Venus and Adonis
an opera
Music composed by John Blow

Libretto anonymous
Date of composition: ca. 1682 for the entertainment of King Charles II

     DRAMATIS PERSONAE

     VENUS
     ADONIS
     CUPID
     FIRST SHEPHERD
     SECOND SHEPHERD
     SHEPHERDESS
     HUNTSMAN
     SHEPHERDS, SHEPHERDESSES, HUNTSMEN AND GRACES
     LITTLE CUPIDS


     OVERTURE (Maestoso, Allegro, Tempo Primo)

THE PROLOGUE

     The curtain is drawn where is discovered Cupid with a bow
     in one hand and an arrow in the other and arrows by his side and
     around him Shepherds and Shepherdesses.

     CUPID'S ENTRY. (Vivace)
     [Cupid bows and sings:]
     Behold my arrows and my bow
     And I desire my art to show:
     No one bosom shall be found
     Ere I have done, without a wound,
     But it would be the greatest art
     To shoot myself into your heart;
     Thither with both my wings I move,
     Pray entertain the God of Love.

     SHEPHERDESS
     Come, Shepherds all, let's sing and play,
     Be willing, lovesome, fond and gay.

     SHEPHERD
     She who those soft hours misuses
     And a begging Swain refuses
     When she would the time recover
     May she have a feeble lover.

     SHEPHERDESS
     The best of the Celestial Pow'rs
     Is come to give us happy hours.

     2nd SHEPHERD
     Oh, let him not from hence remove

     SHEPHERDESS
     Till ev'ry bosom's full of love.

     CUPID
     Courtiers, there is no faith in you,
     You change as often as you can:
     Your women they continue true
     But till they see another man.

     SHEPHERD
     Cupid hast thou many found
     Long in the same fetters bound?

     CUPID
     At court I find constant and true
     Only an aged lord or two

     SHEPHERD
     Who do their Empire longest hold

     CUPID
     The foolish ugly and the old ...
     In these sweet groves love is not taught
     Beauty and pleasure is not bought;
     To warm desires the women nature moves
     And ev'ry youthful swain by nature loves ...

     CHORUS
     In these sweet groves [etc.]
     [While this Chorus is singing a Shepherd and Shepherdess
     dance to it.]

     CUPID
     Lovers to the close shades retire,
     Do what your kindest thoughts inspire.
     [Exeunt omnes. The Curtain closes.]


FIRST ACT

     THE ACT TUNE. (Lento)
     The Curtain opens and discovers Venus and Adonis sitting
     together upon a Couch, embracing one another.

     ADONIS
     Venus!

     VENUS
     Adonis!

     ADONIS
     Venus, when shall I taste soft delights
     And on thy bosom lie?
     Let's seek the shadiest covert of this grove
     And never, never disappoint expecting love.

     VENUS
     Adonis, thy delightful youth
     Is full of beauty and of truth.
     With thee the Queen of Love employs
     The hours design'd for softer joys.

     ADONIS
     My Venus still has something new
     Which forces lovers to be true.

     VENUS
     Me my lovely youth shall find
     Always tender, ever kind.

     HUNTER'S MUSIC
     [They rise from the Couch when they hear the Music.]

     VENUS
     Hark, hark, the rural music sounds,
     Hark, hark the hunters, hark, hark the hounds!
     They summon to the chase, haste haste away.

     ADONIS
     Adonis will not hunt today.
     I have already caught the noblest prey.

     VENUS
     No, my shepherd, haste away,
     Absence kindles new desire,
     I would not have my lover tire ...
     My shepherd, will you know the art
     By which I keep a conquer'd heart?
     I seldom vex a lover's ears
     With business or with jealous fears.
     I give him freely all delights
     With pleasant days and easy nights.

     ADONIS
     Yet there is a sort of men
     Who delight in heavy chains
     Upon whom ill-usage gains
     And they never love till then.

     VENUS
     Those are fools of mighty leisure
     Wise men love the easiest pleasure.
     I give you freely all delights
     With pleasant days and easy nights.

     ADONIS
     Adonis will not hunt today.

     VENUS
     No, my shepherd, haste away.
     [Enter Huntsmen to Adonis, and sing this Chorus.]

     HUNTSMEN
     Come follow, follow, follow,
     Come follow to the noblest game.
     Here the spritely youth may purchase fame.

     HUNTSMAN
     A mighty boar our spear and darts defies,
     He foams and rages, see, see, he wounds
     The stoutest of our Cretan hounds,
     He roars like thunder and he lightens from his eyes.

     ADONIS
     You who the slothful joys of city hate
     And, early up, for rougher pleasures wait,
     Next the delight which heav'nly beauty yields
     Nothing, oh nothing is so sweet
     As for our huntsmen, that do meet
     With able coursers and good hounds to range the fields.

     HUNTSMEN
     Lachne has fastened first but she is old;
     Bring hither Ladon, he is strong and bold,
     Heigh Lachne, heigh Melampus; oh, they bleed,
     Your spears, your spears, Adonis thou shalt lead.
     [Exeunt singing. Entry: A dance by a Huntsman. The Curtain
     closes.]


