Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A37724
|
Noah's flood, or, The destruction of the world an opera / by Edward Ecclestone ...; Noah's flood. Libretto
|
Ecclestone, Edward, fl. 1679.
|
1679
(1679)
|
Wing E140; ESTC R17281
|
36,863
|
70
|
NOAH'S FLOOD OR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WORLD The Scene being open'd Hell is represented with Spirits in several postures of Torments hideous Howlings and Lamentations are heard and several are flying cross the Stage The Scene on a sudden shifts and represents Lucifer Sathan Beelzebub Asmoday Moloch and Belial at which Songs of Joy and Triumph are heard all advancing from a Rowling Lake of Burning Brimstone ACT the First Lucifer BID 'em their Shrieks and Howlings now refrain And let each Soul make Musick with his Chain For at this Juncture all from pains are free And Hell it self shall keep a Jubilee Bel. It shall be done Flies swiftly from ' em Luc. The happy time is nigh I plainly see 't i' th Records of the Sky The Characters of Heav'n with ease are found Read there the Universe shall soon be drown'd Sat. The Watry Planets in Conjunction stand Ready to pour their Vials o're the Land Beel The Sea insulting like a Conq'ting Foe Doth daily many Islands overthrow Still threatning all that does its force withstand And only waits for the All-high's Command Asm The little Rivolets run swifter on As with their hast they 'd meet the Ocean And add their Force with his all swell so high They seem the Deluge in Epitomy Mol. The Sea Springs Lakes as with some private heat Boil higher up Each bubble swells so great That every drop seems to push on their Fate Luc. Thus far with brave success we have prevail'd And in out direful Projects never fail'd You han't forgot how subtly I did win The first Form'd man and taught him how to fin How shamefully he from his bliss was driv'n And banish'd from his Paradise his Heav'n How since their Off springs toil and live forlorn And know their Race accurst before they 'r born It was a Deed so exquisitely great I almost did their lives Anticipate And rather than have lost it I would bear Double Damnation doubled with despair I saw that if he fell the world would fall And in his Ruin I should ruin all Sat. Your Prophecy is just at hand Mankind Is grown so imp'ous there 's but eight design'd To populate the world again Mol. Those few Though from the Deluge sav'd we 'l in the Ark subdue Luc. That task Great Moloch we design for you Mol. And with such force I will the Ark invade I 'le cause a new Creation to be made For in one day his six I 'le ruinate 'T is easier to Destroy than to Create Luc. Go Moloch and observe the ways of man Moloch flies away We 'l bring their period lesser than a span In this brave Action let us all comply Beel Who doubts th' event if possible should die Luc. Let every Spirit chuse his proper Vice What he can most prevail in most entice And with your cunning'st guiles declare your Art Playing your Engines into ev'ry heart For fear the World turn pious and repent And so this Universal Flood prevent Asm By you Great Sir was the first Act begun You did the Father Ruin I the Son At his Devotions and i' th midst of Pray'r I rais'd up Envy and that caus'd Despair Seeing his Offerings despis'd he threw The Altars down and streight his Brother slew So for the deed a Vagabond was made And of each Soul he met was so affraid He even fear'd his Murther from his shade So by one Act I did both Brothers slay Envy alone would the whole World betray This is my Chief Delight this very sin I 've cull'd from all to be my Concubine Sat. That which I most affect is dire Despair To fill mens Souls with grief distrust and fear Horrors and Furies seize each vital part And irk some Maladies shall plague the heart In gentle sleep when their rack'd Souls repose With dreadful Visions I their rest oppose Nay at the Altars as they prostrate lie Asking forgiveness of the Deity I make 'em Atheist-like high Heav'n despise And ' stead of Pray'rs they utter Blasphemies With desp'rate madness they their lives destroy And think in dying they shall Bliss enjoy They long for Death and Death must be their end To some the worst of Foes to them the happiest Friend Beel Pride and Ambition are my darling Joys My Minion Pleasures and my dear Decoys With those sweet Poysons I man's Soul inspire Like us they would be always mounting high'r None is contented with his proper State But ev'ry Slave would be a Potencate Proud in Ambition all to rule are giv'n Subjects would Monarchs sway great Monarchs Heav'n The Holy Hermits who all praise defie Do cloak their Pride under Hypocrisie Their seeming Sanctity their hearts reveal And they are proud in that they Pride conceal This lust of Pride in ev'ry Soul is seen She over all the World is Regent Queen Luc. You 've rais'd my Spirits high I long to roam Lord over all and view this World in foam To see the Cataracts of Heav'n fall And spread its Waters o're this mighty Ball. 