 | Acis and Galatea |  |
9
Acis sings.
Acis.
Come, ye Nymphs, and every Swain;
Aria.]
Galatea leaves the Main,
To revive us on the Plain.
Come ye Nymphs and every Swain, &c.
10
Nymph.
Fly ye Nymphs, and Shepherds fly!
Aria.]
Polypheme is nigh,
Cruel Polypheme is nigh;
Fly ye Nymphs and Shepherds fly!
Enter Polyphemus, attended by Satyrs and Bacchanals.
Pol.
Stay ye Nymphs and Shepherds stay,
Recit.]
Polypheme is mild to-day.
Chorus of Nymphs and Shepherds.
If Polypheme is mild we'll stay.
Chorus of Polyphemus and Attendants.
Polypheme is mild to-day.
Pol.
See the Sports my Love prepar'd;
Recit.]
Galatea is your Guard.
[Dance of Bacchanals.
11
Be gone! and leave me to my Love.
[All go out but Polyphemus, Acis, and Galatea.]
Recit.]
Come, Sweet, be kind, my Love reward,
I've better Sports for thee prepar'd.
Gal.
My Father Nereus guides my Choice.
Recit.] Pol.
Then sure he'll do my Merits Right.
Gal.
But this young Shepherd has his Voice.
Pol.
How! but I such a Rival slight,
Nereus shall do my Merits Right.
Go! Boy, be gone! how durst thou stay?
'Tis I command thee! hence! away! away!
Acis.
Know, I've sworn, and swear again,
Aria.]
By my dear bewitching Pain!
By Love's strongest, sweetest Ties,
By my Wishes, by her Eyes!
12
She and I must never part.
No, she and I must never part, &c.
Pol.
Her Presence end the Strife,
Recit.]
I'll punish thee by making her my Wife.
Acis.
I'll punish thee, if ever she's thy Wife.
Pol.
Thou!
Acis.
Yes, I!
For kind Fortune brisk Lovers contrives,
For the Curse of dull Husbands, and Ease of brisk Wives.
Pol.
Go! Fool! thou canst do a Husband no harm,
Poor Wretch! thou hast nothing a Woman to charm.
Acis.
Look to't! I want nothing a Woman to charm,
I'll hug her, I'll love her, I'll bless her, I'll kiss her,
'Till a Pair of huge Horns
Thy broad Forehead adorns.
13
I'll bear no more, here, take thy Fate!
[Polyphemus goes to strike Acis, and is stopp'd by Galatea.]
Gal.
Hold! spare a Thing below your Hate!
Leave him to his wretched Fate.
Go! go! be gone, rash Shepherd, take thy Flight,
I command thee from my Sight.
Acis.
Must then a faithful Lover go?
Aria]
Scorn'd and banish'd like a Foe!
Oh! let me rave! Despair, Despair!
Curse! curse my Fate! yet bless the Fair!
For, Oh! in spite of her Disdain,
I still must love, and hug my Chain:
Yet why should Love thy Heart molest,
When Hate her Soul possesses?
Revenge, or Scorn, shall rule my Breast,
When such a Swain she blesses.
Then I'll no more to Coyness sue,
Faith and constant Love adieu:
14
Welcome Freedom, welcome Ease.
[Quick Air.]
I'll rove, and I'll range,
I'll love, and I'll change,
Every Hour, and every Place,
Every Fair, and every Face,
I'll vow and protest,
I'll swear and deceive,
All who, like me, are so mad to believe.
I'll love, and I'll change,
Every Hour, and every Place,
Every Fair, and every Face,
I'll vow and protest,
I'll swear and deceive,
All who, like me, are so mad to believe.
[Acis goes off.
Pol.
Now, Dear, this is well, I find you are wise,
Recit.]
My Person you prize, and that Boy you despise;
I'll hye me to Nereus, and call him a-shore,
We'll marry, and then I need say no more.
[Exit.
15
Sola.
Oh Acis, could'st thou then despair,
Aria.]
Return, ungrateful Swain,
To try thy Love, and save my Dear,
I was reduc'd to feign:
But, ah! when thus we seem severe,
You little know our Pain.
[Exit.
16
Enter Roger, led by two Bride-Maids, and Joan by two Bride-Men, as going to Church to be married, Fidlers playing before 'em.
Roger.
Come, Lads, lead the way,
Come, Crowders, come, play,
I have her, sing Hey, I'm a made Mon,
I'll marry her now, and we'll jig it anon,
We'll jig it, and frisk it, and jig it anon.
Joan.
Tho' now you're so hot, so hot, and so bluff,
I doubt when you're sped, you'll be quiet enuff.
Rog.
Nay, nay, never fear, old Girl, I'll stand Buff:
T'other Night had it not been for Nan,
I vow, I vow, I'd have crack'd her Milk-Pan:
17
I swear, if thou lik'st me, I'll marry thee then.
Joan.
No, talk on't no more,
I've already, too often, been fobb'd off before.
I've already, &c.
Rog.
