ACT THREE
Scene 1
(The Cave of Sleep. The God of Sleep lying on his bed. Juno and Iris appear)
No. 50 - Symphony
No. 51 - Accompagnato
JUNO
Somnus, awake,
Raise thy reclining head!
IRIS
Thyself forsake,
And lift up thy heavy lids of lead!
No. 52 - Air
SOMNUS
(waking)
Leave me, loathsome light,
Receive me, silent night!
Lethe, why does thy ling'ring current cease?
Oh, murmur, murmur me again to peace!
(Sleeps again)
No. 53 - Recitative
IRIS
Dull God, canst thou attend the water's fall,
And not hear Saturnia call?
JUNO
Peace, Iris, peace! I know how to charm him:
Pasithea's name alone can warm him.
(To Somnus)
Somnus, arise!
Disclose thy tender eyes;
For Pasithea's sight
Endure the light.
Somnus, arise!
No. 54 - Air
SOMNUS
More sweet is that name
Than a soft purling stream.
With pleasure repose I'll forsake,
If you'll grant me but her to soothe me awake.
More sweet...
No. 55 - Recitative
JUNO
My will obey,
She shall be thine.
Thou, with thy softer pow'rs,
First Jove shalt captivate.
To Morpheus then give order,
Thy various minister,
That with a dream in shape of Semele,
But far more beautiful
And more alluring,
He may invade the sleeping deity;
And more to agitate his kindling fire
Still let the phantom seem to fly before him,
That he may wake impetuous, furious in desire,
Unable to refuse whatever boon
Her coyness shall require.
SOMNUS
I tremble to comply.
JUNO
To me thy leaden rod resign,
To charm the sentinels
On mount Cithaeron.
Then cast a sleep on mortal Ino,
That I may seem her form to wear,
When I to Semele appear.
No. 56 - Duet
Obey my will, thy rod resign,
And Pasithea shall be thine.
SOMNUS
All I must grant, for all is due
To Pasithea, love and you.
(Exeunt)
Scene 2
(An Apartment. Semele alone)
No. 57 - Air
SEMELE
My racking thoughts by no kind slumbers freed,
But painful nights to joyful days succeed.
Scene 3
(To her Enter Juno as Ino, with a mirror in her hand)
No. 58 - Recitative
JUNO
(apart)
Thus shap'd like Ino,
With ease I shall deceive her,
And in this mirror she shall see
Herself as much transform'd as me.
(to Semele)
Do I some goddess see,
Or is it Semele!
SEMELE
Dear sister, speak,
Whence this astonishment?
JUNO
Your charms improving
To divine perfection,
Show you were late admitted
Amongst celestial beauties.
Has Jove consented,
And are you made immortal?
SEMELE
Ah no! I still am mortal;
Nor am I sensible
Of any change or new perfection.
No. 59 - Air
JUNO
giving her the glass
Behold in this mirror
Whence comes my surprise!
Such lustre and terror
Unite in your eyes,
That mine cannot fix on a radiance so bright,
'Tis unsafe for the sense and too slipp'ry for sight.
No. 60 - Recitative
SEMELE
Oh, ecstasy of happiness!
Celestial graces
I discover in each feature!
No. 61 - Air
Myself I shall adore,
If I persist in gazing.
No object sure before
Was ever half so pleasing.
Myself...
No. 62 - Recitative
JUNO
Be wise, as you are beautiful,
Nor lose this opportunity.
When Jove appears,
All ardent with desire,
Refuse his proffer'd flame
Till you obtain a boon without a name.
SEMELE
Can that avail me? But how shall I attain
To immortality?
No. 63 - Accompagnato
JUNO
Conjure him by his oath
Not to approach your bed
In likeness of a mortal,
But like himself, the mighty thunderer,
In pomp of majesty
And heav'nly attire,
As when he proud Saturnia charms,
And with ineffable delights
Fills her encircling arms,
And pays the nuptial rites.
You shall partake then of immortality,
And thenceforth leave this mortal state
To reign above,
Ador'd by Jove,
In spite of jealous Juno's hate.
No. 64 - Air
SEMELE
Thus let my thanks be paid,
Thus let my arms embrace thee,
And when I'm a goddess made,
With charms like mine I'll grace thee.
No. 65 - Recitative
JUNO
Rich odours fill the fragrant air,
And Jove's approach declare.
I must retire.
SEMELE
Adieu, your counsel I'll pursue.
JUNO
(apart)
And sure destruction will ensue,
Vain wretched fool, adieu!
(Exit)
Scene 4
(Jupiter enters, offers to embrace Semele; she looks kindly on him, but retires a little from him)
No. 66 - Air
JUPITER
Come to my arms, my lovely fair,
Soothe my uneasy care.
