University of Virginia Library

ACT II.

Calypso's Bower. Telemachus is discovered sleeping. Mentor enters, and after surveying him sometime with fixed attention, speaks.
MENTOR.
He sleeps; but not as he was wont, serene,
With guardian virtues hovering o'er his head;
The sensual dream still haunts him; on his cheek
A turbid spot of livid purple burns;
The trophy which Incontinence erects
Upon the tomb of Modesty.
AIR.

[Exit.
[Telemachus starts from sleep.
RECITATIVE. TELEMACHUS.
Shield me, just gods!—
Who calls? Who bids Telemachus arise?
Where am I? Sure it was a dream!—Ah, no.
Voluptuous grotto! realiz'd disgrace!
What languor seizes me? I faint, I thirst.
And see the cup of pleasure mix'd by hands
Immortal—Thus I seize it—Hah! it falls!
AIR.

Calypso enters with her nymphs, habited for the chace.
CALYPSO.
Prince, to the chace. The rosy-mantled morn
Stands on the summit of yond eastern hill,
And calls the sportive echoes; 'tis the hour
To rouse the roe-buck from his grassy laire,
And sing him o'er the dew-besprinkled lawn,
To the loud music of the pealing pack:
My dogs are fleet, with tongues as tuneable,
Chiming in concert like the muses' harps;
Arise, and mount a courser fit to bear
Apollo, galloping from ocean's brink
Up to his mid-day throne.

TELEMACHUS.
Ah, leave me, goddess;
In pity leave me.

CALYPSO.
Hence with grave remorse;
Thy faculties are dull and drooping;
Of mortal clay compounded:
But live with us, and soon, like us, thou'lt be,
Jocund and free, a spirit of delight,
Without decay or death.

TELEMACHUS.
I'm lost again;
Her power is grown resistless:
My weakness, not my will, consents.

CALYPSO.
Nymphs of the chace, provoke
Some soul-inspiring strain afresh,
And rouse the joy that slumbers at his heart.
AIR.

RECITATIVE. TELEMACHUS.
Lead on, fair goddess, for my fate impels,
[Exit Cal.
And I must follow.—What is this? I'm lost.
Some mighty conjuration shakes the grove;
The trees as with a sudden earthquake fall,
And choak my passage—
[The grove falls suddenly between Calypso and Telemachus.
Ah! what clouds are these?
A sudden night surrounds me—
[The stage is darkened.
Help, Calypso!
And guide me through this labyrinth. Ah! no;
In vain; she is the mistress of the spell.
An evil spirit will not help me hence,
And I of all good beings am abandon'd.
AIR.

[Exit.
Light returns. Calypso and her Nymphs re-enter.
CALYPSO.
Break off your sports; Telemachus is lost.
Go, wood nymphs, ransack every shady dell,
Each rock or shaggy cavern, till you find him;
Which if you do not, by my power I swear,
I will again strip your umbrageous haunts,
And desolate the isle; therefore, away!

AIR. ANTIOPE AND NYMPHS.
Away, away, away!
Each begone without delay,
Wood nymph trim or nightly say!
Search the fountains, search the floods,
Shadowy dales, and darkling woods;
Search the grottoes, search the cells,
Where the pensive Echo dwells;
Nimbly pace your haunts around,
Till Telemachus be found.
Wood nymph trim or nightly say,
Each be gone without delay;
Away, away, away!

[Exeunt Nymphs.
RECITATIVE. CALYPSO, alone.
Dæmons, you that wing the air,
Hither, familiar imps, repair;
Zudore, Melantho, dusky sprite,
Witching minister of night,
Hither on leathern pinions sail,
Ye flitting phantoms!

Zudore enters.
RECITATIVE. ZUDORE.
Mistress, hail!

RECITATIVE. CALYPSO.
Welcome, Zudore, whence come you?

RECITATIVE. ZUDORE.
From the horned moon I flew,
Plumb as fathom line I fell,
Down and down. Have I done well?

RECITATIVE. CALYPSO.
Well done, my nimble spirit! Welcome both,
I was about to tax your sloth,
Fosgar and Zeripon!