'T was well design'd of the Great Conqueror And in 't he shew'd his Wisdom and his Pow'r For their hot lust a Deiuge does require And should he stop the World would be on fire Moloch flies down Mol. At length great Lucifer the Ark is made Luc. If that be finish'd then the World 's betray'd 'T is joyful News now the great Period's come And all must wallow in the Watry Tomb The Birds and Beasts with man confus'd must lie And Fish in their own Element shall dye Sat. What has been Ages building we 'l destroy In a few days and in its Ruin joy Beel But how it shall be done I cannot tell For Hosts of Angels will keep Centinel And round the Sanctuary always stay Questioning all who shall advance that way And with strict Guard defend it night and day Mol. The way is easie and the passage fair Know from all parts all Creatures do repair And round the Ark reside waiting the time When to their place of safety they shall climb Then with the rest I in some borrow'd shape Will enter in and so the Guards escape There lurking close I 'le in some Corner lie Few think of danger when it is most nigh And soon into their private thoughts will pry There at the least advantage I 'le fly in And teach this great small World of Eight to sin If this should fail I 'le fill each Soul with rage And all the Ark a Civil-War shall wage The Beast with Fowl Father shall fight with Son 'Till with Intestine strife they 'r all undone Luc. Bravely design'd may the whole Ark be curst And mayst thou prosper as I did at first Whilst you 're within Plotting their sudden Fall We 'l hovering be without and wait your call Then we 'l combine and at one dreadful blow This remnant of the World we loverthrow Asm This will prove hazardous and hard to gain What cost a hundred years to build with pain Was never sure design'd to be
show They go backward into the Tent and cover him then return Shem. Now to our Labours let us haste away The Sun 's already past Meridian day And make an end of th' Task we have begun And finish all with the declining Sun Exeunt Here a sumptuous Banquet of all sort of Fruits especially of Grapes rise up out of the Earth Sin Enters in a rich gaudy loose Attire and after her several Devils in the shapes of Men and Women who make their obeysance to her then greet one another with profound Salutations after which a symphony of Musick is heard to which they all dance after which a fair Vineyard arises loaden with beautiful Grapes Being all placed round the Banquet and Sin at the upper end She Sings Sin Behold a Vineyard big with juice Divine Like to the Firr and stately Pine Drops forth its Balmy juice As Nature silently should say This was the only way To make it fit for use 1. Man Since then Nature doth show Which may we must go We 'l squeeze out the Liquor and call the Juice Wine Sin Though flat on the Grape though thick on the Vine See here it doth sparkle see here it doth shine Shews a cup of Wine then drinks they all pledg her 1. Man How dull and insipid would every man be If it were not for this to make the heart free It doth ravish the Soul and transport the mind It teacheth to love to be gentle and kind It doth sharpen our wits and our fancies refine Then how pleasant how pleasant's the Juice of the Vine Chorus It doth sharpen c. Sin Here 's a Palm for those Souls That drink off most Bowls And so let the Goblet go round For he that drinks most Shall the Victory boast When his head with this Garland is crown'd Incircled with Charms holds forth a Garland in her hand He shall lie in my Arms And his Head in my Bosom I 'le lay We 'l sport all the Night In joys and delight But in Drink we 'l carouse all the day Chorus We 'l sport c. After several Healths are gone round they all quarrel for the Garland