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Hannah

An oratorio. Written by Mr. Smart. The Musick composed by Mr. Worgan. As Perform'd at the King's Theatre in the Haymart

Smart, Christopher (1722-1771)

II.

III.

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Argument extracted from the First and Second Chapter of the First Book of Samuel.

“Now there was a certain Man of Ramathaim-zophim and his Name was Elkanah; and he had two Wives; the Name of the one was Hannah, and the Name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had Children, but Hannah had no Children. And this Man went up out of his City yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her Sons and her Daughters, Portions. But unto Hannah he gave a worthy Portion, for he loved Hannah; but the Lord had shut up her Womb; and her Adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her Womb—therefore she wept and did not eat. Then said Elkanah her Husband to her, Hannah why weepest thou? am I not better to thee than ten Sons? So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drank. (Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a Post of the Temple of the Lord) and she was in bitterness of Soul and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. And she vowed a Vow, and said, O Lord of Hosts, if thou wilt indeed look upon the Affliction of thine Handmaid—and not forget thine Handmaid, but will give unto thine Handmaid a Manchild, then will I give him to the Lord all the Days of his Life; and there shall no Rasor come upon his Head; and it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her Mouth. Now Hannah she spake in her Heart, only her Lips moved, but her Voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said how long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy Wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my Lord, I am a Woman of a sorrowful spirit; I have drunk neither Wine nor strong Drink, but have poured out my Heart before the Lord—Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace, and the Lord God of Israel grant thee thy Petition— And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remember'd her—that she bare a Son and called his Name Samuel—And Hannah prayed and said, my Heart rejoiceth in the Lord, &c. &c. &c.

The only Liberty Mr. Smart has taken with the sacred Story is that he has introduced the Song of Hannah as a Thanksgiving immediate upon her Acceptance in Shiloh, whereas it was not composed till after the Birth of Samuel. This Liberty he humbly hopes is more pardonable than the total Omission of so pious and beautiful a Piece.

------ Quæ maxima semper
Dicetur nobis, et erit quæ maxima semper.

Virg.

HANNAH. AN ORATORIO.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

MEN.

Elkanah.
Eli.
Levite of Elkanah's Household.

WOMEN.

Hannah.
Peninnah.
Handmaid to Peninnah.
Chorus of Priest and Damsels, and other Attendants.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

Peninnah, and her Handmaid.

Recitative accompany'd.

Peninnah.

When Abraham threw himself upon his Face
To worship God Almighty, in return
Came Blessing down for Blessing—On his Loins
It came, from whence a Matron of her House
Stands forth, Peninnah; whose unnumber'd Progeny
Are known to him which calculates the Stars,
And tells the Total of the golden Grain
That borders boundless Ocean—O for Musick,
And every Form of Joy to bless and praise.

AIR.

Say, ye Turtles, as ye pair,
Quicken'd by the vernal Air,
Is there any Bliss like yours?
Still returning Love for Love,
Dove proceeding still from Dove,
How your beauteous Race endures?

Handmaid.

Far other is the Lot of her, that shares
A nobler Portion of her Husband's Bounty,
The highly-favour'd Hannah; for her Honour
Is not hereafter in the sweet Idea
Of Self continued in a genuine Race.

AIR.

How joyful the Triumph, how sweet the Content
O'er Rivals in Love to prevail,
When you fully revenge, what you greatly resent,
Till Pride her Preferment bewail;
When you bid her each Day and each Night to despair,
And urge that Reproach, which no Temper can bear.

SCENE II.

Elkanah, Hannah, Levite and Attendants.
Hannah.
The Portion is too much thou hast assign'd me,
A thankful Heart I have and thankful Lips,
But—Oh Dishonour—I'm ungrateful still;
Wherefore there is a Burden in thy Blessing,
To her that costs such Care, and yields no Fruit.

AIR.

Since Grief her Misfortunes shou'd suit,
And from all Enjoyment retire;
Adieu to the Timbrel and Lute,
Adieu to the Strains of the Lyre;
No Comfort Desertion shou'd know,
But seek to the Thorn for a Wreath,
And join the bleak Winds as they blow,
And howl o'er the desolate Heath.

Elkanah.
Cease, cease lamenting, lest thou shou'd be found
To murmur against Providence and me—
Is not thy Husband with thee, more thy Glory,
And Pleasure than ten Sons—there is a Dow'ry
More blessed than the Gift of num'rous Seed,
And that thou hast from God's Munificence.

AIR.

