Languages & literature > Alfred: a masque

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A MASQUE.
SCENE IV.
Eltruda, Attendant, Emma, and others.
Emma.
O'mighty queen.
They come, the murderers come. Proted us, heaven,
{kneeling.
Our hufbands, and our infants, from their rage.
Without thine aid we perifli.
Eli. O my foul!
Why what a fight is this ? A tyrant’s eye
Might melt with pity o’er it. Thou fupreme,-
\kneeling.
All-ruling Arbiter of human fate !
Whofe univerfal family is nature,
©n Alfred, on his children, on his people.
Look down with mercy—*for their caufe is thine,
And now, even now, deciding!
SCENE V.
Hermtt, ElikvvAy and others.
Hermit.
Glorious princefs !
This is indeed to reign. Comfort, great queen :
It comes, it comes! the promis’d feene difclofes !
I lee the Danijh raven droop his wing !
See England’s genius foar again to heaven,
And better days in white fuccefiion roll,
Without a cloud between !
The clouds break cm ay; and on the edge of a rock, in
fill view, a fpirit is feen amidjl a blaze oj light,
who fmgs the following
ODE.
From tho/e eternal regions bright.
Where funs that never fet in nighty,
Diffufe the golden day ;
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