;

But storms that fly

To rend the sky,

Every ill presaging,

Less dreadful show

To worlds below

Than angry monarch's raging.

ISRAELITISH WOMAN.

Recitative.

Ah, me! what angry terrors round us grow;How shrinks my soul to meet the threaten'd blow!Ye prophets, skill'd in Heaven's eternal truth,Forgive my sex's fears, forgive my youth!Ah! let us one, one little hour obey;To-morrow's tears may wash the stain away.

Ah, me! what angry terrors round us grow;

How shrinks my soul to meet the threaten'd blow!

Ye prophets, skill'd in Heaven's eternal truth,

Forgive my sex's fears, forgive my youth!

Ah! let us one, one little hour obey;

To-morrow's tears may wash the stain away.

Air.Fatigued with life, yet loth to part,On Hope the wretch relies;And every blow that sinks the heartBids the deluder rise.Hope, like the taper's gleamy light,Adorns the wretch's way;And still, as darker grows the night,Emits a brighter ray.SECOND PRIEST.

Air.

Fatigued with life, yet loth to part,On Hope the wretch relies;And every blow that sinks the heartBids the deluder rise.Hope, like the taper's gleamy light,Adorns the wretch's way;And still, as darker grows the night,Emits a brighter ray.

Fatigued with life, yet loth to part,

On Hope the wretch relies;

And every blow that sinks the heart

Bids the deluder rise.

Hope, like the taper's gleamy light,

Adorns the wretch's way;

And still, as darker grows the night,

Emits a brighter ray.

SECOND PRIEST.

Why this delay? At length for joy prepare;I read your looks, and see compliance there.Come on, and bid the warbling rapture rise:Our monarch's fame the noblest theme supplies.Begin, ye captive bands, and strike the lyre;The time, the theme, the place, and all conspire.

Why this delay? At length for joy prepare;

I read your looks, and see compliance there.

Come on, and bid the warbling rapture rise:

Our monarch's fame the noblest theme supplies.

Begin, ye captive bands, and strike the lyre;

The time, the theme, the place, and all conspire.

CHALDEAN WOMAN.Air.

CHALDEAN WOMAN.

Air.

See the ruddy morning smiling,Hear the grove to bliss beguiling;Zephyrs through the woodland playing,Streams along the valley straying.

See the ruddy morning smiling,

Hear the grove to bliss beguiling;

Zephyrs through the woodland playing,

Streams along the valley straying.

"The master-prophet grasps his full-toned lyre.Mark where he sits."—p. 214.

FIRST PRIEST.While these a constant revel keep,Shall Reason only teach to weep?Hence, intruder! we'll pursueNature, a better guide than you.SECOND PRIEST.Every moment, as it flows,Some peculiar pleasure owes;Then let us, providently wise,Seize the debtor ere it flies.Think not to-morrow can repayThe debt of pleasure lost to-day;Alas! to-morrow's richest storeCan but pay its proper score.FIRST PRIEST.

FIRST PRIEST.

While these a constant revel keep,Shall Reason only teach to weep?Hence, intruder! we'll pursueNature, a better guide than you.

While these a constant revel keep,

Shall Reason only teach to weep?

Hence, intruder! we'll pursue

Nature, a better guide than you.

SECOND PRIEST.

Every moment, as it flows,Some peculiar pleasure owes;Then let us, providently wise,Seize the debtor ere it flies.Think not to-morrow can repayThe debt of pleasure lost to-day;Alas! to-morrow's richest storeCan but pay its proper score.

Every moment, as it flows,

Some peculiar pleasure owes;

Then let us, providently wise,

Seize the debtor ere it flies.

Think not to-morrow can repay

The debt of pleasure lost to-day;

Alas! to-morrow's richest store

Can but pay its proper score.

FIRST PRIEST.

Recitative.

But, hush! See, foremost of the captive choir,The master-prophet grasps his full-toned lyre.Mark where he sits, with executing art,Feels for each tone, and speeds it to the heart.See how prophetic rapture fills his form,Awful as clouds that nurse the growing storm;And now his voice, accordant to the string,Prepares our monarch's victories to sing.

But, hush! See, foremost of the captive choir,

The master-prophet grasps his full-toned lyre.

Mark where he sits, with executing art,

Feels for each tone, and speeds it to the heart.

See how prophetic rapture fills his form,

Awful as clouds that nurse the growing storm;

And now his voice, accordant to the string,

Prepares our monarch's victories to sing.

FIRST PROPHET.Air.From north, from south, from east, from west,Conspiring nations come;Tremble, thou vice-polluted breast,Blasphemers, all be dumb.The tempest gathers all around,On Babylon it lies;Down with her! down—down to the ground!She sinks, she groans, she dies.SECOND PROPHET.Down with her, Lord, to lick the dust,Ere yonder setting sun;Serve her as she has served the just!'Tis fix'd—it shall be done.FIRST PRIEST.Recitative.

FIRST PROPHET.

Air.

From north, from south, from east, from west,Conspiring nations come;Tremble, thou vice-polluted breast,Blasphemers, all be dumb.The tempest gathers all around,On Babylon it lies;Down with her! down—down to the ground!She sinks, she groans, she dies.

From north, from south, from east, from west,

Conspiring nations come;

Tremble, thou vice-polluted breast,

Blasphemers, all be dumb.

The tempest gathers all around,

On Babylon it lies;

Down with her! down—down to the ground!

She sinks, she groans, she dies.

SECOND PROPHET.

Down with her, Lord, to lick the dust,Ere yonder setting sun;Serve her as she has served the just!'Tis fix'd—it shall be done.

Down with her, Lord, to lick the dust,

Ere yonder setting sun;

Serve her as she has served the just!

'Tis fix'd—it shall be done.

FIRST PRIEST.

Recitative.

No more! When slaves thus insolent presume,The king himself shall judge, and fix their doom.Unthinking wretches! have not you and allBeheld our power in Zedekiah's fall?To yonder gloomy dungeon turn your eyes,See where dethroned your captive monarch lies;Deprived of sight and rankling in his chain,See where he mourns his friends and children slain.Yet know, ye slaves, that still remain behindMore ponderous chains, and dungeons more confined.

No more! When slaves thus insolent presume,

The king himself shall judge, and fix their doom.

Unthinking wretches! have not you and all

Beheld our power in Zedekiah's fall?

To yonder gloomy dungeon turn your eyes,

See where dethroned your captive monarch lies;

Deprived of sight and rankling in his chain,

See where he mourns his friends and children slain.

Yet know, ye slaves, that still remain behind

More ponderous chains, and dungeons more confined.

CHORUS OF ALL.Arise, all potent Ruler, rise,And vindicate thy people's cause:Till every tongue in every landShall offer up unfeigned applause.

CHORUS OF ALL.

Arise, all potent Ruler, rise,And vindicate thy people's cause:Till every tongue in every landShall offer up unfeigned applause.

Arise, all potent Ruler, rise,

And vindicate thy people's cause:

Till every tongue in every land

Shall offer up unfeigned applause.

Exeunt.

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