ARGUMENT. THE Goddess of Discord, at the marriage of Peleus and Thetis, conveys a Golden Apple among the Goddesses, with this inscription on it, To the Fairest. Jupiter sends them, under the conduct of Mercury, to Paris, a shepherd on Mount Ida, to be judge in this contest. Juno, Pallas, and Venus lay claim to it, and each demands it as her due Each Goddess pleads her right, but Paris decrees in favour of Venus, and gives her the Apple. The scene is a landscape of a beautiful pasture supposed on Mount Ida. The Shepherd PARIS is seen seated under a tree, and playing on his pipe; his crook and scrip &c. lying by him. While a symphony is playing, MERCURY descends with his caduceus in one hand, and an apple of gold in the other; after the symphony he sings. Mercury. From high Olympus, and the realms above, Behold I come the messenger of Jove ; Arise, and leave a while thy rural care ; For thou to greater honours art decreed. Say wherefore dost thou seek this humble plain, What does the mighty thunderer ordain ? More bright than burnish'd gold; Three Goddesses for this contend; And this way they bend. Shepherd, take the golden prize, Yield it to the brightest eyes. [JUNO, PALLAS, and VENUS, are seen at a distance descending in several machines. Par. O ravishing delight! I faint, I fall! O take me hence, Mer. Fear not, mortal, none shall harm thee; Venus rules the gods above, Ven. They will deceive thee, I'll never leave thee. Chorus of the three Goddesses. Hither turn to me again, To me, to me, for I am she; Hither turn thee, gentle swain. Par. Distracted I turn, but I cannot decide; I giddily gaze, Confused and o'erwhelm'd with a torrent of light. Apart let me view then each heavenly fair, For three at a time there's no mortal can bear; And since a gay robe an ill shape may disguise, When each is undrest, I'll judge of the best, For 'tis not a face that must carry the prize. JUNO sings. Let ambition fire thy mind, Thou wert born o'er men to reign, Not to follow flocks design'd; Scorn thy crook, and leave the plain. Crowns I'll throw beneath thy feet, Thou on necks of kings shall tread, Joys in circles joys shall meet, Which way e'er thy fancies lead. Let not toils of empire fright, Toils of empire pleasures are; Thou shalt only know delight, All the joy, but not the care. Shepherd, if thou'lt yield the prize For the blessings I bestow, Joyful I'll ascend the skies, Happy thou shalt reign below. Nature framed thee sure for loving, Looks with pleasure on thy face. Happy nymph who shall enfold thee, Were she for the crown contending, And cease, O cease the enchanting song! And be propitious to my love. [Here PARIS gives to VENUS the Golden Apple. Several Cupids descend, the three Graces alight from the chariot of VENUS, they call the Hours, who assemble, with all the attendants on VENUS. All join in a circle round her, and sing the last grand chorus, while JUNO and PALLAS ascend. SEMEL E. An Opera. A natura discedimus; populo nos damus, nullius rei bono auctori, et in hac re, sicut in omnibus, inconstantissimo.-SENECA, Epist. 99. ARGUMENT. AFTER Jupiter's amour with Europa, the daughter of Agenor king of Phoenicia, he again incenses Juno by a new affair in the same family; viz. with Semele, niece to Europa, and daughter to Cadmus king of Thebes. Semele is on the point of marriage with Athamas; which marriage is about to be solemnised in the temple of Juno goddess of marriages, when Jupiter by ill omens interrupts the ceremony; and afterwards transports Semele to a private abode prepared for her. Juno, after many contrivances, at length assumes the shape and voice of Ino, sister to Semele; by the help of which disguise and artful insinuations she prevails with her to make a request to Jupiter, which being granted must end in her utter ruin. This fable is related in Ovid; (Metam. 1. iii.) but there Juno is said to impose on Semele in the shape of an old woman, her nurse. It is hoped, the liberty taken in substituting Ino instead of the old woman will be excused: it was done, because Ino is interwoven in the design by her love of Athamas; to whom she was married, according to Ovid; and, because her character bears a proportion with the dignity of the other persons represented. This reason, it is presumed, may be allowed in a thing entirely fictitious; and more especially being represented under the title of an opera, where greater absurdities are every day excused. It was not thought requisite to have any regard either to rhyme or equality of measure, in the lines of that part of the dialogue which was designed for the recitative style in music. For as that style in music is not confined to the strict observation of time and measure, which is required in the composition of airs and sonatas, so neither is it necessary that the same exactness in numbers, rhymes, or measure, should be observed in words designed to be set in that manner, which must ever be observed in the formation of odes and sonnets. For what they call recitative in music, is only a more tuneable speaking, it is a kind of prose in music; its beauty consists in coming near nature, and in improving the natural accents of words by more pathetic or emphatical tones. ACT I. SCENE I.