Is not Genius heav'nly Fire,
Thoughts so great and Words so free,
Heighten'd on the living Lyre
Giv'n from God and giv'n to Thee?
Are not these the way to Fame
Tow'ring from th'immortal Page,
Is not Hannah then a Name
Glorious to the latest Age?

Hannah.
Thy Goodness is excessive on my Side,
And Consolation dwells in soft Persuasives,
When thou art with me—but the cruel Taunts
And Triumphs of a Rival are too grievous
For thee to balance or for me to bear.

AIR.

All our Evils past and present,
On whose Weight the Sage harangues,
Are supportable and pleasant
If compared with inward Pangs.
When the Soul's extreme Vexation
Rankles ever more and more,
And invet'rate Aggravation
Works upon the galling Sore.

Levite.
The Remedy is not in Man or Musick
For Woes like thine, O Hannah—'tis my Province
To make thee sure of Comfort—pay thy Vows,
And trust in God's great Goodness shewn in Pow'r
To Sarah and Rebecca—and to Thee
As well as to thy Mothers, if thou pray'st.

AIR.

There is no Part of Heav'n so high,
But is accessible with ease,
If faithful Diligence apply
Upon her never-wearied Knees.
By Pray'r the Miracle is done,
By Pray'r th'eternal Prize is won.

But if with Lips and Heart in tune
The Lute's soft Symphonies unite,
Sweet Hymnist, thou must have thy Boon
Or Heav'n itself shall lose its Light.
By Pray'r the Miracle is done,
By Pray'r th'eternal Prize is won.

Elkanah.

Attend to that the Levite of the House
So just admonishes, I well approve
The Words that come from Piety like his
To sooth Distress like thine—but be th'Event
Or good, or unpropitious, Here am I
Thy Guard against Oppression, with the Voice
Of Invitation all thy Woes to lull
Upon the Pillow of connubial Love.

He.

DUETTO.

To thy Lover
Flee for Cover
By the Storms of Life opprest;
And disdaining
All complaining
Make thy Port and find thy Rest.

She.

I am wholly
Weak and lowly
Far from Strength and far from Skill;
Love shall warm me,
And conform me,
To thy Word and to thy Will.

Both.

Heav'n protect us,
And direct us
To the Peace for which we sue;
Since Devotion
Claims Promotion,
When 'tis faithful just and true.

Levite.

Thus our Forefather Jacob hush'd the Cries
Of loud-complaining Rachael, till at length
The Patriarch Joseph in his Father's likeness,
And Benjamin were born—The Lord of Nature
Withholds no Mercy from us, but to give it
In greater Comfort, Measure, and Duration.

AIR.

Glory, Glory is thy Due,
Lord of the selected Few,
Which thy Pleasure shall increase,
Till all Nations sue for Peace,
Till the World by Land and Sea
Shall return to Truth and Thee.

CHORUS.

Glory, Glory is thy Due,
Lord of the selected Few, &c.

End of the First Act.

ACT the SECOND.

SCENE a Family Sacrifice.
Elkanah, Peninnah, Hannah, Levite, Handmaid to Peninnah, and other Attendants.

Recitative accompany'd.

Levite.
O hear us for the Remnant that is left,
Almighty Lord and Saviour—hear our Vows
For every Tribe, but chiefly for the House
Of Elkanah thy Servant, who presents
Himself, his Wives and Children at thine Altar,
And asks in Adoration for thy Blessing.

AIR for Acceptance.

The Corruption is so great at the Head of the Priesthood thro' the Vices of Hophni and Phinehas, Sons of Eli, that God is intreated the rather to receive the Service of Private Families.

Far and wide Corruption reigns,
And the Fountain-head distains,
Wherefore what Resource remains
For thy People now?
Lust and Avarice are sped,
And all Publick Spirit's fled—
Hear, O Sovereign great and dread,
Hear the private Vow.

CHORUS.

To thy Servants thus appearing,
At thine Altar-give the Hearing,
And our Pray'rs allow.

Penin.
How canst thou think that God will hear thy Pray'r,
And act Injustice daily—who deserves
Thy Countenance and large Donations—Hannah?
As barren as the Wilderness of Sin,
Or she that bears her annual Bloom and Fruit,
Like Olive-Trees in Eden—base, Ingrate!
Know that the great impartial God of all
Rejects thy Pray'rs as impious and profane.

AIR.

Every Bird that pipes a Note,
Every Shrub that bears a Bloom,
Thine Unkindnesses upbraid;
Grateful is the Linnet's Throat,
Grateful is the Bay's Perfume,
And to God their Tribute's paid.

