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THE SHEPHERD's ARTIFICE, A Dramatic Paſtoral.
[Price ONE SHILLING.]
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THE Shepherd's Artifice, A DRAMATIC PASTORAL. As it is perform'd at the THEATRE ROYAL in COVENT GARDEN.
The Words written and the Muſic compos'd by Mr. DIBDIN.
LONDON: Printed for T. BECKET and P. A. DE HONDT, at Tully's-Head, near Surry-Street, in the Strand. MDCCLXV.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
[]MEN.
- ALEXIS,
- Mr. MATTOCKS.
- STREPHON,
- Mr. DIBDIN.
WOMEN.
- SYLVIA,
- Miſs HALLAM.
- CAELIA.
- Miſs POITIER.
SCENE, The COUNTRY.
[5] THE SHEPHERD's ARTIFICE.
ACT I.
SCENE I.
A GROVE.
STREPHON, ALEXIS.
ALEXIS.
WHY, how now, Strephon, you're a pretty ſwain,
Thus to indulge a fooliſh love-ſick ſtrain.
Throw off your ſadneſs, like your friend, be gay,
And revel in the ſweets of blooming May.
STREPHON.
[6]Blame not, Alexis, if I ſeek the grove,
To muſe on Caelia, and indulge my love;
While ſhe, inflexible, denies relief,
What's left for me, but ſolitude and grief?
AIR.
All endeavours fruitleſs prove
Former pleaſures to regain,
Sunk in helpleſs, hopeleſs love,
Can the ſlave eſcape his chain?
Leave, O leave me to endure,
Probe not wounds that rend my heart;
When the patient's paſt a cure,
Med'cine but augments his ſmart.
SCENE II.
[7]ALEXIS, alone.
O ſilly, ſilly ſwain, to pine and ſigh,
Pierc'd by a vain coquet's forbidding eye;
She loves, I know, and if my ſcheme be right,
The myſtery ſhall ſoon be brought to light.
AIR.
The trifling maid, who idly vain
Contemns a faithful lover's pain,
His torment all her joy;
Who, changeful as an April day,
With captive hearts delights to play,
As infants with a toy:
Deſerves, of Cupid's bitter draught,
To taſte a drop, and from his ſhaft
A ſtroke or two to feel;
Then tremble, Nymph, for, taught by me,
Strephon ſhall ſoon give wounds to thee,
No vanity can heal.
SCENE III.
[8]A COTTAGE.
CAELIA, SYLVIA.
SYLVIA.
You're not the generous Caelia you'd be thought,
If thus you uſe a heart your beauty caught.
CAELIA.
Sylvia, no more, I ne'er will change my mind,
Nor to a ſighing love-ſick ſwain be kind;
I triumph proudly in young Strephon's pain,
And treat his abject paſſion with diſdain.
AIR.
My boſom is proof againſt tranſports and vows,
The fawning of treacherous man,
Who, by artful grimaces, by cringing and bows,
Enſnares ev'ry woman he can.
[9]His tranſport is falſe, and his vows are a cheat,
His oaths and his cringing a lie,
Each practic'd alone their deſire to compleat,
And gain what we ought to deny.
II.
Poor Daphne too ſoon own'd the flame in her breaſt,
Too eaſy, too quickly, was won;
Her ſwain, from that moment, a rover confeſs'd,
Forſook her, a maiden undone.
And know, if young Strephon had conquer'd my heart,
To my wiſh were none pleaſing as he,
I ſooner would die, than this ſecret impart,
'Till I prov'd he has truly lov'd me.
SCENE IV.
[10]SYLVIA, alone.
What inconſiſtent things are girls in this,
To plague their ſwains, they rob themſelves of bliſs:
I love Alexis, he's a charming youth,
Each loves the other, and dares tell the truth.
AIR.
Ye flowers that bloom in yonder mead,
Where flows the cryſtal tide,
And nibbling lambkins ſportive feed
Along the current's ſide,
Ye oft have ſeen, and ſmil'd to ſee,
My love to him, his love to me.
II.
Witneſs, ye flocks, ye herds, ye fawns,
That o'er the paſtures ſtray,
Witneſs, ye mountains, groves, and lawns,
Each painted child of May:
The greateſt bliſs I ere can prove
Is to return my ſhepherd's love.
SCENE V.
[11]A GROVE.
STREPHON, CAELIA.
