University of Virginia Library

ACT II.

SCENE I.

A large Hall, adorn'd with Trophies, Suits of Armour, &c.
Eucharis and Telemachus.
Euch.
See the fair Palace built to entertain
Troy's greatest Foe, thy conqu'ring Sire!
Trophies of finish'd War behold
Thus plac'd around, to fill the Hero's Soul
With pleasing Visions of his Labours past!

Tel.
The Sight reproaches me—
Why do I languish here?
Is there no Troy for me to conquer?
To Arms to Arms!—Mentor, my Friend, where art thou?
Lead me to War, to Danger, and to Glory.

Euch.
What means Telemachus?

Tel.
Let me implore, fair Nymph, thy Aid
To hasten my Departure.

Euch.
Depart?—it must not, cannot be;
Alas! thou dost not know Calypso.
'Twas thus Ulysses perish'd by her Rage;
She, she destroy'd thy Father.

Tel.
So kind, and yet so cruel!—Let me fly
Far from her sight—

Euch.
Fly her Revenge you cannot, if you go;
But if you stay,
By me assisted to elude her Arts,
You here may live in Peace.

Tel.
Thy generous Pity moves me—

Euch.

Tel.

[Towards the end of the Air, Mentor enters, and stands privately at a corner of the Stage.]
Euch.
Unhappy Eucharis!

Tel.
O why that Sigh?
Why those soft Eyes of Sorrow?

Euch.
I've heard too much—Farewel!

Tel.
You will not leave me?

Euch.
Mentor, thy Friend, will soon be here
And summon thee away.

Tel.
Thou seest I have no Pow'r to go,
Why dost thou then upbraid me?

Euch.
It was a sudden Fear
That chill'd my boading Heart.
But see!—the early Morning calls
To rural Sports, wilt thou with me
Go share the Pleasures of the sprightly Chase?

Tel.
With thee, those Pleasures will have double Charms.

Euch.
[Exit Euch.

SCENE II.

Mentor comes forward.
Mentor, Telemachus.
Ment.
Where is the Son of that Immortal Hero,
Wise, Valiant, great in Arms, that vanquish'd Troy?
Where is Telemachus, the Heir
Of all his Father's Virtue?

Tel.
Alas! my conscious Eyes betray me.

[Aside.
Ment.
If thou art he—Ah no!—Telemachus
Wou'd not thus coldly meet his Friend,
Who brings him news of Joy.

Tel.
My secret Woes—

Ment.
What secret Woe is that
Which Mentor may not share? I come to tell thee
The Gods have heard thy Pray'rs.

Tel.
Aside]
O too enchanting Beauty!

Ment.

Tel.
Aside.]
O cruel Heav'n!—by this Relief
I'm deeper plung'd in Woe.

To Mentor.]
But, since Ulysses is no more,
Why must we leave this Place?
Why court new Danger?

Ment.
Hast thou forgot thy Native Land,
The best of Mothers there,
And fair Antiope, that Royal Maid
That secret sighs for thee?
All these demand thee.

Tel.
After so many tedious Years
Who now expects Telemachus?
Perhaps e'er this some neighbouring Prince
Too potent to be long deny'd,
Usurps my Father's Bed and Throne.
How cou'd I bear that sight? yet how revenge
Where certain Death wou'd meet me?

Ment.
Vain Fears!—Imagin'd Danger!
Confess, inglorious Youth, the real Cause—

Tel.
Is Immortality then offer'd here
A Cause Inglorious?

Ment.
[Going he turns back several times.
[Exit Mentor.

SCENE III.

Telemachus.

[Exit.

SCENE IV.

The Grotto.
Calypso.

SCENE V.

Calypso, Mentor.
Cal.
Mentor alone! [Aside]
—Illustrious Greek,
Where is Telemachus?

Ment.
Does not Calypso know?
The Forrest now is all his Pleasure.
With Ardour yet unknown
His youthful Breast is fir'd;
Fair Eucharis—but sure by thy Command,
Invites him to the Chase.

