University of Virginia Library

ACT III.

SCENE I.

The SCENE is the Cave of Sleep. The God of Sleep lying on his Bed. A soft Symphony is heard. Then the Musick changes to a different Movement.
JUNO and IRIS.
JUNO.
Somnus , awake,
Raise thy reclining Head;

IRIS.
Thy self forsake,
And lift up thy heavy Lids of Lead.

SOMNUS
[waking.]
Leave me, loathsome Light;
Receive me, silent Night.
Lethe, why does thy lingring Current cease?
O murmur, murmur me again to Peace.
[Sinks down again.

IRIS.
Dull God, canst thou attend the Waters fall,
And not hear Saturnia call!

JUNO.
Peace Iris, Peace, I know how to charm him,
Pasithea's Name alone can warm him.

JUNO, IRIS.
Only Love on Sleep has Pow'r;
O'er Gods and Men
Tho' Somnus reign,
Love alternate has his Hour.

JUNO.
Somnus arise,
Disclose thy tender Eyes;
For Pasithea's Sight
Endure the Light:
Somnus arise.

SOMNUS
[rising.]
More sweet is that Name
Than a soft purling Stream;
With Pleasure Repose I'll for sake,
If you'll grant me but her to sooth me awake.

JUNO.
My Will obey,
She shall be thine.
Thou with thy softer Pow'rs
First Jove shalt captivate,
To Morpheus then give Order,
Thy various Minister,
That with a Dream in Shape of Semele,
But far more beautiful,
And more alluring,
He may invade the sleeping Deity;
And more to agitate
His kindling Fire,
Still let the Phantom seem
To fly before him,
That he may wake impetuous,
Furious in Desire;
Unable to refuse whatever Boon
Her Coyness shall require.

SOMNUS.
I tremble to comply.

JUNO.
To me thy leaden Rod resign,
To charm the Centinels
On Mount Citheron;
Then cast a Sleep on mortal Ino:
That I may seem her Form to wear,
When I to Semele appear.
Obey my Will, thy Rod resign,
And Pasithea shall be thine.

SOMNUS.
All I must grant, for all is due
To Pasithea, Love and you.

JUNO.
Away let us haste,
Let neither have rest,
'Till the sweetest of Pleasures we prove;
'Till of Vengeance possess'd
I doubly am bless'd,
And thou art made happy in Love.

[Ex Juno and Iris.
[Somnus retires within his Cave, the Scene changes to Semele's Apartment.

SCENE II.

SEMELE [alone.]
SEMELE.
I Love and am lov'd, yet more I desire;
Ah, how foolish a Thing is Fruition!
As one Passion cools, some other takes Fire,
And I'm still in a longing Condition.
Whate'er I possess
Soon seems an Excess,
For something untry'd I petition;
Tho' daily I prove
The Pleasures of Love,
I die for the Joys of Ambition.

SCENE III.

Enter JUNO as INO, with a Mirrour in her Hand.
JUNO
[apart.]
Thus shaped like Ino,
With Ease I shall deceive her,
And in this Mirrour she shall see
Her self as much transform'd as me.
Do I some Goddess see!
[To her.
Or is it Semele?

SEMELE.
Dear Sister speak,
Whence this Astonishment?

JUNO.
Your Charms improving
To Divine Perfection,
Shew you were late admitted
Amongst Celestial Beauties.
Has Jove consented?
And are you made Immortal?

SEMELE.
Ah no, I still am Mortal,
Nor am I sensible
Of any Change or new Perfection.

JUNO.
[Giving her the Glass.
Behold in this Mirrour
Whence comes my Surprize;
Such Lustre and Terror
Unite in your Eyes,
That mine cannot fix on a Radiance so bright;
'Tis unsafe for the Sense, and too slipp'ry for Sight.

SEMELE.
[Looking in the Glass.
[Offering the Glass, withdraws her Hand again.

JUNO.
[Taking the Glass from her.
Be wise as you are beautiful,
Nor lose this Opportunity.
When Jove appears,
All ardent with Desire,
Refuse his proffer'd Flame
'Till you obtain a Boon without a Name.

SEMELE.
Can that avail me?

JUNO.
Unknowing your Intent,
And eager for possessing,
He unawares will grant
The nameless Blessing.
But bind him by the Stygian Lake,
Lest Lover-like his Word he break.

SEMELE.
But how shall I attain
To Immortality?

JUNO.
Conjure him by his Oath
Not to approach your Bed
In Likeness of a Mortal,
But like himself, the mighty Thunderer,
In Pomp of Majesty,
And heav'nly Attire;
As when he proud Saturnia charms,
And with ineffable Delights
Fills her encircling Arms,
And pays the Nuptial Rites.
By this Conjunction
With entire Divinity
You shall partake of heav'nly Essence,
And thenceforth leave this Mortal State
To reign above,
Ador'd by Jove,
In spite of jealous Juno's Hate.

