 | Ariadne : or The Triumph of Bacchus |  |
Scene I.
In which appears the Triumph of Bacchus, he himself sitting in a Triumphal Chariot drawn by Lynxes, surrounded by Theseus, Pirithous, Abdalla, &c. Ariadne seated in State as Spectator, Cellania by her, Indian Princes, and other Slaves chain'd; Attendants on all Sides, with Bombey and Doppa: A Dance also perform'd, Singing and Musick.Bacchus descends from the Chariot, and Ariadne from her Place, he meets her in the Front of the Stage, and sings.
Bach.
Not awful Jove, from Phlægras War returning,
Where the Gigantick Sons of Earth lay bleeding,
When, tho' Cælestial Beauty's crown'd with Glory,
All met the Conqueror in bright Procession:
Gave half the Splendor Ariadne brings me,
Divinest Fair.
[Taking her Hand.
Ariad.
Hail to the great Immortal,
[Offers to kneel, he hinders her.
The Cheerer of all Hearts, blest Source of Pleasure.
Thes.
Patron of Joy, and Life's continual Comfort,
Long dold to Humanes, with a Grace transporting.
Pirith.
Great Bacchus whom the World with Joy confesses
Bounteous as our Olimpicus Almighty.
Abdal.
When all with Zeal and perfect Adoration,
Extol the Raiser of their high Contentment.
201
Once more great Victor hail—
Bacch.
Oh Sovereign Beauty!
How Joyful, and how charming are thy Praises.
Celan.
This seems a Riddle, in each moving Accent;
Appears methinks the Language of a Lover,
[Aside.
The Gods I see too can like Mortals flatter.
Bacch.
And now let us retire from Ceremony,
To Feasting, and the Sports that are preparing,
Where tho' the Soul of Musick strive to treat us,
Compar'd to Sounds you breath 'twill all be Discord.
Air.
How sweetly the Rapture does move,
When the fair one declares she can love,
The Harmony comes from the Spheres,
'Tis told us can ravish our Ears;
The Muses employ'd in their Quire,
With Pleasure the Senses can fire:
But ah, what a Trifle is this?
When compar'd to the extasied Bliss?
That Beauty when pleas'd, can inspire.
How sweetly the Rapture, &c.
When the fair one declares she can love,
The Harmony comes from the Spheres,
'Tis told us can ravish our Ears;
The Muses employ'd in their Quire,
With Pleasure the Senses can fire:
But ah, what a Trifle is this?
When compar'd to the extasied Bliss?
That Beauty when pleas'd, can inspire.
How sweetly the Rapture, &c.
[Bacchus leads her off, and Abdalla
[Celania, the Scene shuts.
Manent Theseus and Pirithous.
Thes.
Oh Heaven! how fine a thing is Woman?
When Love and kind Desire unite us.
And favour the belov'd Enjoying;
But Oh, how pal'd is sickly Fancy!
When fondly undesir'd they teize us,
And we've a Passion for another;
She's gone, Pirithous, the poor Turtle
Must change her Mate, and coo without me.
Pirith.
Then let her go, 'tis decent Justice,
That sometimes Womankind should punish;
They should be plagu'd when we're inconstant,
For their Original deceiving.
Thes.
But is Berontus our wild Scythian,
That bore 'gainst Love and Wine such Hatred,
So strangely caught, as late 'tis rumour'd,
To languish and adore Cellania.
Pirith.
He sighs like any Village Virgin,
That first looks pale for her Philander,
Then leaves her Food,—behold him coming!
He'll stay behind, and will be useful,
202
To send us News of Ariadne.
[Enter Berontus.
Ber.
What Devil is brooding here these forty Winters?
Braving the Tempests of the stormy Boreas,
And all the Plagues that ruffle human Quiet;
I've had the Halcyons Nest within my Bosom:
But since I saw this Woman I'm infected,
I burn, I freeze, a Mutiny's within me.
Thes.
We'll take no notice of his wild Disorder.
Pirith.
Now Prince of Scythia, you have shun'd the Triumph,
Some other matters have been more diverting.
Ber.
Diversion ceases now, to crown the Banquet,
Theseus is wanting, and, as Spies inform'd me,
The lovely Princess, broke from her Regalia
Through all the Sports, to charge the fair Cellania
To seek her Lord, and know his cause of Absence;
She's coming this way.
Thes.
But must fail to find us,
For our embarking this must be the Moment.
