Still thou art the care of heaven, In thy youth to exile driven; Heaven thy ruin then prevented, 'Till the guilty land repented. In thy age, when none could aid thee, Foes conspired, and friends betrayed thee; To the brink of danger driven, Still thou art the care of heaven. _Alb._ To whom shall I my preservation owe? _Pro._ Ask me no more; for 'tis by Neptune's foe.[8] PROTEUS _descends._ DEMOCRACY _and_ ZELOTA _return with their faction._ _Dem._ Our seeming friends, who joined alone, To pull down one, and build another throne, Are all dispersed and gone; We brave republic souls remain. _Zel._ And 'tis by us that Albion must be slain; Say, whom shall we employ The tyrant to destroy? _Dem._ That Archer is by fate designed, With one eye clear, and t'other blind. _Zel._ He comes inspired to do't. _Omnes._ Shoot, holy Cyclop, shoot. _The one-eyed Archer advances, the rest follow. A fire arises betwixt them and_ ALBION.[9] [_Ritornel._ _Dem._ Lo! heaven and earth combine To blast our bold design. What miracles are shewn! Nature's alarmed, And fires are armed, To guard the sacred throne. _Zel._ What help, when jarring elements conspire, To punish our audacious crimes? Retreat betimes, To shun the avenging fire. _Chor._ To shun the avenging fire. [_Ritor._ _As they are going back, a fire arises from behind; they all sink together._[10] _Alb._ Let our tuneful accents upwards move, Till they reach the vaulted arch of those above; Let us adore them; Let us fall before them. _Acac._ Kings they made, and kings they love. When they protect a rightful monarch's reign, The gods in heaven, the gods on earth maintain. _Both._ When they protect, &c. _Alb._ But see, what glories gild the main! _Acac._ Bright Venus brings Albanius back again, With all the Loves and Graces in her train. _A machine rises out of the sea; it opens, and discovers_ VENUS _and_ ALBANIUS _sitting in a great scallop-shell, richly adorned._ VENUS _is attended by the Loves and Graces,_ ALBANIUS _by Heroes; the shell is drawn by dolphins; it moves forward, while a symphony of flutes-doux, &c. is playing, till it lands them on the stage, and then it closes and sinks._ VENUS _sings._ Albion, hail! the gods present thee All the richest of their treasures, Peace and pleasures, To content thee, Dancing their eternal measures. [_Graces and Loves dance an entry._ _Venus._ But, above all human blessing, Take a warlike loyal brother, Never prince had such another; Conduct, courage, truth expressing, All heroic worth possessing. [_Here the Heroes' dance is performed._ _Chor. of all._ But above all, &c. [_Ritor._