Classic Poem

PART THE SECOND

R ECITATIVE

S ARAH . Is this a garden, that a silver fountain?
Are these sweet flow'rs, and those embow'ring shades?
No — nature in distress denies it all.

AIR

There is no rose to minds in grief;
There is no lilly for despair;
Tears and distraction are relief,
And yews and willows we must wear.

All nature's blandishments are vain
From flow'ry turf or azure sky,
And grottoes, where the groans of pain
In sadly sounding echoes die.

R ECITATIVE

H AGAR . Alas! dear lady, sure you over-rate
Th' occasion of your sorrows; far too much
I have indulged them also — 'tis high time
To shift the scene in thought and cherish hope.

AIR

Tho' yon tall almond blooms no more,
'Tis not because its sweets are o'er
On each aspiring shoot —
Attend to what the starlings sing,
Another year, another spring
The buds to gayer pride shall bring,
It now prepares for fruit.

A BRAHAM AND A BIMELECH

R ECITATIVE

A BRAH . Nay — nay — there is no treaty in our house
Of such concern as this, but with our kindred —
A BIM It is a custom far too blameable
For such a man to follow — such affinity
In Gerar, here deters us from each other. —
Thou wou'dst not marry her thyself?
A BRAH . Forbear vain altercation — hast not thou a wife?
A BIM . I hold it lawful to espouse another ,
Ev'n thy fair sister.
A BRAH . She will not consent .
A BIM . In troth, she wavers — at thy word she yields.

DUETTO A BIM .

To a monarch's just petition,
Yield and let my suit be heard. A BRAH .
'Tis distraction, 'tis perdition,
But to note a single word. A BIM .
Change thy blunt and fierce denial,
To a mild and gentle speech: A BRAH .
Sooner at the hour of trial
Shall the Oaf, the Ethiop bleach

CHORUS of P HICHOL and his G UARDS

Obey, ye brave, the king's command,
And on your needful duty stand;
With might defend the gates ye bar,
— — Here we are — Here we are.

To them H AGAR .

R ECITATIVE

H AGAR . My mistress is so much alarm'd, at Phichol
She trembles for her life; and bids me tell you,
She dreads such preparations in the hour
Of gen'rous invitation, and of peace. —

AIR

The sword and glitt'ring spear,
Fill female minds with fear;
They cannot brook the frowns of war:
Hosts meeting van to van,
Man arm'd to murder man,
They in their tender hearts abhor.

Fields but in fancy fought,
And ravage e'en in thought,
As sheep the tygress they disgust;
This nature did ordain,
That peace shou'd hold her reign,
And love might check ambitious lust.

R ECITATIVE

A BIM . Go call thy charming mistress to our presence ;
Let Phichol too attend — 'Tis female folly,
E'en in extremity to fancy danger
Where kindness and affection have been shown.

AIR

Not with more joy in Mamre's field,
Didst thou God's angels e'er receive,
Or greater signs of homage yield,
To them that came with Lot's reprieve —
All but the bending of the knee,
As thou to them, am I to thee.

My servants are the slaves of thine,
Each vying who shou'd wait the first;
'Tis well with all thy flocks and kine,
Thy goodly camels know no thirst,
For hospitality we hold
As royal as our crown of gold.

R ECITATIVE

A BRAH . I pray thee, King Abimelech, excuse her —
Women are weak and tim'rous, full of frailties;
They're made but for indulgence, and forgiveness.

AIR

Made more light, as more refin'd,
Is the woman's tender mind;
Sundry doubts and fears they feel,
Which they scruple to reveal.

Man must to her griefs attend,
Born her brother and her friend,
And shou'd sooth her heart's alarms,
As the champion of her charms. —

S ARAH AND P HICHOL

R ECITATIVE

S ARAH .
We're treated here like prisoners, not like guests,
And guarded by a keeper — I but offer'd
To pass beyond the garden, and was question'd
As touching my presumption — If this Phichol
Must needs be ask'd permission for an airing,
Our royal host has robb'd us of our freedom —
This is full wretched — Confidence deceiv'd,
Is more impatient of unwonted thrall,
Than he, who, sick of liberty, wou'd change
His own caprices for a guiding monarch —

AIR

Lo! the redbreast, when encaged,
Breaks his head against the wire;
But the bullfinch unenraged,
Sings, and bids despair retire:

Grows familiar, once so wild,
Pipes the tune the master sets;
Trusts the finger of a child,
Nor his captive state regrets.

R ECITATIVE

A BIM . If thou hast done this fair one such displeasure ,
And dared against her liberty, thou varlet,
Low on thy knees, intreat her gentle pardon,
And make protest against offence to come.
P HICHOL If my officious zeal to serve my master ,
Has given disgust to thee, thou pearl of beauty,
Thus prostrate I renounce th' audacious deed,
And crave forgiveness in this suppliant guise.

AIR

Ah spare, triumphant beauty, spare,
And my too rash officious zeal excuse;
Sooner the lion shall the virgin tear,
Than I again on thee my pow'r abuse;
Unto my fault the arms of grace extend;
On thee my honour and my life depend.

R ECITATIVE

A BRAH Better dismiss us, if I may be heard ,
Than let us stay to doubt thee — I wou'd bless thee,
If thou wou'dst chuse a blessing — but beware
Of treach'rous practice — for I serve a God
With whom I do converse, and he will hear me.

AIR

Hear Abraham, O thou God of pow'r,
Hear Abraham in his urgent hour,
Exalt his pray'r until it tow'r
To reach thine awful throne.

If here, at thy behest, I came,
Assert, assert thine hallow'd name,
Thy glorious Majesty proclaim,
And be in thunder known.

CHORUS

Hear Abraham, & c . —