Fosgar and Zeripon enter.
RECITATIVE. FOSGAR.
Not so, dread queen!
Nor lazy servitors, I ween,
Are thy prompt imps.

RECITATIVE. CALYPSO.
Where were you found?

RECITATIVE. ZERIPON.
In sulphureous pit profound
Of bellowing Ætna, whom beneath
Rebel giants lie and breath;
Fiery sighs, that to the last
Shake Olympus with the blast.

Melantho and two Dæmons enter.
RECITATIVE. CALYPSO.
Where have you loitered, lazy thing?
And you, and you?

RECITATIVE. MELANTHO.
We've beat the wing
With meteor's speed from field of blood,
Where Troy's renowned city stood.

RECITATIVE. CALYPSO.
What did you there?

RECITATIVE. MELANTHO.
We glean'd the plain
For bones of Grecian heroes slain;
These compounded, make a charm,
Shall keep Telemachus from harm.

RECITATIVE. CALYPSO.
Ye forward elves, how did you dare
Unbidden amulets prepare?
Rather, ye sprites, provide a spell
To sink him to the shades of hell.
Meantime begone, and search around,
Till the false, fickle youth be found;
Spread your swift pinions and begone,
Then frolick, Dæmons, when your task is done.

[Exit.
AIR. DÆMONS.
Brothers, we must beat the wing
Till the winnow'd welkin sing,
Up and down, and round and round,
Hovering o'er the untouch'd ground.

Chorus.
Up and down, &c.


Raven, bat, and owl, have rest,
We must do our queen's behest;
Wet and weary we must scout,
Night and day about, about.

Chorus.
Wet and weary, &c.


Spirits, now no more delay,
Up and brush the winds away:
Tasking done and trouble past,
Hey for holiday at last.

Chorus.
Tasking done, &c.

[They vanish.
Telemachus is met by Antiope.
AIR. ANTIOPE.

TELEMACHUS.
Name her not to me; too, too long already
Has that soft syren mesh'd me in her snares:
I pr'ythee, wood-nymph, if thy heart e'er felt
The sense of pity; if the holy name
Of chastity e'er sounded in thine ear,
Compel me not by any devilish arts
To your dire goddess, and that hellish banquet,
At which last night I revell'd—Oh, last night!

ANTIOPE.
Mortal, your supplication through my heart
Ascends to heav'n; there is a grace in modesty,
Which ev'n the ministers of vice revere:
You are here enthrall'd by a most fell enchantress;
The cup, which to your lips she tender'd, holds,
Though mantling bright, pollution's foulest drugs;
Taste, taste not, I conjure thee; th'island swarms
With magic spirits on the wing to find thee;
Farther to counsel thee exceeds my powers:
But here at hand there dwells a mighty prophet,
Potent in word and deed; to him I hasten,
If haply by his art the means may offer
To snatch thee from perdition close impending.

[Exit.
AIR. TELEMACHUS.

[Exit.
Calypso's Grotto.
RECITATIVE. CALYPSO.
Telemachus, where art thou? Lost Calypso!
Scorn'd, though a goddess; though immortal, curst:
Father and son—by both am I deserted.
Oh, insupportable! give me revenge:
Some friendly god assist me!
If there's a power in heav'n, earth, sea, or air,
To whom revenge is dear, I do invoke
That power to aid me—Hah! methinks I see
The grotto shake—
And hark: soft music breathes—What may this be?
AIR.

RECITATIVE. PROTEUS unseen.
Calypso, goddess, hear!

RECITATIVE. CALYPSO.
Speak, whosoe'er thou art, Calypso hears.

AIR. PROTEUS as before.
Follow, goddess, follow me!
To the margin of the sea,
Thou shalt soon transported be.

RECITATIVE. CALYPSO.
I hear, but nothing see. Who art thou?

AIR. PROTEUS as before.
To the grot if thou'lt repair,
Welcome form shall meet thee there;
See, the serpent shows thee where.

[Proteus crosses the stage in the form of a serpent, and enters Calypso's grotto.
RECITATIVE. CALYPSO.
Serpent, whoe'er thou art, or god or dæmon,
I do adjure thee take thy proper form,
And in that form appear!

