The black plague flew o'er it—

Thousands lie lowly;

Tens of thousands shall perish-
The living shall fly from

The sick they should cherish;
But nothing can vanquish

The touch that they die from.
Sorrow and anguish,

And evil and dread,

Envelope a nation

The blest are the dead,

Who see not the sight

Of their own desolation.

This work of a night—

This wreck of a realm-this deed of my doing

For ages I've done, and shall still be renewing!

Enter the SECOND and THIRD DESTINIes.

The Three.

Our hands contain the hearts of men,

Our footsteps are their graves;

We only give to take again

The spirits of our slaves!

FIRST DES. Welcome!-Where's Nemesis?

SECOND DES.

At some great work;

But what I know not, for my hands were full.

THIRD DES. Behold she cometh.

FIRST DES.

Enter NEMESIS.

Say, where hast thou been?

My sisters and thyself are slow to-night.

NEM. I was detain'd repairing shattered thrones,

Marrying fools, restoring dynasties,

Avenging men upon their enemies,

And making them repent their own revenge;
Goading the wise to madness; from the dull
Shaping out oracles to rule the world

Afresh, for they were waxing out of date,
And mortals dared to ponder for themselves,
To weigh kings in the balance, and to speak
Of freedom, the forbidden fruit.-Away!

We have outstaid the hour-mount we our clouds!

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

The Hall of Arimanes—Arimanes on his Throne, a Globe of Fire, surrounded by the Spirits.

Hymn of the SPIRITS.

Hail to our Master!-Prince of Earth and Air!—

Who walks the clouds and waters-in his hand

The sceptre of the elements, which tear
Themselves to chaos at his high command!
He breatheth-and a tempest shakes the sea;
He speaketh-and the clouds reply in thunder;
He gazeth-from his glance the sunbeams flee;
He moveth-earthquakes rend the world asunder.
Beneath his footsteps the volcanos rise ;

His shadow is the Pestilence; his path

The comets herald through the crackling skies;
And planets turn to ashes at his wrath.

To him War offers daily sacrifice;

To him Death pays his tribute; Life is his,

With all its infinite of agonies

And his the spirit of whatever is !

Enter the DESTINIES and NEMESIS.

FIRST DES. Glory to Arimanes! on the earth

His power increaseth-both my sisters did
His bidding, nor did I neglect my duty!

SECOND DES. Glory to Arimanes! we who bow
The necks of men, bow down before his throne!
THIRD DES. Glory to Arimanes!—we await
His nod!

NEM. Sovereign of Sovereigns! we are thine, And all that liveth, more or less, is ours,

And most things wholly so; still to increase
Our power, increasing thine, demands our care,
And we are vigilant-Thy late commands

Have been fulfilled to the utmost.

Enter MANFRED.

A SPIRIT.

What is here?

A mortal!-Thou most rash and fatal wretch,

Bow down and worship!