STREPHON.
Turn, O turn, relentleſs fair,
Pity hapleſs Strephon's pain,
Raiſe him from the laſt deſpair,
Smile, and bid him live again.
CAELIA.
Prythee lay aſide your folly;
How can I or take or give
Sprightly mirth, or melancholy?
But if that contents you,—live.
STREPHON.
[12]Too well you know your art and pow'r,
Ev'ry way my woes to calm,
The wound will heal from that ſweet hour
Wherein you pour a friendly balm.
CAELIA.
Truth I pity your condition,
But if your poor heart muſt bleed
'Till I act your kind phyſician—
Your caſe is deſperate indeed.
SCENE VI.
[13]STREPHON, ALEXIS.
ALEXIS.
Strephon, I've found a way to eaſe your woe,
In Caelia's breaſt teach jealouſy to glow;
Swear that my Sylvia reigns within your breaſt,
About it—leave to her and me the reſt.
STREPHON.
What means my friend?
ALEXIS.
No queſtions, but away,
I'll teach my Sylvia what part ſhe's to play;
And, truſt me, Caelia quickly ſhall confeſs
Her love; and grant your long-wiſh'd happineſs.
[14]
AIR.
In ev'ry fertile valley,
Where nature ſpreads the graſs,
Her ſilly conduct rally
To ev'ry lad and laſs;
Where weary reapers labour,
With Sylvia gay, be ſeen,
Or, to the pipe and tabor,
Light tripping o'er the green.
II.
Where cowſlips ſweetly ſmiling,
Bedeck the verdant ſhade,
Appear the hours beguiling,
Or head ſome gay parade.
Purſue theſe methods boldly,
Nor ſink in hopeleſs grief;
The fair once treated coldly,
Will quickly grant relief.
SCENE VII.
[15]STREPHON, alone.
O happy thought, this artifice may prove
A full amends, for all my anxious love.
AIR.
Haughty Caelia, ſtill diſdaining,
Ne'er ſhall triumph o'er my heart;
Ne'er will I with mean complaining
Sue for comfort to my ſmart;
I'll appear the careleſs rover,
Let her coquettiſh airs affect,
Like a gay a happy lover,
Treat contempt with cold neglect.
II.
Ne'er, ye fair ones, damp the paſſion
Where with honour love attends,
Never croſs with indignation
Love that faireſt truth commends.
Conſtant minds alike diſdaining
Inſincerity and fraud,
Are their utmoſt wiſh obtaining,
While their hope their hearts applaud.
SCENE VIII.
[16]A VILLAGE.
NYMPHS and SWAINS, SYLVIA forming a Wreath of Flowers.
AIR.
How laviſh Nature's liberal hand
With verdure decks the ground,
How pleaſing o'er the cultur'd land
In droves the kidlings bound:
Glad plenty ſmiles on ev'ry plain,
In ev'ry grove delight,
Content's ſoft joys in ev'ry ſwain,
With happy love unite.
SCENE IX.
[17]ALEXIS, SYLVIA.
ALEXIS.
My Sylvia, ſomething for your private ear;
Such a deſign!—poor Caelia—
SYLVIA.
Ever dear,
And ever welcome, ev'ry thing from thee
Brings mirth, brings happineſs, and joy to me.
DUETTO.
SYLVIA.
Sweeter glides the paſſing hour,
Sweeter ſings the feather'd throng,
When my ſhepherd, in the bower,
Joins their ſweet melodious ſong.
ALEXIS.
[18]Softer coos the plaintive turtle,
Gayer beauties deck the grove,
Greener far appears the myrtle,
When I'm bleſt with Sylvia's love.
Smiling nature ſhall her treaſure
Ceaſe to ſpread on blooming mead.
SYLVIA.
Swains no more repeat their pleaſure
In the bow'r, on tuneful reed.
ALEXIS.
Reapers, ceaſe to uſe the fickle,
SYLVIA.
Leafy woods forbear to move,
ALEXIS.
When Alexis wanders fickle,SYLVIA.
When thy Sylvia wanders fickle.BOTH.
Or deſires a ſecond Love.
END OF THE FIRST ACT.
ACT II.
[19]SCENE I.
Before a Cottage.
CAELIA muſing.
SAY, if to Strephon I confeſs my flame,
Yield to his wiſh and own a conqu'ror's claim;
Will he not ſoon forſake ſuch eaſy charms,
And leave me ſlighted for another's arms?