In my dream late I woo'd thee,
And in vain I pursued thee,
For you fled from my prayer,
And bid me despair.
Come to my arms, my lovely fair.
No. 67 - Recitative
O Semele!
Why art thou thus insensible?
No. 68 - Air
SEMELE
I ever am granting,
You always complain.
I always am wanting,
Yet never obtain.
I ever am granting,
You always complain.
No. 69 - Recitative
JUPITER
Speak, speak your desire,
Say what you require,
I'll grant it.
SEMELE
Swear by the Stygian lake!
No. 70 - Accompagnato
JUPITER
By that tremendous flood, I swear.
Ye Stygian waters, hear,
And thou, Olympus, shake,
In witness to the oath I take!
(Thunder is heard at a distance and underneath)
No. 71 - Recitative
SEMELE
You'll grant what I require?
JUPITER
I'll grant what you require.
No. 72 - Accompagnato
SEMELE
Then cast off this human shape which you wear,
And Jove since you are, like Jove too appear!
No. 73 - Air
JUPITER
Ah, take heed what you press,
For, beyond all redress,
Should I grant your request, I shall harm you.
No. 74 - Air
SEMELE
No, no, I'll take no less,
Than all in full excess!
Your oath it may alarm you.
Yet haste and prepare,
For I'll know what you are,
With all your powers arm you.
No, no...
(Exit)
Scene 5
No. 75 - Accompagnato
JUPITER
(pensive and dejected)
Ah, whither is she gone! unhappy fair?
Why did she wish, why did I rashly swear?
'Tis past, 'tis past recall,
She must a victim fall.
Anon when I appear
The mighty thunderer,
Arm'd with inevitable fire,
She needs must instantly expire.
'Tis past, 'tis past recall,
She must a victim fall.
My softest lightning yet I'll try,
And mildest melting bolt apply;
In vain, for she was fram'd to prove
None but the lambent flames of love.
'Tis past, 'tis past recall,
She must a victim fall.
Scene 6
(Juno, alone)
No. 76 - Air
JUNO
Above measure
Is the pleasure,
Which my revenge supplies.
Love's a bubble,
Gain'd with trouble,
And in possessing dies.
With what joy shall I mount to my heav'n again,
At once from my rival and jealousy freed!
The sweets of revenge make it worth while to reign,
And heav'n will hereafter be heav'n indeed.
Above measure...
Scene 7
(The scene discovers Semele under a canopy, leaning pensively, while a mournful symphony is playing. She looks up and sees Jupiter descending in a cloud; flashes of lightning issue from either side, and thunder is heard grumbling in the air)
No. 77 - Accompagnato
SEMELE
Ah me! Too late I now repent
My pride and impious vanity.
He comes! Far off his lightnings scorch me,
Ah, I feel my life consuming:
I burn, I burn, I faint, for pity I implore,
Oh help, oh help, I can no more!
(She dies. The cloud bursts, and Semele with the palace instantly disappears)
Scene 8
(Cadmus, Athamas, Ino and Chorus of Priests)
No. 78 - Recitative
INO
Of my ill-boding dream
Behold the dire event!
No. 79 - Chorus
PRIESTS
Oh, terror and astonishment!
Nature to each allots his proper sphere,
But that forsaken we like meteors err:
Toss'd through the void,
By some rude shock we're broke,
And all our boasted fire is lost in smoke.
No. 80 - Recitative
INO
How I was hence remov'd,
Or hither how return'd, I know not:
So long a trance withheld me.
But Hermes in a vision told me,
As I have now related,
The fate of Semele;
And added, as from me he fled,
That Jove ordain'd I Athamas should wed.
CADMUS
Be Jove in ev'rything obey'd.
(Joins their hands)
ATHAMAS
Unworthy of your charms myself I yield,
Be Jove's commands and yours fulfill'd.
No. 81 - Air
ATHAMAS
Despair no more shall wound me,
Since you so kind do prove.
All joy and bliss surround me,
My soul is tun'd to love.
Despair no more...
No. 82 - Recitative
CADMUS
See from above the bellying clouds descend,
And big with some new wonder this way tend.
Scene The Last
(A bright cloud descends and rests upon Mount Cithaeron, which, opening, discovers Apollo seated in it as the God of Prophecy)
No. 83 - Symphony
No. 84 - Accompagnato
APOLLO
Apollo comes, to relieve your care,
And future happiness declare.
From Semele's ashes a phœnix shall rise,
The joy of this earth, and delight of the skies:
A God he shall prove
More mighty than Love,
And sighing and sorrow for ever prevent.
No. 85 - Chorus
PRIESTS
Happy, happy shall we be,
Free from care, from sorrow free.
Guiltless pleasures we'll enjoy,
Virtuous love will never cloy;
All that's good and just we'll prove,
And Bacchus crown the joys of love.
