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Single scene |
The curtain opens and discovers Venus and Adonis sitting together upon a couch, embracing one another. |
Venus, Adonis
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| Act Tune. | |
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ADONIS |
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VENUS |
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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.
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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.
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ADONIS |
My Venus still has something new
which forces lovers to be true.
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VENUS |
Me my lovely youth shall find
always tender, ever kind.
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| Hunters' music. | |
| (They rise from the couch when they hear the music.) | |
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VENUS |
Hark, hark, the rural music sounds,
hark, hark the hunters, hark, hark the hounds!
They summon to the chase, haste haste away.
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ADONIS |
Adonis will not hunt today.
I have already caught the noblest prey.
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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.
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ADONIS |
Yet there is a sort of men
who delight in heavy chains
upon whom ill-usage gains
and they never love till then.
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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.
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ADONIS |
Adonis will not hunt today.
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VENUS |
No, my shepherd, haste away.
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| Enter Huntsmen to Adonis, and sing this chorus. | <- Huntsmen, Huntsman
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HUNTSMEN |
Come follow, follow, follow,
come follow to the noblest game.
Here the spritely youth may purchase fame.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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| (Exeunt singing. Entry: a dance by a Huntsman. The curtain closes.) | Huntsmen, Venus, Adonis ->
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