He will, he will, therefore to prove his heart
I'll yet reſiſt him, and prolong his ſmart.
[20]
AIR.
Since artful man ſo oft betrays,
By ſubtle wiles, and hardy ways,
Our weak unguarded ſex;
By oaths, diſſembl'd ſighs and fears,
To melt our hearts, to charm our ears,
And ſtill our minds perplex:
In revenge I'm determin'd to treat him with ſcorn,
And ſhew him a nymph can perplex in her turn.
II.
But Strephon's heart with pureſt fire,
With kindeſt love, and fond deſire,
Has ever warmly glow'd:
Yet his may be like all the reſt,
A treach'rous bait to ſnare the breaſt,
And ſo my fears forbode:
Thoſe fears then ſhall teach me to treat him with ſcorn,
And ſhew him a nymph can inſnare in her turn.
SCENE II.
[21]ALEXIS, CAELIA.
ALEXIS.
Death! Furies! Woman—
CAELIA.
What's the matter now?
ALEXIS.
From henceforth who will truſt a female vow.
Nymph, we are both deceiv'd, your Strephon feign'd,
For you no love within his boſom reign'd;
Sylvia in ſecret ſtill poſſeſt his heart,
Their paſſion's mutual—
CAELIA.
Oh! My burſting heart.
What ſays Alexis?
ALEXIS.
Nay, by Jove 'tis true,
And here he comes to mock both me and you.
SCENE III.
[22]ALEXIS, STREPHON, CAELIA.
STREPHON.
AIR.
O where, my Sylvia, charming maid,
Of me unmindful doſt thou rove;
Haſte, haſte thee quickly to my aid,
And tune my jarring ſoul to love.
Thy charms can ev'ry doubt controul,
Can anxious cares at once deſtroy;
If you but ſmile, my raptur'd ſoul
No impulſe feels, but ſofteſt joy:
So Venus ſmil'd, to charm her love,
And bid his angry fury ceaſe;
The God, with rapture, did approve,
And ſigh'd his ſoul to gentle peace.
ALEXIS.
O Traitor!
CAELIA.
Monſter!—But on ſecond thought
I'll hide my rage.
ALEXIS
[23][Aſide to Strephon.]
Well ſaid, the gudgeon's caught.
CAELIA.
Down, down my heart; Strephon I'm pleas'd to hear
You've got a miſtreſs who'll be leſs ſevere;
Cruel I am, but Sylvia, we are ſure,
Inflicts no wounds but ſhe'll be glad to cure.
TRIO.
ALEXIS.
Happy ſwain, thy cares are over,
Love-ſick whims no more perplex;
Thoughtful roams no more the lover,
Seeking means himſelf to vex.
CAELIA.
In my life I ne'er felt greater pleaſure,
My pains ev'ry moment are varied:
Grief, rage,—Lord I long beyond meaſure,
To ſee you both happily married.
STREPHON.
[24]Bleſt with Sylvia's graceful beauty,
Sweetly life will paſs away;
Inclination leading duty,
Love the night and joy the day.
ALEXIS.
O rare!
CAELIA.
Confuſion!
STREPHON.
Love and Duty.
ALEXIS.
Never ſhall around you wait.STREPHON.
Ever will around us wait.CAELIA.
Ever muſt around them wait.ALEXIS.
'Sdeath!
CAELIA.
Diſtraction!
STREPHON.
Graceful Beauty.
ALEXIS.
This we know alas too late.STREPHON.
Happy, envy'd, bliſsful ſtate.CAELIA.
Hapleſs, hopeleſs, cruel fate.SCENE IV.
[25]A GROVE.
CAELIA, alone.
Tell me, gentle God of Love,
Why oppreſs'd I wand'ring rove;
Why in grief I muſe alone,
Suff'ring pains 'till now unknown:
Heal my anguiſh, eaſe my heart;
Convert to joy this piercing ſmart;
Let calm content ſucceed this pain,
And grant me happineſs again.
SCENE V.
CAELIA, SYLVIA.
SYLVIA.
Caelia, my dear.
CAELIA.
Begone, ungrateful maid,
My love you're wrong'd, my friendſhip you've betray'd;
How have you thus my Strephon's heart abus'd?
SYLVIA.
