The Poetical Works of the Right Hon. George Granville, Lord Lansdowne/104
DRAMATIC POEMS.
PELEUS AND THETIS.
A MASK. SET TO MUSIC.
The Argument.
Peleus, in love with Thetis, by the aſſiſtance of Proteus obtains her favour; but Jupiter interpoſing, Peleus, in deſpair, conſults Prometheus, famous for his ſkill in aſtrology, upon whose propheſy, that the ſon born of Thetis ſhould prove greater than his father, Jupiter deſiſts. The propheſy was afterwards verified in the birth of Achilles, the ſon of Peleus.
Perſons in the Mask.
| JUPITER. | PROMETHEUS. | |
| PELEUS. | THETIS. |
The SCENE repreſents Mount Caucaſus. Prometheus appears chained to a rock, a vulture gnawing his breaſt.
PELEUS enters, addreſſing himſelf to PROMETHEUS.
PELEUS.
Condemn’d on Caucaſus to lie,
Still to be dying, not to die,
With certain pain, uncertain of relief,
True emblem of a wretched lover’s grief!
To whoſe inſpecting eye ’t is given5
To view the planetary way,
To penetrate eternal day,
And to revolve the ſtarry heav’n:
To thee, Prometheus! I complain,
And bring a heart as full of pain.10
PROM. From Jupiter ſpring all our woes;
Thetis is Jove’s, who once was thine:
’T is vain, O Peleus! to oppoſe
Thy torturer and mine.
Contented with deſpair,15
Reſign the fair,
Reſign, reſign!
Or, wretched Man! prepare
For change of torments great as mine.
PEL. In change of torment would be eaſe;20
Could you divine what lovers bear,
Ev’n you, Prometheus! would confeſs
There is no vulture like deſpair.
PROM. Ceaſe, cruel Vulture! to devour.
PEL. Ceaſe, cruel Thetis! to diſdain.25
THETIS entering, they repeat together,
Ceaſe, cruel Vulture! to devour.
Ceaſe, cruel Thetis! to diſdain.
THET. Peleus! unjuſtly you complain.
PROMETHEUS and PELEUS.
Ceaſe, cruel Vulture! to devour.
Ceaſe, cruel Thetis! to diſdain.30
THET. Peleus! unjuſtly you complain.
The gods, alas! no refuge find
From ills reſiſtleſs Fates ordain.
I ſtill am true—and would be kind.
PEL. To love and to languih,35
To ſign and complain,
How cruel ’s the anguiſh,
How tormenting the pain!
Suing,
Purſuing,40
Flying,
Denying,
O the curſe of diſdain,
How tormenting ’s the pain!
To love, &c.45
THET. Accurſed Jealouſy!
Thou jaundice in the lover’s eye,
Thro’ which all objects falſe we ſee,
Accurſed Jealouſy!
Thy rival, Peleus! rules the ſky,50
Yet I ſo prize thy love,
With Peleus I would chuſe to die
Rather than reign with Jove.
A clap of thunder. Jupiter appears deſcending upon his Eagle.
But ſee, the mighty Thund’rer ’s here;
Tremble, Peleus! tremble, fly.55
The Thunderer! the mighty Thunderer!
Tremble, Peleus! tremble, fly.
A full CHORUS of voice and inſtruments as Jupiter is deſcending.
CHORUS.
But ſee, the mighty Thund’rer ’s here!
Tremble, Peleus! tremble, fly.
The Thunderer! the mighty Thunderer!60
Tremble, Peleus! tremble, fly.
JUPITER being deſcended.
JUP. Preſumptuous Slave! rival to Jove,
How dar’ſt thou, Mortal! thus defy
A goddeſs with audacious love,
And irritate a god with jealouſy?65
Preſumptuous Moral!—hence—
Tremble at Omnipotence.
PEL. Arm’d with love, and Thetis by,
I fear no odds
Of men or gods,70
But Jove himſelf defy.
