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First CHORUS.

Of Athenian Philofophers.

Written at the Command of his Grace, by Mr. POPE.

I.

E Shades where facred Truth is fought,
Groves, where immortal Sages taught,
Where heav'nly Visions PLATO fir'd,
And Godlike ZENO lay infpir'd!
In vain your guiltless Laurels ftood
Unfpotted long with humane Blood:

War, horrid War, your thoughtful Walks invades,
And Steel now glitters in the Mufes Shades.

II.

Oh Heav'n-born Sifters! Source of Art!
Who charm the Senfe, or mend the Heart;
Who lead fair Virtue's Train along,

Moral Truth, and mystick Song!
To what new Clime, what distant Sky,
Forfaken, friendless, shall ye fly?
Say, will ye bless the bleak Atlantic Shore,
Or bid the furious Gaul be rude no more?

III.

When Athens finks by Fates unjust;
When wild Barbarians spurn her Duft;
Perhaps ev❜n Britain's utmost Shore

Shall cease to blush with Stranger's Gore;
See Arts her favage Sons controul,

An Athens rifing near the Pole;

Till fome new Tyrant lifts his purple Hand,
And civil Madness tears them from the Land.

IV.

Ye Gods! what Juftice rules the Ball
Freedom and Arts together fall;
Fools grant whate'er Ambition craves,
And Men, once ignorant, are Slaves.
Oh curs'd Effects of civil Hate;

In ev'ry Age, in ev'ry State!

Still when the Luft of Tyrant Pow'r fucceeds.
Some Athens perishes, fome TULLY bleeds.

ACT

ACT II. SCENE I.

The fame Vestibule.

Enter VARIUS, with TITINIUS newly arriv'd at

Athens.

TITINIUS.

Hat mean these sumptuous Preparations? Is this a Time for either Pomp or Pleasure ? When two, the best and boldest Sons of Rome, The jufteft Cause too that was e'er defended, Are on the very Brink of their Destruction.

VARIUS.

O wrong not facred Athens, Sir, the Nurse
The Mother of all Arts and Sciences:

Has she spread Wit and Learning thro' the World,
Nay foften'd Rome her felf (but rough before)

To Arts, to Eloquence, and gentler Manners,
And is fhe now upbraided?

TITINIUS.

Fallacious Eloquence, and useless Arts!

I

I own her Learning; but that Polishing

Has but too much weaken'd our harder Steel.

Our ancient, rough, and manly Worth now bends At the hard touch of Perils and of Toils.

Our Gold is melted to a finer Shape,

But mix'd with drofs of Flatt'ry and Corruption.
How else could BRUTUS be a banifh'd Man?
Or how could Liberty fly here for Refuge?

VARIUS.

And whither should it fly, if not to Athens?
The School of all Philofophy and Virtue.
Our publick Recreations here are facred :
This Day th' Athenians, ever true to Virtue,
In this low Ebb, in fpite of pow'rful Rome,
Have kept their Custom, tho' against their Safety,
And confecrated Sports for your Success.

TITINIUS.

Is't poffible? Pardon a Stranger's Error,
Newly arriv'd with Succours from afar,

Sent from the Gods, I think: for 'tis their Caufe ;
And unknown Regions have efpous'd our Quarrel.

VARIUS,

The Sports are juft beginning; I have time
Only to let you know these are not Trifles,
Or fuch as are in Nations loose of Manners;
But folemn Celebrations to the Gods,

With pious Hymns imploring their Protection.
Wife Athens ever has indulg'd Diversions
With more Magnificence than greatest Princes;
But they are all difpos'd in praise of Virtue,
Infpiring Courage, Generofity,

And most of all, Affection to their Country.
How think you now, TITINIUS?

TITINIUS.

I recant,

And grow my felf impatient for your Pleafures.

SCENE II.

The Scene opens, and difcovers the magnificent Temple of BACCHUS, where the publick Entertainments were wont to be celebrated at Athens. The Statue of BRUTUS being this day erected, is fuppofed to be the Occafion of thefe Solemnities, and must appear in the furthermoft part of the Stage. After the Shews and Songs are over, BRUTUS, LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, and VARIUS remain on the Stage.

LUCILIU S.

By these refin'd Diverfions, we perceive
This Town retains its old Magnificence.

No