Pirith.
You, Prince, have Business here to stay behind us,
You will be fit to break this anxious Matter;
A small Elopement, 'tis but nine Days Wonder.
Air.
To rowling, rowling Seas we go,
Where Mountain Billows foam and flow;
Safe o'er the watry World we'll glide,
Defying Tempests and the Tide.
Laugh at the tumbling Porpuss there,
And sing be Welkin fowl or fair;
Rockt in a Storm, securely sleep,
And dream of Wonders in the Deep.
To rowling, &c.
Where Mountain Billows foam and flow;
Safe o'er the watry World we'll glide,
Defying Tempests and the Tide.
Laugh at the tumbling Porpuss there,
And sing be Welkin fowl or fair;
Rockt in a Storm, securely sleep,
And dream of Wonders in the Deep.
To rowling, &c.
Thes.
When Love's the Pilot, happy is the Sailing,
Green bearded Palemon will form a Consort,
And loud with quavering Sounds on shelly Hautboys,
Tritons shall sing and pipe to entertain us.
To the Gods of the Ocean I pray,
To waft us soon over the Sea;
Oh Love lend a Sigh to our Sail!
If Zephire deny us a Gale,
To land us upon the kind Shoar,
Made blest by the Nymph I adore;
Where Beauty with Pleasure prepar'd,
May Toils of a Lover reward.
Theseus and Pirithous.To waft us soon over the Sea;
Oh Love lend a Sigh to our Sail!
If Zephire deny us a Gale,
To land us upon the kind Shoar,
Made blest by the Nymph I adore;
Where Beauty with Pleasure prepar'd,
May Toils of a Lover reward.
To the Gods of the Ocean, &c.
[Exeunt. Thes. and Pirith.
203
Ber.
My Sickness of the Mind they both discover;
Let it be so, I'm chain'd and must endure it;
This Royal Fugitive may aid my Passion,
Whilst I inform Cellania I am constant,
Tho' others are so false—and see she's coming,
Flushing, and fierce like Woman when she's angry.
Enter Cellania hastily.
Cellan.
If Fame to this Moment always was counted a Liar,
The noisy Tongue Member ever too plagu'd with a Blister,
Now be it authentick.
Cell.
Can Theseus leave Ariadne?
Be Phœbus extinguisht, fall ev'ry Star from the Zodiack,
Imprison the Lightning, yet 'twill be far less a Wonder.
Ber.
I'll shew ye a greater!
Cell.
That must be worthy admiring.
Ber.
I love fair Cellania.
Cell.
Gods! is this Season for Fooling.
What say ye of Theseus?—Jove, and ye Powers avenging?
Where now is the Thunder?
Ber.
Theseus o'th' East is known a Native;
We, where the Snow falls are more steady,
Have Constancy cooler.
Cell.
Why tell you me of your Temper,
[Raging.
Burn fierce as Avernus, freeze more than Icy Cocytus,
So Theseus returning, cheer the forlorn Ariadne,
I still shall be easy.
Ber.
See yonder is the Vessel Sailing:
[Points to a Window.
Sweet Charmer, have Patience!
Cell.
Patience!—Oh Mulciber! raging
Bring Fire consuming, or thou more ruinous Æther.
Flash, burn and destroy 'em.
[Stamping in rage.
Kind Boreas, down with the Mainmast;
And buried in Tempest, toss up their Keel to the Heavens.
Ber.
Tho' Passion's just, all are not Traytors,
Berontus still is firm and constant,
Averse to Love, till awful Beauty,
Controul'd the Ascendant, now I languish,
A Feaver reigns—I'm sick.
Cell.
Oh, would I were sure on't!
204
Best Proof is in Action, try me, and weigh the Performance,
His Crimes are so odious, they blast the Title of Hero,
And warn'd by your Favours, I dare in Person avouch it.
The Minotaurs Conquest joyn'd with Procrastus and Sciron,
To me had been Trifles, Beauty like yours commanding,
Oh favour my Wishes, and be for ever my Pallas:
I love thee to Madness, die for the happy Possession,
My Slumbers are broken, no Food can ever sustain me,
Without my Cellania.
Cell.
'Tis well: Oh how I rejoice in't!
But are you in Earnest?
Ber.
Fervent!
Cell.
You'll wooe me like Theseus,
Ber.
I hate him and Bacchus.
Cell.
That, that's the Secret I long'd for;
Oh Men! Oh ye Monsters! Oh horrid Race of Deceivers!
