 | Zimri |  |
2. PART II.
SCENE I.
Zimrialone.
Recitative accompanied.
Again seduc'd to guilty joys, again
I break away to muse and to be wretched.
Farewel the peaceful hour of meditation,
When conscious virtue wafts the soul to heaven!
If I look inward now, I start with horror;
And life becomes a burden and a curse.
SCENE II.
To him Cosbi, and Chorus of Midianitish Women.
Recitative.
Cos.
What haggard looks? what gestures of distraction?
Why art thou thus, when in the blossom'd bow'r
The voice of mirth invites thee to the banquet,
And love would breathe soft murmurs on thy breast?
Zim.
I must not hear thy voice, nor see thy face—
Thy voice is fatal as the southern blast,
Thy face more sure than basilisks destroys!
Cos.
What haggard looks? what gestures of distraction?
Why art thou thus, when in the blossom'd bow'r
The voice of mirth invites thee to the banquet,
And love would breathe soft murmurs on thy breast?
Zim.
I must not hear thy voice, nor see thy face—
Thy voice is fatal as the southern blast,
Thy face more sure than basilisks destroys!
Duet.
Cos.
Yet let the fond remembrance last,
Of kinder thoughts, and pleasures past!
Zim.
Of all the past I dread the view,
And bid the guilty joys adieu.
Cos.
Why dread the scenes that love displays?
Zim.
Alas! 'tis guilt, 'tis death to gaze!
Cos.
Ah! think—
Zim.
My thoughts to phrenzy turn.
Again I languish and I burn.
Cos.
Yet let the fond remembrance last,
Of kinder thoughts, and pleasures past!
Zim.
Of all the past I dread the view,
And bid the guilty joys adieu.
Cos.
Why dread the scenes that love displays?
Zim.
Alas! 'tis guilt, 'tis death to gaze!
Cos.
Ah! think—
Zim.
My thoughts to phrenzy turn.
Again I languish and I burn.
Recitative.
Cos.
Come then, my love!
Zim.
O! no; stand off, seducer;
This hour, the victims of such wiles as thine,
The mighty chiefs of Israel, gasp in death.
Cos.
Haste then, suspend the lifted hand of murder
I do not task thy eloquence too high;
Go, plead the cause of nature with her foes,
Till superstition blush, and priests learn mercy.
Air and Chorus.
Cos.
Come then, my love!
Zim.
O! no; stand off, seducer;
This hour, the victims of such wiles as thine,
The mighty chiefs of Israel, gasp in death.
Cos.
Haste then, suspend the lifted hand of murder
I do not task thy eloquence too high;
Go, plead the cause of nature with her foes,
Till superstition blush, and priests learn mercy.
A Midianitish Woman.
Fly, and disappoint the grave!
Fly, the destin'd victims save!
And, with them returning, prove,
Life is gain to those who love.
Recitative.
Zim.
Ah, no! but let me rather perish with them:
How can I else atone my follies past?
How else be sure that I shall not repeat them?
Cos.
Thou nor to crime nor folly art seduc'd;
Nor die the princes by the gods decree.
Cares not the common parent of mankind
Alike for all? one family on earth,
However nam'd, and wheresoe'er they dwell?
Would he, who bids encrease, deny the rite,
Because th'enamour'd hearts that long to join,
When first they beat, were distant from each other?
Zim.
Ah! could I but believe thy reas'ning just!
Cos.
That wish had prov'd it: Nature never gave
Desires, which yet 'tis duty to suppress.
Zim.
Subdu'd at once by eloquence and love,
My fair enchantress, all my soul is thine.
Air.
My fair enchantress, all my soul is thine.
That I should yield, thy wit persuades;
Thy wit thy matchless beauty aids,
And gives and justifies delight.
Whene'er we err, our fault is less,
More num'rous as temptations press;
And all, fair nymph, in thee unite.
Thy charms which prompt my fault, the guilt destroy;
Thy charms, at once my safety and my joy.
Thy wit thy matchless beauty aids,
And gives and justifies delight.
Whene'er we err, our fault is less,
More num'rous as temptations press;
And all, fair nymph, in thee unite.
Thy charms which prompt my fault, the guilt destroy;
Thy charms, at once my safety and my joy.
Recitative.
Cos.
See, yonder comes the tyrant of thy race!
Stand firm; to persevere, is now to conquer.
I leave thee: follow with a lover's haste.
O! virgins, aid my purpose with your song.
Duet.
Be thy thoughts for ever kind,
Ever firm thy manly mind!
Haste away to yonder plain;
Haste, with all thy kindred train.
Tender joys our gods approve;
Haste with us to live and love!
[Exeunt.
SCENE III.
To Zimri, Moses.Recitative.
Moses.
Is yet the hand that softens rocks upon thee?
Dost thou relent? and wilt thou yet with us
Surround the sacred dwelling of our God,
And see th'apostate chiefs of Israel die?