[Proteus comes forth from the grotto.
AIR. PROTEUS.
Goddess of Ogygia's land,
Proteus comes at thy command;
I am he, whose mimic shape,
Every living thing can ape;
I can fly and I can run:
Goddess, speak, and it is done.

RECITATIVE. CALYPSO.
Thanks, son of Neptune, but I ask
Of Proteus no laborious task;
Nor run, nor fly; but teach the art,
To fix a wavering lover's heart:
Give me a spell, that may inspire
Telemachus with new desire.

RECITATIVE. PROTEUS.
Ask this of me? Away! methought
Experience might have better taught:
To shew where finest sea-shells are,
Or string thee pearls to deck thy hair;
Bring coral to adorn thy bower,
Or softest moss to strew the floor;
These I can do, but to controul,
Or warp from truth one virtuous soul,
Not all the powers of darkest hell,
Own such a diabolic spell.

RECITATIVE. CALYPSO.
Hah! have I then, ungrateful god,
Conceded a secure abode
To thee and to thy scaly fry;
(Oh, much abused courtesy!)
And wilt not thou at utmost need
Assist me (false in word and deed!)
Go then with all thy fishy train,
I drive thee forth to sea again!

FINALE.
AIR. CALYPSO.
Rage, disappointment, love, despair,
With different pangs my bosom tear,
And make me loath the day:
Ah, think how short
The hours of sport,
How long the moments of delay.

AIR. PROTEUS.
Beside the hoarse-resounding deep,
Lay me, kind gods, in senseless sleep,
Rather then let me live to prove
The piercing agonies of hopeless love.

Enter Calypso's Nymphs.
CHORUS OF NYMPHS.
Hail, goddess, hail! let hills and vales resound
With joyful shouts—Telemachus is found.

CALYPSO.
Revenge, revenge, for my neglected charms!

CHORUS.
Ah, spare him, goddess!

CALYPSO.
Love my heart alarms—

CHORUS.
For pity spare him—

PROTEUS.
Take him to thine arms.

CALYPSO.
Revenge, revenge!

PROTEUS.
Revenge and love controul
The varying movements of her tortur'd soul.

CHORUS.
For pity spare him—

CALYPSO.
Love my heart alarms—

CHORUS.
Ah, spare him, goddess, take him to thine arms!

Enter Dæmons.
AIR. DÆMONS.
Shout and dance and run the ring,
Joyful evidence we bring;
Young Telemachus is here,
Lover lost, appear, appear!

[They vanish.
Enter Telemachus.
AIR. CALYPSO.
In young Telemachus I trace
The strength of Mars, Apollo's grace;
The eye of Jove, Minerva's tongue,
And bloom of Bacchus ever young.
Like feather'd Mercury he moves,
And soft as Cytherea's doves:
Yet, ah, while all these charms I see,
I find no heart for love and me.

Enter Antiope.
ANTIOPE.
Goddess, spare the hapless youth,
Spare his innocence and truth.

CALYPSO.
Traitress, away!

ANTIOPE.
—Yet hear me.

CALYPSO.
No.

ANTIOPE.
Awful goddess, say not so.

TELEMACHUS.
Ah, what languor weighs me down!
Help me, gods, I sink, I swoon—

[He sinks into the arms of Calypso.
ANTIOPE.
See, he falls! Oh, Proteus, join,
Assist my suit, and I am thine.

PROTEUS.
And shall it be said, ye immortals so blest,
Such malice had place in a goddess's breast?
Ah, lovely Calypso, release the fond boy,
And the victim you've conquer'd, forbear to destroy.

CALYPSO.
Awake, awake! unfold your eyes!

TELEMACHUS.
Alas, what ghastly spectres rise!
My father's frowning shade appears,
And Mentor bath'd in virtuous tears.

RECITATIVE. NYMPHS.
Before his spectre-haunted eyes,
His friends, his father's forms arise;
But, ah, false forms, they rise in vain,
She smiles, and he is lost again.

CHORUS.
But, ah! false forms, they rise in vain,
She smiles, and he is lost again.