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Single scene |
The curtain opens and Venus and Cupid are seen standing with Little Cupids round about them. |
Venus, Cupid, Little Cupids
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| Act Tune. | |
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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.
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VENUS |
Flattering boy, hast thou been reading
by which thou may'st set ableeding
a-thousand, thousand tender hearts?
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CUPID |
Yes, but mother, teach me to destroy
all such as scorn your wanton boy.
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VENUS |
Fit well your arrows when you strike
and choose for all what each may like.
But make some love, they know not why,
such as scorn Love's fire,
force them to admire.
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| The Cupid's lesson. | |
| (The Little Cupids repeat their lesson after Cupid.) | |
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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.
|  (♦)
(♦)
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LITTLE CUPIDS |
The insolent, the arrogant,
etc...
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VENUS |
But, Cupid, how shall I make Adonis constant still?
Use him very ill...
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| (Venus laughs) | |
CUPID |
...to play, my loves, to play;
Venus makes it holiday.
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| A dance of Cupids. | |
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| (After the dance the little Cupids play 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.) | Little Cupids ->
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VENUS |
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CUPID |
Come, all ye Graces! 'Tis your duty
to keep the magazine of beauty.
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| Enter the Graces. | <- Graces, Little Cupids
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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.
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| The Graces' dance. | |
| (Gavotte. Saraband for the Graces. A ground.) | |
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| (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.) | |
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