Zim.
Relent thou rather, and forbid the murder:
Nor more, when driving on the tainted storm
Disease assails us, feign that Heaven is wroth,
And glut the grave with those that plagues would spare!
Moses.
Doubt and suspicion still attend on guilt:
While yet thy life was pure, thy faith was strong.
But tell me, thou, whose intellectual eye
4
Why, if contagion uncommission'd spreads,
It reaches not to Midian?
Zim.
Tell me rather,
Why, if commission'd, the seducers live?
Moses.
Abhorr'd of God, he leaves them unreclaim'd;
And only deigns to punish those he loves.
Zim.
Let reason judge who most are lov'd of Heaven.
Air.
Yon happy race on fertile plains recline,
Embrac'd by beauty, and regal'd with wine;
Aw'd by no terrors, to no laws confin'd,
Love all the worship for their gods design'd.
We, still to hunger and to thirst a prey,
With painful rites relentless pow'rs obey:
From ev'ry joy restrain'd by stern command,
And driv'n still vagrant o'er the burning sand,
Forward we look for better days in vain—
If patient, famish'd; if we murmur, slain.
Embrac'd by beauty, and regal'd with wine;
Aw'd by no terrors, to no laws confin'd,
Love all the worship for their gods design'd.
We, still to hunger and to thirst a prey,
With painful rites relentless pow'rs obey:
From ev'ry joy restrain'd by stern command,
And driv'n still vagrant o'er the burning sand,
Forward we look for better days in vain—
If patient, famish'd; if we murmur, slain.
Recitative.
Moses.
To sense, not reason, is thy rash appeal.
To brutal appetite, luxurious ease
Is sweet; but man should live to nobler purpose.
Air.
To brutal appetite, luxurious ease
Is sweet; but man should live to nobler purpose.
The bliss that ne'er was found below,
Above by virtue we obtain;
And virtue if we wish to know,
We must not strangers be to pain.
Who hopes for Heav'n, adversity defies;
And sights on earth, to triumph in the skies.
Recitative.
Above by virtue we obtain;
And virtue if we wish to know,
We must not strangers be to pain.
Who hopes for Heav'n, adversity defies;
And sights on earth, to triumph in the skies.
Farewel. Yet one word more—remember Sinai!
[Exit.
SCENE IV.
Zimrialone.
Recitative accompanied.
Remember Sinai! wou'd I could forget it!
A thousand dread ideas rush upon me!
Methinks, again I see the mountain shake;
It's lofty summit now involv'd in darkness,
Now burning unconsum'd with ruddy fires!
I hear, again, the thunder and the voice;
Again obedient, I believe, and tremble!
Air.
A thousand dread ideas rush upon me!
Methinks, again I see the mountain shake;
It's lofty summit now involv'd in darkness,
Now burning unconsum'd with ruddy fires!
I hear, again, the thunder and the voice;
Again obedient, I believe, and tremble!
O First and Best, the Parent of mankind,
Who for thy throne the merry-seat design'd!
Receive my fault'ring pray'r, my crime forgive—
To thee returning, let thy servant live!
Who for thy throne the merry-seat design'd!
Receive my fault'ring pray'r, my crime forgive—
To thee returning, let thy servant live!
SCENE V.
To Zimri, Cosbi and Chorus of Midianitish Women.Recitative accompanied.
Zim.
Again she comes! my resolution fails,
As morning vapours vanish from the sun.
Recitative.
Cos.
Impatient of thy absence, I return.
Ah, let me hear thy voice, and see thee smile.
Zim.
I cannot speak—
Cos.
I must not, cannot lose thee!
Thus let me grasp thy hand, and gaze upon thee.
And now, my lovely hero, tell me true,
Has this stern Moses frown'd away thy love?
Zim.
Oh, leave me now, nor farther urge thy pow'r;
Lest for another momentary dream,
I cast eternal happiness away.
Cos.
Leave to the gods eternity; nor trust
For aught to-morrow, which to-day can give.
Air.
For aught to-morrow, which to-day can give.
The future is not mine nor thine;
The past, alas! no more returns:
Let love our souls this moment join;
For us his lamp this moment burns.
The past, alas! no more returns:
Let love our souls this moment join;
For us his lamp this moment burns.
Recitative.
Zim.
Again my soul has caught the sweet infection;
Again I feel the phrenzy of desire!
Air.
Again I feel the phrenzy of desire!
Yes, though around me thousands die,
While yet I live, I'll life improve;
The posting moments as they fly
I'll catch, and fill the last with love.
While yet I live, I'll life improve;
The posting moments as they fly
I'll catch, and fill the last with love.
Chorus.
Mortals, thus with haste possess
All that fortune gives to bless;
And, despising slavish rules,
Leave the joys of hope to fools!
[Exeunt.
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