But the Monster of our Scorn,
He whom Men and Angels hate,
And ev'n Heathen Schools despise;
(Better had he ne'er been born)
Is that odious base Ingrate,
Who his God and Truth denies.

Elkanah.
Thou hast as much from Heav'n as Woman needs,
As much from me as Hannah—save the Dow'ry
So due to her Behaviour—I reward,
But not presume to punish—therefore rail,
And rail in Safety—there's a sweet Musician
Shall fare the better for thy Frowns and Follies.

AIR.

When Storms affright
The moonless Night,
Till Death the Pilgrim fears;
Some Cot or Cave
He seeks to brave,
The Hurricane he hears.

But oh how sweet
At Home to meet,
With her that loves him best!
The Storm's increase
Augments his Peace,
And rocks him to his Rest.

Hannah.
Wou'd I had Peace to give thee—Best of Men!
But Grief within, and Insult from without
Have thrown my Spirits into Discomposure,
And ruffled all my Bosom—where is Peace?
She dwells not but with Plenty—where is Plenty?
She lives with pregnant Nature, loaded Vines,
And Fields that laugh again with Corn and Olives.

AIR.

When I send my Thoughts to rove
Tidings of sweet Peace to bring,
Home they come, like Noah's Dove,
Errantless with wearied Wing;
All her Olives now are drown'd,
Not a single Leaf is found.

Handm.
The Trinkets and the Toys thy Husband gives thee,
With all that Store of Shekels shou'd, methinks,
Dispose thy Soul to sprightlier Sentiments,
And fill thy Heart with Gaiety and Gladness.

AIR.

Female Tempers ebb and flow,
With the Bounty of their Lovers;
Spirits never are so low,
But a Gift their State recovers.

Sparing Hands and niggard Hearts,
Are the Source of true Dejection;
He that all his Wealth imparts,
Yields Endearment in Perfection.

Levite.
How long has Licence been allow'd in Israel,
For Handmaids train'd to Silence and Submission!—
Keep thou thy Peace,—and thou, Peninnah, learn
To bear thy Blessing with a better Grace—
Thou, Elkanah, beware of partial Fondness,
And thou, O Hannah, hold thyself content.

AIR.

Sweeter sleeps the Village Hind
Than the Rulers of Mankind,
But the Son of rough Repose
Neither Taste nor Learning knows.

Clear of Envy or Excess
Some a level State possess,
Tho' from Ignorance disjoin'd
Not by Knowledge much refin'd.

All in due Proportion blest
Have their Fare and take their Rest,
Underneath th'Almighty's Wing,
From the Beggar to the King.

Hannah.
We will endeavour to adjust our Conduct
By thy benign Instructions, and attend
To thy Commandment, O thou Man of God—

AIR.

O thou whom Fancy sees
Upon her bended Knees,
With Heav'n-directed Eyes
And sweet submissive Guise,
Resting firm on thy Belief,
And contemning Pain and Grief!

IF RESIGNATION be
The Name that's giv'n to Thee,
O lend thy passive Smile;
Thy meek unstudied Style,
That exampled in thy Ways
Grief may learn to bless and praise.

CHORUS.

Where Choristers angelic throng
HOSANNAH HALLELUJAH is their Song;
And to the blest Performers in the Sky,
Hosannah Hallelujah we reply.

End of the Second Act.

ACT III.

SCENE I.

Hannah before the Tabernacle of the Congregation in Shiloh—Eli and other Ministers at some Distance. She speaks softly to herself.

Recitative accompany'd.

Hannah.
O Lord Almighty deign to hear my Vow,
Which on my bended Knees I make before Thee—
If thou indeed will look on my Affliction
And not forget thine Handmaid, but wilt give
A Son to bless her Wishes—here I swear
He shall be thine for ever—in thine House
To minister when yet a tender Child,
Nor shall a Rasor touch his sacred Head.

Eli.
Wine surely has impair'd this Woman's Wits
That mutters in her Speech and hesitates
For want of abler Senses, better Morals,
And more of Reverence for this holy Place.

Hannah.

Thy Handmaid is of a sublimer Nature,
And better Education than thou think'st.
I have not drank the Spirit of the Grape
To make myself a Child of Belial—
'Tis from th'Abundance of my Heart's Complaint,
My Grief has spoken hitherto and poured
My Soul before the Lord in stifled Murmurs.

AIR.

With what I scorn upbraid me not,
Let Candour weigh my Cause;
Let loose no Thought her Fame to blot,
Whom purest Honour awes.

Thy Handmaid from her early Youth,
No Tempter cou'd intice,
As nurtured in the Love of Truth,
And high Disdain of Vice.