Cal.
Invites him, when?

Ment.
Ev'n now.

Cal.
Didst thou say Eucharis?

Ment.
Bright Eucharis,
Thy loveliest Nymph, and, next thy self, divine.

Cal.
aside.]
It cannot be—with Eucharis!
And I unknowing?—
O! 'tis too plain—Haste, haste to Proteus,
Say, I must see him here.

[To one of her Attendants.
To Ment.]
But have you left your Friend?
Will you not follow him?
Or why, to share these Silvan Sports,
Why is not Mentor there?

Ment.
Exit Mentor.

SCENE VI.

Calypso.
Then let him fly—
Calypso scorns the Scorner.
Yet fly to whom?—To Eucharis?—
Rise, rise, ye Storms, the Forrest shake!
Fall Lightning on the kindling Groves,
And blast—Ah no!—yet spare Telemachus.
Perhaps belov'd, he loves her not again—
But sure I've seen their guilty Eyes
Meet in secret Looks of Passion.
Shall I then yield him?—No,
I'll yet secure the lovely Prize,
And yet he shall be mine.

SCENE VII.

Proteus, Calypso.
Prot.

Cal.
Hear, Son of Neptune, hear
Why Calypso calls thee hither.
A beauteous Nymph adorns my Train,
Belov'd by thee—I know thy Passion.

Pro.
She flies my vain Pursuit,
Yet warms me more
Than the bright Sun, whose chearing Beams
Each Noon I seek, while my Sea-herds
Sleep on the weedy Shore around me.

Cal.
This Day shall see her thine.

Prot.
O mighty Bliss!

Cal.

SCENE VIII.

The Woods.
Prelude of Instrumental Musick.
Telemachus, Eucharis, and Nymphs enter as to the Chase.
Euch.
The spacious Woods are all around us;
There lies our Way.

Tel.

Euch.
See, see!—near yonder Brake
Behold the listning Deer!

Tel.
Lead on; and, like thy conqu'ring Eyes,
Unerring be thy Hand.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IX.

After a Prelude of Instrumental Musick, Telemachus Re-enters.
Tel.
I've lost the Track—Sure there's Enchantment here.
A rising Vapour, like a Cloud,
This Moment stop'd my Pace,
And spread a sudden Night around me.
'Tis gone—Where's Eucharis?—
My Ear will Guide me;
This way I hear the Sound.
[Exit.

SCENE X.

Proteus following Telemachus.
Prot.
He's now alone,
Nor knows that artful Cloud was Proteus;
What Likeness cannot I assume?
I'll follow him,
And in the Form of Eucharis,
I'll more distract his Sight.

SCENE XI.

Proteus re-enters in the Shape of Eucharis, follow'd by Telemachus.
Tel.
To find thee here exceeds all other Pleasures,
But why dost thou retire?
Why with dejected Looks forbid my Joy?
O stay, thou brightest Fair!

[Proteus retires to the further part of the Scene, and as Telemachus advances towards him, sinks under the Stage: A Tree rises in his stead.]
Tel.

[Telemachus goes to strike the Tree, which is suddenly chang'd into Fire, and vanishes.

SCENE XII.

Eucharis, Telemachus.
Euch.
Telemachus!—alas!—surprize
Sits on thy Brow.
What means this sudden Horror?

Tel.
O fair Delusion, stay!
Hover a while to bless my Eyes,
E'er thou again deceive me.

Euch.
Thy Words are wild! trembling thy Voice!
Thou dost not know me!

Tel.
'Tis she her self!—'tis Eucharis!
My joyful Heart assures me
'Tis she—vain Fears away.

Euch.
What Fear?—O say!

Tel.
Just now I saw thee here;
I saw thee, or some beauteous Phantom
Smil'd lovely in thy borrow'd Charms;
I gaz'd—but lost thy heav'nly Image—
Which now arose a Tree, but soon
In flashing Fire escap'd my wondring Sight.

Euch.