of my Lords the Bishops, and will succeed; so that it will
carry the appearance of law, of religion, and will be sufficiently
grac'd; I'll warrant you no one shall have cause to complain of its
wanting grace. And now, my Lords and Gentlemen, as it's so late, and we
have gone through all the business at this time proposed, you are at
your liberty to withdraw.

[_Exeunt._

PARAMOUNT [_solus_].

The fate of England and America is now fixed, irrevocably fixed; the
storm is ready to burst; the low'ring clouds portend their fate my
glory, their fall my triumph--But I must haste to be gone, the
ceremonies await my presence; deeds of darkness must be done by night,
and, like the silent mole's work, under ground:

_Now rushing forth in sober twilight gray,
Like prowling wolf, who ranges for his prey._

[_Exit._

ACT II.

SCENE I.

LORD WISDOM, LORD RELIGION, LORD JUSTICE.

LORD WISDOM.

I much lament, my Lords, the present unhappy situation of my country;
where e'er I turn mine eyes, to Europe, Asia, Africa, or America, the
prospect appears the same--Look up to the throne, and behold your king,
if I may now call him by that soft title--Where is the wisdom, the
justice, the religion, that once adorn'd that throne, and shed the
benign influence of their bright rays thro' the four quarters of the
globe? Alas! they're flown!

Mark his forlorn looks--his countenance dejected, a sullen greatness
fixed on his brow, as if it veil'd in blood some awful purpose, his eyes
flaming and sanguinary; how I bewail you, for your predecessor's sake!
Long, long have I been an old, and I trust a faithful, servant in the
family--Can I then restrain one tear? No, 'tis impossible! View that
arch-dragon, that old fiend, Paramount, that rebel in grain, whispering
in his ear. View his wretched ministers hovering round him, to
accomplish their accursed purpose, and accelerate his destruction. View
the whole herd of administration (I know 'em well) and tell me if the
world can furnish a viler set of miscreants? View both houses of
parliament, and count the number of Tyrants, Jacobites, Tories,
Placemen, Pensioners, Sycophants, and Panders. View the constitution, is
she not disrob'd and dismantled? is she not become like a virgin
deflower'd? View our fleets and armies commanded by bloody, murdering
butchers