Eli.
Go then in Peace, and if thou hast a Vow
The Lord accept thee, forward all thy Views,
And grant Thee thy Petition—I foresee
Thy sure Success in all thy Heart's Desire.

AIR.

May He that can awake the Dead
Bless all thy future Life;
As when his holy Angel sped
To comfort Manoah's Wife.

All Things are void of Worth and Fruit
Till God his Blessing send,
Whose Voice can harmonize the Mute,
And make the Deaf attend.

Hannah.
I feel the Truth of all thou say'st within me,
And sweet Forebodings fill my Heart with Joy.

SONG of HANNAH.

Accompanied with Priests and Virgins.

I

My Heart with Transport springs,
To Thee the King of Kings;
My Tongue has learnt a nobler Tone:
Mine Enemies despair,
While Record thus I bear,
“Salvation is of God alone.

II

Let Talk no more be loud,
Nor Vanity be proud,
For God th'Event of all Things weighs;
The Mighty now are meek,
But God has raised the Weak,
And strength'ned for eternal Praise.

By a Virgin.

She that on Dainties fed
Is now in want of Bread;
The Hungry has the Feast begun:
The fruitful Womb must fail,
The Barren shall prevail,
And reckon to the seventh Son.

Trio.

The Lord exalts the Poor—
The lowly and obscure
Thro' him in royal Rank shall reign;

CHORUS.

He form'd with mighty Hand
Earth's Pillars, as they stand,
And all the Universe sustain.

By a Levite.

The Lord's audacious Foe,
Shall have a fatal Blow,
By Thunder from his Region hurl'd;
The Nations of Mankind,
Shall be by Grace refin'd,
When God himself shall judge the World.

Hannah again.

The Prince of Peace shall tow'r
In Glory, Strength, and Pow'r,
To whom all Flesh shall bend the Knee;
The Fame he shall atchieve,
I now, ev'n now believe,
And in the Spirit now foresee.

SCENE II.

Enter Elkanah, and Attendants.
Elkanah.
Thou art accepted in thy Soul's Request,
The Smiles of Hope are on thy lovely Face,
And all thy Looks angelically pleasant
Shew forth the Dawnings of a blest Event—
O welcome Rapture to my longing Heart,
And Pleasure now the dearer for Delay.

AIR.

No more the Dupe of vague Mischance,
Nor jest of proud deriding Foes,
I feel my Heart within me dance,
Each Vein with livelier Motion flows;
Past Ills the present Bliss inhance,
And all the Man to vaster Joy dispose.

Hannah.
I am receiv'd—it is the Voice of God,
That speaks internal Comfort and Assurance.
The First-fruits of our Love I have devoted
To serve his Maker only, and attend
From early Youth upon this holy Place.

AIR. By a Virgin attendant on Hannah.

The Cherubs of the highest Sphere,
As little Children we esteem,
Whose Truth and Innocence endear
Their Presence to the great Supreme;
O may thy Gratitude prepare
Thy Heart for Zeal's transcendent Blaze,
And may the happy Hannah bear
The Fruit of everlasting Praise.

Elk.
to Han.
'Twas well determined for a Son of Elkanah,
Who does confirm thee in thy good Intent,
And duteous Gratitude—the best Resolves,
Are those we form in Thankfulness to Heav'n,
Which fixes wav'ring Nature to itself,
By sure Rewards and never-failing Promises.

AIR and CHORUS.

The Lord in highest Bliss above,
Himself alone is constant Love,
Whom Seraphims adore;
And thus their Concerts sing and play,
“The wond'rous Mercy of To-day,
“Endures for evermore.”

The tuneful Spheres that deck the Sky,
Still their sweet Influence supply,
And shine as heretofore;
And thus their Concerts sing and play,
“All hail the Mercy of To-day,
“Which is for evermore.”

Eli.
The Signs are all propitious in your Favour—
Hannah to thee shall surely bare a Son,
And call him Samuel—he shall minister
As Priest in Childhood, and have high Esteem
From God and Man—and ere he shall be gather'd
Unto his People, shall anoint a King
O'er God's selected Nation—from whose Loins
Shall Shiloh come, Redeemer of Mankind—
Ye Levites, blow the Trumpets in the East,
Ye Damsels, smite the Timbrels and rejoice
In these my Words prophetic of Salvation.

GRAND CHORUS.

To Thee stupendous in thy Ways,
To Jacob's God the Blessed Uncreate
Be all Dominion, Pow'r and Praise,
And Laud and Adoration in the Height.

FINIS.