Abimelech :: :: University of Virginia Library

Abimelech

an Oratorio

Smart, Christopher (1722-1771)

ABIMELECH,

PART THE THIRD.

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3. PART THE THIRD.

Queen of Gerar and Abimelech.
Recitative.
Queen.

How darst thou see my face, thus blown and bloated,
With these dire sorrows thou hast heap'd upon us!
Art thou not married? am I not thy wife?
Canst thou bestow thine heart upon another,
And not be perjur'd? But behold thy crime,
Lest it shou'd not be criminal enough,
Thy minion too is married to the man
She calls her brother—whence these visitations
From God in wrath upon the wives of Gerar,
All smitten to a woman with sore plagues?

AIR.

Sweet persuasion, where's thy dwelling,
In what lips, or on what lyre;
With thy strains to raptures swelling,
All thy urgent suit inspire.

But if her divine oration,
Fail with all its pow'r and grace;
Come, thou fiery indignation,
Do her work, and take her place.

Recitative.
Abim.

I am resolv'd they shall depart this day,
For such a night as last I never knew
From infancy till now—Beware, he cry'd,
The angel of the Lord, all robed in terror,
Beware, Abimelech, of certain death,
Unless thou render Sarah to her lord—
I pleaded my integrity of heart,
And innocence of hands, and found some grace.

AIR.

Soon as the sun forsakes the hours,
And yields to night's prevailing gloom,
Dread darkness, with his horrid pow'rs,
In triumph wears his sable plume—
The sinner knows
No heart's repose,
But trembles for the day of doom.

Abraham
in wrath.
Recitative.
Hast thou then took possession of my wife,
And dar'd the horrid foulness?—is it thus
Thou call'st thyself a king, and sit'st a judge
Of truth and tenure!—Know, thou haughty tyrant,
That God is all around us, and th'adulterer
Pollutes the holy presence of th'Almighty.

DUETTO.
Abrah.
When thy threshold first I trod,
Didst not thou profess a God,
And by his name we swore?—

Abim.
Meanly to advance a lie,
Didst not thou that God defy
You boasted to adore?—

BOTH.
I renounce all sin but error:
Thine the guilt, be thine the terror,
Hold thy peace, and urge no more.

CHORUS of Attendants.
Ye that the scenes of life dispose,
Arise; ye guardian pow'rs, arise;
O stave th'advance of threat'ning woes,
And let not God's allies be foes,
While truth supports the skies.

Recitative.
Abim.
Thy sister, or thy wife, or what thou wilt,
Is innocent for me, deceitful stranger!
If God be purity he's also truth,
And he that leases must offend his nature.
Phichol come forth with Sarah and Hagar.

Phichol, with Sarah, Hagar, and Guards.
Abim.
Behold thy wife again—and thou, fair matron,
Return thee to thy husband—he shall be
A covering to thine eyes, which shall not wander
Hereafter from thy lord to charm an alien.—
Thou friend of God, which is the truth Almighty,
Beware of fraud for fear of retribution.—

Queen of Gerar.
AIR.

He to whom God indulges light,
Shou'd in proportion make it shine—
Can heathen minds, involv'd in night,
Like thee discern, like thee divine?

But, as superior gifts are thine,
Thou shou'dst superior fruit disclose.
Can you get olives from the vine,
Or from the thistle pluck the rose?

Then own thy fault with grief sincere,
And do thy bounden homage here.

Recitative.
Abrah.
Still I am clear of falshood and dissembling:
She is indeed my sister, tho' my wife—
By gracious dispensation hallow'd mine,
Because in ignorance and unbelief
At first I took her; when I came to thee,
I thought the fear of God was not at Gerar,
I therefore did conceal my plighted faith
For life and safety— (To Sarah)
wherefore cou'dst thou waver,
And half consent to everlasting ruin?

AIR.
Sarah.
With these cheeks in crimson glowing,
And my eyes with joy o'erflowing,
All my soul to thee bestowing,
I return in truth and peace.
Innocent and undesigning,
Never in my heart declining;
All the pow'rs of man combining,
Ne'er shall make my love decrease.

Recitative.
Hagar.

What cou'd a helpless woman do, beset
With fraud and force together, and denied
In part by thee her guardian?—Heav'n be prais'd,
Which, free from violation, has restored her.

AIR.

In peace we hither came,
And hence in peace we go;
Where'er our course we aim,
Our blessing we bestow;
And may they years unnumber'd tell,
Who give us welcome and farewell.

Recitative.
Abim.

Not only take thy wife in safety back,
But store of sheep, of kidlings, and of beeves;
And in the portion that to Heav'n thou givest,
Pray my acceptance also, and the God
Of contrite and returning hearts receive thee.

AIR.

When to thy God thou mak'st appeal,
Then with thy servant kindly deal,
Yea, then remember me;
No spirit can like thine ascend,
To make th'angelic host attend,
To thy persuasive plea.

Recitative.
Abrah.
I will ascribe the glory with the gifts
To great Melchizedeck, the prince of peace,
Whose glorious face I saw, and unto whom
I give the tithe for ever—in his name
I make a league with thee and thine most faithful,
And Phichol too shall ratify the deed.

DUETTO.
Abrah.
Ah, what tender soft emotions,
Lovers reconcil'd receive!

Sarah.
Heav'nly bliss, exalted notions,
Their fond minds from grief reprieve.

Both.
O ye sever'd hearts rejoin.

Abrah.
I restore you mine.

(Sarah)
And mine
To its own again shall cleave.

GRAND CHORUS with Phichol and Soldiers.
Sound, ye instruments of fight,
Sound to war and blood no more,
Tune your trumpets to delight,
Flourish on the increasing store.
This is triumph, this is fame,
Blest the music and the measure
That administer to pleasure,
While they love and peace proclaim.

FINIS.