SECOND ACT

     THE ACT TUNE. (Allegretto)
     The Curtain opens and Venus and Cupid are seen standing
     with Little Cupids round about them.

     CUPID
     You place with such delightful care
     The fetters which your lovers wear;
     None can be weary to obey
     When you their eager wishes bless,
     [Cupid points to the little Cupids]
     The crowding Joys each other press
     And round you smiling Cupids play.

     VENUS
     Flattering boy, hast thou been reading
     Thy lessons and refined arts
     By which thou may'st set ableeding
     A-thousand, thousand tender hearts?

     CUPID
     Yes, but mother, teach me to destroy
     All such as scorn your wanton boy.

     VENUS
     Fit well your arrows when you strike
     And choose for all what each may like.
     But make some love, they know not why,
     And for the ugly and ill-humour'd die;
     Such as scorn Love's fire,
     Force them to admire.

     THE CUPID'S LESSON
     [The little Cupids repeat their lesson after Cupid.]

     CUPID
     The insolent, the arrogant,
     The M-E-R-: Mer; C-E: Ce; N-A: Na; R-Y: Ry;
     The mercenary, the vain and silly.
     The jealous and uneasy, all such as tease ye ...
     Choose for the formal fool
     Who scorns Love's mighty school,
     One that delights in secret glances
     And a great reader of romances.
     For him that's faithless, wild and gay,
     Who with Love's pain does only play,
     Take some affected, wanton she,
     As faithless and as wild as he.

     VENUS
     But, Cupid, how shall I make Adonis constant still?

     CUPID
     Use him very ill ...
     [Venus laughs]
     To play, my Loves, to play;
     Venus makes it holiday.

     A DANCE OF CUPIDS. (Allegro Leggiero)
     After the dance the little Cupids piay together at hide and
     seek and hot cockles till Cupid frightens them off the stage with a
     Vizard Mask, and then they come on again, peeping, when Cupid
     calls the Graces.

     VENUS
     Call, call the Graces.

     CUPID
     Come, all ye Graces! 'Tis your duty
     To keep the Magazine of Beauty.
     [Enter the Graces]

     GRACES
     Mortals below, Cupids above,
     Sing the praises of the Queen of Love.
     The world for that bright Beauty dies;
     Sing the triumphs of her conqu'ring eyes.
     Hark, ev'n Nature sighs. This joyful night
     She will beget desire and yield delight.

     THE GRACES' DANCE. (L'istesso tempo)

     GAVATT. (Allegro)

     SARABRAND FOR THE GRACES. (Lento)

     A GROUND. (Maestoso)

     While the Graces dance, the Cupids dress Venus, one combing
     her head, another ties a bracelet of pearls round her waist etc.
     After the dances the Curtain closes upon them.


THIRD ACT

     THE ACT TUNE. (Sostenuto)
     The Curtain opens and discovers Venus standing in a
     melancholy posture. A mourning Cupid goes across the stage
     and shakes an arrow at her.

     VENUS
     Adonis, uncall'd-for sighs
     From my sad bosom rise,
     And grief has the dominion of my eyes.
     A mourning Love passed by me now that sung
     Of tombs and urns and ev'ry mournful thing:
     Return, Adonis, 'tis for thee I grieve.
     [Venus leans against the side of the stage and weeps.
     Adonis is led in wounded.]

     ADONIS
     I come, as fast as Death will give me leave.
     Behold the wound made by th' Aedalian boar;
     Faithful Adonis now must be no more.

     VENUS
     Ah, blood and warm life his rosy cheeks forsake.
     Alas, Death's sleep thou art too young to take.
     My groans shall reach the heav'ns; oh, pow'rs above
     Take pity on the wretched Queen of Love!

     ADONIS
     Oh, I could well endure the pointed dart,
     Did it not make the best of lovers part.

     VENUS
     Ye cruel gods, why should not I
     Have the great privilege to die?

     ADONIS
     Love, mighty Love, does my kind bosom fire;
     Shall I for want of vital heat expire?
     No, no, warm life returns, and Death's afraid
     This heart (Love's faithful kingdom) to invade.

     VENUS
     No, the grim Monster gains the day;
     With thy warm blood life steals away.

     ADONIS
     I see fate calls; let me on your soft bosom lie.
     There I did wish to live, and there I beg to die.
     [Adonis dies.]

     VENUS
     Ah, Adonis my love, ah, Adonis ...
     With solemn pomp let mourning Cupids bear
     My soft Adonis through the yielding air ...
     He shall adorn the heav'ns, here I will weep
     Till I am fall'n into as cold a sleep.

     OMNES
     Mourn for thy servant, mighty God of Love,
     Weep for your huntsman, oh forsaken grove.
     Mourn, Echo, mourn, thou shalt no more repeat
     His tender sighs and vows when he did meet
     With the wretched Queen of Love
     In this forsaken grove.

THE END.