Come, since't must be so,
To be marry'd let's go.
Both.]
Come, Lads, lead the way,
Come Crowders, come play,
Let the Tune, as we go, be Joy and good Chear,
Mayhap soon enough will come Sorrow and Care.
CHORUS.
Let the Tune, as we go, be Joy and good Chear,
Mayhap soon enough will come Sorrow and Care.
As they are going off, enter Acis.
Acis.
Who wou'd be made a Wife?
Aria.]
I'm to be lett for Life;
18
Out of Country, Town, or City,
Fair or homely, young or old,
Maid or Widow, hot or cold,
I'm ready at her Call,
My Youth and my Truth,
My Land and my Hand,
My Hook and my Crook,
And my All.
Joan.
Odsbobs! I'm resolv'd with my Booby to part,
Stand off, Clown! I've got me a better Sweetheart.
Acis.
I'm to be let for Life,
Who wou'd be made a Wife?
Joan.
I, Sir.
1st Bridemaid.
And I, Sir.
2d Bridemaid.
And I, Sir,
Joan.
And I.
Acis.
Hold! hold! too fast you come on,
I wanted but one, I wanted but one;
19
I'll do what I can:
Tho' I doubt if a Man
Can deal, can deal at once with three.
I cannot decide which of you to take,
Then have at the Bride,
I'm sure that looks most like a Rake.
Seizes the Bride.
Rog.
Hands off! I advise you, before it's too late,
The Woman is mine.
Acis.
Thine!
Rog.
Ay, mine! Zounds! what d'ye prate!
Joan.
For shame, Roger, be civil,
Be civil to the Gentleman.
Acis.
Oh! let him alone,
He and I shall talk anon.
Rog.
Anon! Waunds! talk now,
Talk now, and you mind to be doing.
Here, John, lend thy Hond,
'Sbud I'll spoil thy Wooing.
[Draws his Knife.
20
Nay, Roger, have Patiance.
Rog.
Patience! a Twaurd!
John.
Nay, Roger, have Patiance.
Rog.
Patiance! a Twaurd! Zounds! let me come at him,
I'll noint the Whore's-Bird.
John.
Nay, Roger.
Rog.
Have at'n.
John.
Nay, Roger.
Rog.
Fair Play.
John.
Nay, prithee, don't fight, &c.
Rog.
I'll do my self Right, &c.
I'll part with my Blood
E'er I'll part with my Right.
And yet now I think on't I wot what I wot,
I know who first had what I shou'd have got,
I know who first had the Cream of her Pot.
Joan.
Oh! how he lyes! Oh! how he lyes!
Let me come at'n, I'll scrat out his Eyes;
Thou silly, silly, silly Elf,
How should'st thou know, when I know not myself.
21
Come, Joan, don't break my Heart,
I shall run mad, I shall hang, I shall drown, if we part;
Can nothing then move thee? see how I shed Tears,
As big as young Turnips or Burgamy Pears.
See this same Knife, I'll stick it in thus.
[Goes to stab himself.
Joan.
Oh hold!
Rog.
I'll stick it in thus, if thoul't be my Wife.
[Puts the Knife in the Sheath.
Joan.
Here, take me, my Dear, I cannot forbear,
Thou'st wounded my Heart, we never will part.
Rog.
I have her! I have her! I have her again!
I'll marry her now, but I'll swinge her anon,
We'll jig it, and frisk it, and jig it anon.
22
Come, Lads, lead the Way,
Come, Crowders, come play,
Let the Tune, as we go, be Joy and good Chear,
Mayhap soon enough will come Sorrow and Care.
Acis
solus.
Ah! how lovely, sweet, and dear
Is the kind relenting Fair,
Who relieves us from Despair?
Enter Galatea.
Oh! that this my Nymph would say,
Come, my Dear, thy Cares repay,
Be blest, my Love, be mine to-day.
Gal.
Come, my Dear, thy Cares repay,
Be blest, my Love, be mine to-day.
Acis.
Oh! my cruel perjur'd Fair,
Cou'd you leave me to despair?
23
Oh! my kind, my faithful Dear,
Cou'd you leave me and despair?
Acis.
Oh Nymph! deceive me not again,
Say, do you now, or did you feign?
Gal.
To save my Love I feign'd with Pain,
But never will, no never will again.
Acis.
And are you mine, and are you true?
Gal.
I never lov'd but you.
Both.
I never lov'd but you.
Acis.
Oh! I believe you cannot now deceive,
The Joy is too great not to be true.
Both.
The Joy is too great not to be true.
Acis.
Advance gay Tenants of the Plain,
Loud Eccho spread my Voice;
Gal.
Arise great Rulers of the Main,
Loud Eccho spread my Voice.
Both.
Approve, and bless our Choice.
24
CHORUS.
Great Rulers of the Main,
Approve and bless our Choice;
When Hymen crowns a faithful Lover's Pain,
All Nature shou'd rejoice.
Dance of Nymphs.
FINIS.
| Acis and Galatea | |