- The Temple of JUNO: near the altar is a golden image of the goddess. Priests are in their solemnities, as after a sacrifice newly offered: flames arise from the altar, and the statue of JUNO is seen to bow. CADMUS, ATHAMAS, SEMELE, INo, and Attendants. 1 Priest. Behold ! auspicious flashes rise ; Juno accepts our sacrifice; The grateful odour swift ascends, Cad. Daughter, obey, Hear, and obey, With kind consenting Ease a parent's care; Ath. Oh, hear a faithful lover's prayer! On this auspicious day Cad. Ath. Hear, and obey; Sem. [Apart.] Ah me! What refuge now is left me? O Jove, assist me ! Can Semele forego thy love, And to a mortal's passion yield? If I deny, my father's wrath I fear. Love already his has lighted, One soft sigh has cured despair, And more than my past pains requited. Ino. Alas! she yields, And has undone me : I can no longer hide my passion; Or inward burning I cannot utter it Ath. On me fair Ino calls And her eyes o'erflowing! Ino. O Semele ! Sem. On me she calls, Yet seems to shun me! What would my sister? Ino. Thou hast undone me. Cad. Why dost thou thus untimely grieve, Cad. Ath. Sem. Of whom dost thou complain? [It lightens, and thunder is heard at a distance; then a noise of rain; the fire is suddenly extinguished on the altar the Chief Priest comes forward. 1 Priest. Avert these omens, all ye powers ! Some god averse our holy rites controls; O'erwhelm'd with sudden night, the day expires! Ill-boding thunder on the right hand rolls, And Jove himself descends in showers, To quench our late propitious fires. Chorus of Priests. Avert these omens, all ye powers! 2 Priest. Again auspicious flashes rise, Juno accepts our sacrifice. [Flames are again kindled on the altar, and the Statue nods. 3 Priest. Again the sickly flame decaying dies : Juno assents, but angry Jove denies. [The fire is again extinguished. Ath. [Apart.] Thy aid, pronubial Juno, Atha mas implores. Sem. [Apart.] Thee Jove, and thee alone, thy Semele adores. [A loud clap of thunder; the altar sinks. 1 Priest. Cease, cease your vows, 'tis impious to proceed ; Begone, and fly this holy place with speed: [All but the Priests come forward. The scene closes on the Priests, and shows to view the front and outside of the Temple; CADMUS leads off SEMELE, Attendants follow. ATHAMAS and INO remain. SCENE II. ATHAMAS and INO. Ath. O Athamas, what torture hast thou borne ! In flowing tears and aching sighs, Ath. She weeps! The gentle maid, in tender pity, So Semele would melt To see another mourn. Such unavailing mercy is in beauty found, Of every bleeding heart, But that where she herself inflicts the wound. Ino. Ah me, too much afflicted ! Ino. Couldst thou but guess Or could I tell thee Thou, Athamas, Wouldst for a while Thy sorrows cease, a little cease, To my lamenting. Ath. Of grief too sensible I know your tender nature. Well I remember, When I oft have sued To cold, disdainful Semele, When I with scorn have been rejected, In pity of my sad despair; Ino. Too well I see Thou wilt not understand me. The sharpest pangs that e'er were borne: Another, yet another punishment? Cad. Wing'd with our fears, and pious haste, Scarce we the brazen gates had pass'd, With azure flames was graced, Whose lambent glories in her tresses play'd. Like gold his beak, like stars shone forth his eyes, SCENE IV. ATHAMAS, INO, CAPMUS, the Chief-Priest, Augurs, and other Priests. Cad. See, see Jove's priests, and holy augurs come: Speak, speak, of Semele and me declare the doom: 1 Aug. Hail, Cadmus, hail! Jove salutes the Theban king. Cease your mourning, Joys returning, Songs of mirth and triumph sing. 2 Aug. Endless pleasure, endless love Semele enjoys above. On her bosom Jove reclining, Useless now his thunder lies; 1 Priest. Haste, haste, haste! to sacrifice prepare, Once to the thunderer, once to the fair, Jove and Semele implore: Jove and Semele like honours share; Whom gods admire, let men adore. Haste, haste, haste! to sacrifice prepare. Chorus of Priests and Augurs. Hail, Cadmus, hail! Jove salutes the Theban king. Cease your mourning, Joys returning, Songs of mirth and triumph sing. [Exeunt. |