SEMELE.
Thus let my Thanks be paid,
Thus let my Arms embrace thee;
And when I'm Goddess made,
With Charms like mine I'll grace thee.

JUNO.
Rich Odours fill the fragrant Air,
And Jove's Approach declare.
I must retire—

SEMELE.
Adieu—Your Counsel I'll pursue.

JUNO.
[apart.]
And sure Destruction will ensue.
Vain wretched Fool— [To her.]
Adieu.

[Exit.

SCENE IV.

JUPITER enters, offers to embrace SEMELE; she looks kindly on him, but retires a little from him.
JUPITER.
Come to my Arms, my lovely Fair,
Sooth my uneasie Care:
In my Dream late I woo'd thee,
And in vain I pursu'd thee,
For you fled from my Pray'r,
And bid me despair.
Come to my Arms, my lovely Fair.

SEMELE.
Tho' 'tis easie to please ye,
And hard to deny;
Tho' Possessing's a Blessing
For which I could die,
I dare not, I cannot comply.

JUPITER.
When I languish with Anguish,
And tenderly sigh,
Can you leave me, deceive me,
And scornfully fly?
Ah fear not. You must not deny.

SEMELE, JUPITER.
I dare not, I cannot comply.
Ah fear not; you must not deny.

JUPITER.
O Semele,
Why art thou thus insensible?
Were I a Mortal,
Thy barbarous disdaining
Would surely end me,
And Death at my Complaining
In Pity would befriend me.

SEMELE.
I ever am granting,
You always complain;
I always am wanting,
Yet never obtain.

JUPITER.
Speak, speak your Desire,
I'm all over Fire.
Say what you require,
I'll grant it—now let us retire.

SEMELE.
Swear by the Stygian Lake.

JUPITER.
By that tremendous Flood I swear,
Ye Stygian Waters hear,
And thou Olympus shake,
In witness to the Oath I take.

[Thunder at a Distance, and underneath.
SEMELE.
You'll grant what I require.

JUPITER.
I'll grant what you require.

SEMELE.
Then cast off this human Shape which you wear,
And Jove since you are, like Jove too appear;
When next you desire I should charm ye.
As when Juno you bless,
So you me must caress,
And with all your Omnipotence arm ye.

JUPITER.
Ah! take heed what you press,
For beyond all Redress,
Should I grant what you wish, I shall harm ye.

SEMELE.
I'll be pleas'd with no less,
Than my Wish in Excess;
Let the Oath you have taken allarm ye:
Haste, haste, and prepare,
For I'll know what you are;
So with all your Omnipotence arm ye.

SCENE V.

She withdraws, JUPITER remains pensive and dejected.
JUPITER.

SCENE VI.

JUNO appears in her Chariot ascending.
JUNO.
Above measure
Is the Pleasure
Which my Revenge supplies.
Love's a Bubble
Gain'd with Trouble,
And in possessing dies.
With what Joy shall I mount to my Heav'n again,
At once from my Rival and Jealousie freed!
The Sweets of Revenge make it worth while to reign,
And Heav'n will hereafter be Heav'n indeed.

[She ascends.

SCENE VII.

The SCENE opening discovers Semele lying under a Canopy, leaning pensively While a mournful Symphony is playing she looks up and sees Jupiter descending in a black Cloud; the Motion of the Cloud is slow. Flashes of Lightning issue

---

830

from either Side, and Thunder is heard grumbling in the Air.
SEMELE.
Ah me! too late I now repent
My Pride and impious Vanity.
He comes! far off his Lightnings scorch me.
—I feel my Life consuming:
I burn, I burn—I faint—for Pity I implore—
O help, O help—I can no more.
[Dies.

As the Cloud which contains Jupiter is arrived just over the Canopy of Semele, a sudden and great Flash of Lightning breaks forth, and a Clap of loud Thunder is heard; when at one instant Semele with the Palace and the whole present Scene disappears, and Jupiter re-ascends swiftly. The Scene totally changed represents a pleasant Country, Mount Citheron closing the Prospect.

SCENE VIII.

Enter CADMUS, ATHAMAS and INO.
INO.
Of my ill-boding Dream
Behold the dire Event.

CADMUS, ATHAMAS.
O Terror and Astonishment.

INO.
How I was hence remov'd,
Or hither how return'd, I know not:
So long a Trance with-held me.
But Hermes in a Vision told me
(As I have now related)
The Fate of Semele;
And added, as from me he fled,
That Jove ordain'd I Athamas should wed.

CADMUS.
Be Jove in ev'ry thing obey'd.

[Joyns their Hands.
ATHAMAS.
Unworthy of your Charms, my self I yield;
Be Jove's Commands and yours fullfill'd.

CADMUS.
See from above the bellying Clouds descend,
And big with some new Wonder this Way tend.

SCENE IX.

A bright Cloud descends and rests on Mount Citheron, which opening discovers Apollo seated in it as the God of Prophecy.
APOLLO.

CHORUS.
Then Mortals be merry, &.

Dance of Satyrs.
[Exeunt omnes.