[26]Eaſe and good nature were the arts I us'd:
I ſmil'd, you frown'd, the ſwain could I deter,
Sun-ſhine to low'ring weather all prefer.
AIR.
The God of Love will ever
Heap bleſſings on the pair,
Where pleaſing's the endeavour
Both of the ſwain and fair.
Believe, me kind good-nature,
Of beauty ſtands in place,
Gives bloom to ev'ry feature,
To ev'ry action grace:
Then never ſlight the lover,
Or draw too tight his chain,
Leaſt in the end the rover
Succeeds the dying ſwain.
SCENE VI.
[27]CAELIA, ALEXIS.
ALEXIS.
Stay, Caelia ſtay, a word let me entreat,
Behold a ſhepherd falling at your feet;
Each diſappointed of a wiſh'd for ſpouſe,
Let's here in ſpite exchange our mutual vows.
CAELIA.
Alexis no, Strephon I truly lov'd,
Nor can my breaſt by other vows be mov'd.
ALEXIS.
A fair confeſſion from an honeſt heart,
Now liſten to the tale that I impart:
[28]
AIR.
A ſhepherd long ſigh'd for a beautiful fair,
And in rapture diſcover'd his love;
Not doubting the nymph would diſpell his fond care,
And his amorous tranſport approve:
Tho' ſhe to compaſſion inſenſible grown,
No glimpſe of delight would impart;
When he ſigh'd at her feet ſhe reply'd with a frown,
And rejoic'd at his ſuff'rings and ſmart.
II.
He ſuffer'd long time this impertinent ſcorn,
Nor thought of upbraiding the fair,
But ſecretly pin'd in the bow'r forlorn,
Involv'd in the keeneſt deſpair;
'Till his friend who obſerv'd him heart wounded with grief,
Lamenting his fruitleſs deſire,
Reſolv'd that the nymph ſhould afford him relief,
And in turn feel the force of love's fire.
[29]III.
Too artful, her paſſion ſhe never had own'd,
Tho' it triumph'd alone in her breaſt;
But laugh'd while the ſhepherd in miſery moan'd,
And wander'd a ſtranger to reſt:
Advis'd then his boſom no longer to vex,
But her haughtineſs treat with diſdain;
He own'd a feign'd courtſhip, her breaſt to perplex,
And convert to delight all his pain.
SCENE VII.
Enter STREPHON, SYLVIA, SHEPHERDS and SHEPHERDESSES.
STREPHON.
All this is true, my Caelia, come my fair,
Deſtroy each doubt and baniſh ev'ry care.
CAELIA.
What means the joy that over powers my mind,
Can my dear Strephon, can he yet be kind?
[30]DUETTO.
STREPHON.
This ſoft, this dear conceſſion,
What words can tranſport find?
'Tis joy beyond expreſſion,
O Caelia why ſo kind.
CAELIA.
Excuſe a virgin's bluſhes,
This tender token take,
While fear my tranſport huſhes
I wou'd, but cannot ſpeak.
BOTH.
This ſoft this dear conceſſion,
What words can tranſport find?
'Tis joy beyonnd expreſſion,
STREPH.
O! Caelia why ſo kind.CAELIA.
O! Strephon why ſo kind.SYLVIA.
Now, Caelia, I rejoice to call you friend,
Act always thus, your love can know no end.
ALEXIS.
[31]Thus do you feel what I and Sylvia taſte,
A joy, that hardly time itſelf can waſte;
For hearts ſo firmly knit as here are met,
And minds united age ſhall ne'er regret.
QUARTETTO.
AIR.
STREPHON.
Can we know more real bliſs
Than the happy days in view?
CAELIA.
No, ſhepherd, ſure an hour like this
Crowns the wiſhes but of few.
ALEXIS.
Deareſt nymph, as happy we,
Envy none tho' e'er ſo great.
SYLVIA.
Pow'r, riches, ſure muſt be
Much beneath our bliſsful ſtate.
[32]
CHORUS.
Then quickly to the neighbouring grove,
Bleſt together let us rove;
The chearful dance, the ſuited ſong,
To ſuch a day as this belong.
FINIS.
- Citation Suggestion for this Object
- TextGrid Repository (2020). TEI. 5217 The shepherd s artifice a dramatic pastoral As it is perform d at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden The words written and the music compos d by Mr Dibdin. University of Oxford Text Archive. . https://hdl.handle.net/21.T11991/0000-001A-5FFD-E