Janus. Chronos, Chronos, mend thy pace;

An hundred times the rolling sun

Around the radiant belt has run

In his revolving race.

Behold, behold, the goal in sight,

Spread thy fans, and wing thy flight.

Chronos. Weary, weary of my weight,

Let me, let me drop my freight,

And leave the world behind.

I could not bear,

Another year,

The load of humankind.

Momus. Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! well hast thou done,

To lay down thy pack,

And lighten thy back,

The world was a fool, e'er since it begun;

Cho. of all three. 'Tis better to laugh than to cry.

Janus. Since Momus comes to laugh below,

Old Time begin the show,

That he may see, in every scene,

What changes in this age have been.

Chronos. Then, goddess of the silver bow, begin.

Dia. With horns and with hounds, I waken the day,

And hie to the woodland-walks away;

I tuck up my robe, and am buskined soon,

And tie to my forehead a wexing moon.

I course the fleet stag, unkennel the fox,

And chace the wild goats o'er summits of rocks;

With shouting and hooting we pierce through the sky,

And Echo turns hunter, and doubles the cry.

Cho. of all. With shouting and hooting we pierce through the sky,

Janus. Then our age was in its prime:

Chronos. Free from rage,

Diana. ——And free from crime.

Momus. A very merry, dancing, drinking,

Laughing, quaffing, and unthinking time.

Cho. of all. Then our age was in its prime,

Mars. Inspire the vocal brass, inspire;

The world is past its infant age:

Arms and honour,

Arms and honour,

Set the martial mind on fire,

And kindle manly rage.

Mars has looked the sky to red;

And Peace, the lazy God,[74] is fled.

Plenty, peace, and pleasure fly;

The sprightly green,

In woodland-walks, no more is seen;

The sprightly green has drunk the Tyrian dye.

Cho. of all. Plenty, peace, &c.

Mars. Sound the trumpet, beat the drum;

Through all the world around,

Sound a reveillÉ, sound, sound,

The warrior god is come.

Cho. of all. Sound the trumpet, &c.

Momus. Thy sword within the scabbard keep,

And let mankind agree;

Better the world were fast asleep,

Than kept awake by thee.

The fools are only thinner,

With all our cost and care;

But neither side a winner,

For things are as they were.

Cho. of all. The fools are only, &c.

Venus. Calms appear, when storms are past;

Love will have his hour at last:

Cho. of all. Take her, take her, &c.

Chronos. The world was then so light,

I scarcely felt the weight;

Joy ruled the day, and Love the night.

But, since the queen of pleasure left the ground,[75]

I faint, I lag,

And feebly drag

The ponderous orb around.

Momus. All, all of a piece throughout;

Thy chace had a beast in view; [Pointing to Diana.

Thy wars brought nothing about;

Thy lovers were all untrue. [To Venus.

Janus. 'Tis well an old age is out,

Chronos. And time to begin a new.

Cho. of all. All, all of a piece throughout;