The Women vanish away Death rises with a Dart in his hand moving it by turns at every one of them They all draw and fight and mortally wound each other then reel to several places and on a sudden sink Death and the Banquet sinks presently after them Sin takes the Garland and places it on her own Head Musick is heard to which she Dances then vanisheth away Noah awaking from sleep comes out of his Tent. Noah In what deep Visions gloomy Scene I 've lain A kind of Death has seiu'd my Opiate Brain Where have I been methinks I 've slept an Age And in my sleep have been a Pilgrimage Rapt in the Spirit over all I flew Did Sea and Land Rocks Mountains Deserts view Survey'd the World each Covert and each Cell And as I think too I have traverst Hell Sure 't was no Heavenly ravishment for I Bright Heaven in my vast progress could not spy But an Infernal Vision that arose From the black sumes of sin There in a Pageant Mask I did behold A Vineyard rise with Grapes that shone like Gold Nay they so beautiful so fair did seem Methoughts I took and eat 'em in my Dream Then a bright Maid did of the juice begin A Health to th' rest I judg'd her to be Sin For the effects the causes do declare Among themselves began a Civil War For on a sudden each his Weapon drew And in the fatal feud each other flew And what confirms that she was there her Son Grim Death appear'd before the broil begun Though in his Looks a deadly paleness lies Yet I methoughts saw bloodshots in his eyes He grimly glar'd around I judg to see Whether he 'd made a perfect Victory Then gazing round again he found out me And with a ghastly Visage shook his Dart And as I guest 't was level'd at my heart But as he went to strike I gave a groan Leapt up amaz'd and found my self alone I lookt to view the Tragick Scene but they Vanish'd like Night at the approaching Day My eyes those Harbingers of th' mind can spy Things only present or a Land-skip nigh But my Prophetick Soul foresees the Doom And all these direful mischiefs are to come But what doth rack my tortur'd Soul 't is I Must be the Author of this Misery Posterity will curse my Art my name confound Wishing I were in th' Drink or Deluge drown'd But pardon me O future Age for you Mayn't only learn the sin but danger too And how to shun that which I never knew A trembling terror does my heart surround And I am loth the Spirit to expound It is a Curse against my younger Son For his contempt and his derision Servant of Servants a most wretched Slave He shall for ever live so pass to 's Grave And like a Pestilence this Curse shall be Spreading Infection through his Progeny But blest be Shem his Race shall be Divine For from his Stock shall spring the Holy Line And blest be Japhet's Off-spring Heav'n will them Inlarge and they shall live in th' Tents with Shem Now may my Age in rest and peace repose And fall like dew upon an Evening Rose Exit Enter Shem and Japhet Shem. Like Heav'ns Inhabitants my Life appears Repleat with joys and free from cares and fears Some Cherub sure does in my soul reside And to Seraphick Bliss my Spirit guide For such transporting extasies I find Does to immortal Glory lead my mind I on an Angels Wing do clip my way Leaving the dregs of Life this clod of Clay And mount to Heaven to an Eternal Day Japh Like you a mighty joy does through me run But all my Bliss is by reflection As the Moons Light is borrow'd of the Sun So would my Life wear an Eternal shrowd But that your Beams do gild the sable Cloud So in your Tent I shall desire to stay And in soft peace to pass my time away That when my circl'd years have gone their round I may like Fleecy Snow fall gently to the ground Exeunt Enter Ham. Ham. Since I am curst and curst a Slave to be I 'le reign a Royal one with Majesty He is a Slave that hath an abject Soul That dares not fortunes frowns with frowns controul I do despise her and contemn my Fate 'T is brave to live Magnificently great So though a Slave yet I will rule in State There 's no such thing as Slavery can be I 'm under them they under him and he Is unto Heaven as great a Slave as we We all pay Homage and who Homage give Is mark'd a Slave to that Prerogative So we must all as Slaves or Equals be Or else each man alone 's a Monarchy But since nor one nor t'other it implies That he that dares do most should highest rise By which it follows that the bravest Man