But since you do love me, hear how I mean to return it.
Air.
Like Daphne, coy, I'll fly when you pursue,
And all my injur'd Sex revenge on you;
Whate'er you say, I'll turn to Ridicule,
Whate'er you do, I'll use ye like a Fool;
Whene'er you sigh, I'll shew Disdain and Spite,
And if you shed a Tear, I'll laugh outright.
Like Daphne, &c.
[Exit. Cellania.
And all my injur'd Sex revenge on you;
Whate'er you say, I'll turn to Ridicule,
Whate'er you do, I'll use ye like a Fool;
Whene'er you sigh, I'll shew Disdain and Spite,
And if you shed a Tear, I'll laugh outright.
Like Daphne, &c.
Ber.
Perdition seize the Kind—may never Woman
Be henceforth Fair, may fowl Diseases plaguing,
Blast all their Beauties—Age creep on o'th' suddain,
May Loathsome Jaundice curb their Pride inherent
Till they cry out for Men, and Men thus use 'em;
What's to be done? I love and yet I hate her;
Oh that we were alone on Mount Citharon!
Lofty Olympus, or the towring O Eta!
I'd not thus whine and play the Fool by Venus.
A gen'rous Rape's allow'd in other Creatures,
And should be natural to Men no doubt on't.
Air.
In Love to use a little Force,
Coy Silvia likes ye ne'er the worse,
Females as soon as they can go,
First learn the Words of ay and no.
The no most useful still we find,
To the Perverseness of the Kind;
But as the Nurse compels the Child,
That would do nought with usage mild.
Rough Damon oft commands his Joy,
And makes the froward Fair say ay.
In Love to use, &c.
[Exit Beron.Coy Silvia likes ye ne'er the worse,
Females as soon as they can go,
First learn the Words of ay and no.
The no most useful still we find,
To the Perverseness of the Kind;
But as the Nurse compels the Child,
That would do nought with usage mild.
205
And makes the froward Fair say ay.
In Love to use, &c.
Enter Bacchus and Abdalla.
Bacch.
Wild as the Winds, as raging and impetuous,
She ranges thro' th'Apartment.—Oh Abdalla!
How can a Lover look upon such Sorrow
Without a share in't.
Abd.
You may take a share in't,
But then make haste and do't on a sudden;
For Women veer their Humours like the Weather,
And now they rain, and straight they will be shining.
Air.
Their Grief is all Art, they have Tears so at will,
Depend on't no Sorrow a Woman can kill.
A jolly young Widow there liv'd at Bengall,
Had twenty four Husbands, and bury'd 'em all;
And when every wittal was sent to his Grave,
Oh! how she would whimper, oh! how she would rave;
But when a Successor did sprucely appear,
Oh! how she would teehee, and simper, and sneer;
The time was so swift 'twixt they come and they go,
I'th' Morning she'd ha, ha, i'th' Evening cry—oh!
Their Grief is all Art, &c.
Depend on't no Sorrow a Woman can kill.
A jolly young Widow there liv'd at Bengall,
Had twenty four Husbands, and bury'd 'em all;
And when every wittal was sent to his Grave,
Oh! how she would whimper, oh! how she would rave;
But when a Successor did sprucely appear,
Oh! how she would teehee, and simper, and sneer;
The time was so swift 'twixt they come and they go,
I'th' Morning she'd ha, ha, i'th' Evening cry—oh!
Their Grief is all Art, &c.
Bacch.
I'll change her Sorrow to delightful Pleasure,
Work on her Mind with gentle moving Praise
And Greatness, which all Womankind are fond of;
Air.
Applaud the Fair, and let her Sway,
Then you'll find her pleas'd, and gay;
Gold may charm her Understanding,
Sometimes to incline her Love,
But the pleasure of Commanding
Still will never failing prove:
Thus with subtle shew of Duty
You may quench ye if ye burn,
And when you enjoy their Beauty
Know you govern in your Turn.
Applaud the Fair, &c.
Then you'll find her pleas'd, and gay;
Gold may charm her Understanding,
Sometimes to incline her Love,
But the pleasure of Commanding
Still will never failing prove:
Thus with subtle shew of Duty
You may quench ye if ye burn,
And when you enjoy their Beauty
Know you govern in your Turn.
Applaud the Fair, &c.
[Exeunt.
| Ariadne : or The Triumph of Bacchus | |