Jove! lay thy thunder down;
Arm’d with love, and Thetis by,
There is more terror in her frown,
And fiercer lightning in her eye.75
I fear no odds
Of men or gods,
But Jove himſelf defy.
JUP. Bring me lightning, give me thunder;
Haſte, ye Cyclops! with your forked rods,80
This rebel Love braves all the gods.
Bring me lightning, give me thunder.
PEL. and THET. holding faſt by one another.
Jove may kill, but ne’er ſhall ſunder.
JUP. Bring me lightning, give me thunder.
PEL. and THET. Jove may kill, but ne’er ſhall ſunder.85
THET. to JUP. Thy love ſtill arm’d with fate
Is dreadful as thy hate.
O might it prove to me,
So gentle Peleus were but free,
O might it prove to me90
As fatal as to loſt conſuming Semele!
Thy love ſtill arm’d with fate
Is dreadful as thy hate.
PROM. to JUP. Son of Saturn, take advice
From one whom thy ſevere decree95
Has furniſh’d leiſure to grow wiſe:
Thou rul’ſt the gods, but Fate rules thee.
THE PROPHESY.
Whoe’er th’ immortal maid compreſſing
Shall taſte joy and reap the bleſſing,
Thus th’ unerring ſtars adviſe:100
From that auſpicious night an heir ſhall riſe,
Paternal glories to efface,
The moſt illuſtrious of his race,
Tho’ ſprange from him who rules the ſkies.
JUP. apart. Shall then the ſon of Saturn be undone,105
Like Saturn, by an impious ſon?
Juſtly th’ impartial Fates conſpire,
Dooming that ſon to be the ſire
Of ſuch another ſon.
Conſcious of ills that I have done,110
My fears to prudence ſhall adviſe;
And guilt, that made me great, ſhall make me wiſe.
The fatal bleſſing I reſign;
Peleus! take the maid divine:Giving her to Peleus.
Jove conſenting, ſhe is thine.115
The fatal bleſſing I resign.Joins their hands.
PEL. Heav’n had been loſt had I been Jove.
There is no heav’n, there is ho heav’n, but love.
PELEUS and THETIS together.
There is no heav’n but love.
No, no, no;120
There is no heav’n but love.
JUP. to PROM. And thou, the ſtars’ interpreter,
’T is juſt I ſet thee free
Who giv’ſt me liberty;
Ariſe, and be thyſelf a ſtar.125
’T is juſt I ſet thee free
Who giv’ſt me liberty.
The Vulture drops dead at the feet of Prometheus, his chains fall off, and he is borne up to heaven with Jupiter, to a loud flouriſh of all the inſtruments.
PELEUS and THETIS run into each others’ arms.
PEL. Fly, fly to my arms, to my arms,
Goddeſs of immortal charms!
To my arms, to my arms, fly, fly,130
Goddeſs of tranſporting joy!
But to gaze
On thy face,
Thy gentle hand thus preſſing,
Is heav’nly, heav’nly bleſſing!135
O my Soul!
Whither, whither art thou flying?
Loſt in ſweet tumultuous dying,
Whither, whither art thou flying,
O my Soul!140
THET. You tremble, Peleus—So do I—
Ah, ſtay! and we ’ll together die.
Immortal, and of race divine,
My ſoul ſhall take its flight with thine:
Life diſſolving in delight,145
Heaving breaſts and ſwimming ſight,
Falt’ring ſpeech and gaſping breath,
Symptoms of delicious death;
Life diſſolving in delight,
My ſoul is ready for the flight.150
O my Soul!
Whither, whither art thou flying?
Loſt in ſweet tumultuous dying,
Whither, whither art thou flying,
O my Soul!155
PELEUS and THETIS both together repeat,
O my Soul!
Whither, whither art thou flying?
Loſt in ſweet tumultuous dying,
Whither whither art thou flying,
O my Soul!160
CHORUS of all voices and inſtruments, ſinging and dancing.
When the ſtorm is blown over
How bleſs’d is the ſwain
Who begins to diſcover
An end of his pain!
When the ſtorm, &c.165
The Maſk concludes with variety of dances.