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ACT III
Scene: The Ships
[enter the Sailors, the Sorceress, and her Enchantresses]
PRELUDE
First Sailor
[Repeated by Chorus]
Come away, fellow sailors, your anchors be weighing.
Time and tide will admit no delaying.
Take a bouzy short leave of your nymphs on the shore,
And silence their mourning
With vows of returning
But never intending to visit them more.
THE SAILORS' DANCE
Sorceress
See the flags and streamers curling
Anchors weighing, sails unfurling.
First Witch
Phoebe's pale deluding beams
Guilding more deceitful streams.
Second Witch
Our plot has took,
The Queen's forsook.
Two Witches
Elissa's ruin'd, ho, ho!
Our plot has took,
The Queen's forsook, ho, ho!
Sorceress
Our next Motion
Must be to storme her Lover on the Ocean!
From the ruin of others our pleasures we borrow,
Elissa bleeds tonight, and Carthage flames tomorrow.
Chorus
Destruction's our delight
Delight our greatest sorrow!
Elissa dies tonight and Carthage flames tomorrow.
[Jack of the the Lanthorn leads the Spaniards out of
their way among the Enchantresses.]
A DANCE
[Enter Dido, Belinda and train]
Dido
Your counsel all is urged in vain
To Earth and Heav'n I will complain!
To Earth and Heav'n why do I call?
Earth and Heav'n conspire my fall.
To Fate I sue, of other means bereft
The only refuge for the wretched left.
Belinda
See, Madam, see where the Prince appears;
Such Sorrow in his looks he bears
As would convince you still he's true.
[enter Aeneas]
Aenas
What shall lost Aeneas do?
How, Royal Fair, shall I impart
The God's decree, and tell you we must part?
Dido
Thus on the fatal Banks of Nile,
Weeps the deceitful crocodile
Thus hypocrites, that murder act,
Make Heaven and Gods the authors of the Fact.
Aenas
By all that's good ...
Dido
By all that's good, no more!
All that's good you have forswore.
To your promis'd empire fly
And let forsaken Dido die.
Aenas
In spite of Jove's command, I'll stay.
Offend the Gods, and Love obey.
Dido
No, faithless man, thy course pursue;
I'm now resolv'd as well as you.
No repentance shall reclaim
The injur'd Dido's slighted flame.
For 'tis enough, whate'er you now decree,
That you had once a thought of leaving me.
Aenas
Let Jove say what he will: I'll stay!
Dido
Away, away! No, no, away!
Aenas
No, no, I'll stay, and Love obey!
Dido
To Death I'll fly
If longer you delay;
Away, away!.....
[Exit Aeneas]
But Death, alas! I cannot shun;
Death must come when he is gone.
Chorus
Great minds against themselves conspire
And shun the cure they most desire.
Dido
[Cupids appear in the clouds o're her tomb]
Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me,
On thy bosom let me rest,
More I would, but Death invades me;
Death is now a welcome guest.
When I am laid in earth, May my wrongs create
No trouble in thy breast;
Remember me, but ah! forget my fate.
Chorus
With drooping wings you Cupids come,
To scatter roses on her tomb.
Soft and Gentle as her Heart
Keep here your watch, and never part.
CUPIDS DANCE
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