University of Virginia Library

ACT III.

Enter Acis in a melancholy Posture, Damon following him.

AIR.
Consider , fond Shepherd,
How fleeting's the Pleasure,
That flatters our Hopes,
In pursuit of the Fair;
The Joys that attend it,
By Moments we measure,
But Life is too little
To measure our Care.

Enter Galatea.
Recitativo.
Gal.
Cease, O cease! thou gentle Youth,
Trust my Constancy and Truth;
Trust my Truth and Pow'rs above,
The Pow'rs propitious still to Love.

AIR.
Both.
The Flocks shall leave the Mountains,
The Floods the Turtle-Dove,
The Nymphs forsake the Fountains,
Ere I forsake my Love.

Enter Polyphemus.
Polyp.
Torture, Fury, Rage, Despair,
I cannot, no, I cannot bear.

Both.
Not Show'rs to Larks so pleasing,
Nor Sunshine to the Bee;
No Sleep to Toil so easing,
As these dear Smiles to me.

[Exit.
Polyp.
Fly swift, thou massy Ruin, fly,
Presumptuous Acis, die.

[Polyphemus kills Acis with a great Stone, which he gathers from a Rock.
Enter Acis, supported by Shepherds.
Recitativo.
Acis.
Help, Galatea, help the Parent Gods,
And take me dying to your deep Abodes.

CHORUS
of Shepherds and Shepherdesses.
Mourn all the Muses, weep all the Swains,
Tune your Reeds to doleful Strains;
Groans, Cries, and Howlings, fill the neighb'ring Shore;
Ah! the gentle Acis is no more.

Galatea.
Gal.
Must I my Acis still bemoan,
Inglorious, crush'd beneath that Stone?

CHORUS.
Cease, Galatea, cease to grieve,
Bewail not whom you can't relieve.

Galatea.
Gal.
Must the lovely charming Youth,
Die for his Constancy and Truth?

CHORUS.
Cease, Galatea, cease to grieve,
Bewail not whom you can't relieve.
Call forth thy Pow'r, employ thy Art,
The Goddess soon can heal the Smart.

Galatea.
Gal.
Say, what Comfort can I find,
For dark Despair o'er-clouds my Mind?

[Exit.
CHORUS.
To Kindred Gods the Youth returns,
Through verdant Plains to roll his Urn.

Enter Galatea.
Recitativo.
Gal.
'Tis done, thus I exert my Pow'r Divine,
Be thou immortal, tho' thou art not mine.
AIR.

CHORUS.
Galatea, dry thy Tears,
Acis now a God appears;
See how he rears him from his Bed!
See the Wreath that binds his Head!
Hail, thou gentle murm'ring Stream,
Shepherds Pleasure, Muses Theme,
Through the Plain still joy to rove,
Murm'ring still thy gentle Love.