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7
MUSIC
LIBRARY
1
PURITANI.
A
GRAND
OPERA
IN
THREE
ACTS.
THE
MUSIC BY
BELLINI
Published by
F.PULLMAN,
AT
THE THEATRE
TICKET
OFFICE, 111
BROADWAY,
NEW
YORK.
MUSIC. LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY
OF CONNECTICUT
DRAMATIS
PERSONS.
LORD
WALTER
WALTON,
{a Purifmi.)SIR
GEORGE,
{his P.rcilicr.)LORD
ARTHUR
TALBOT,
{a Cavalkr.)SIR
RICHARD
FORTH,
(a Puritan Colonel.)SIR
BRUNO
ROBERTSON,
(aPitrlio^HENRIETTA,
[Widow
of Charhs I.)ELVIRA,
(DaugJttcrofLord
Walton.)Chorur, if Puritans,Sohlicrsof CromicelljHeralds and ^[en-((t-Armsof
Lord
Arthur,an-. CountnjmenandWomen,
Damsels,Pages andServants.THE SCENE
LS
LAW
IN
THE
NEIGHBOliHOOD OF
PLYMOUTH.
ARGUMENT
The
action ofthisOperaissupposedto havetaken place durint? the civilwars ofEnglaùd,;v^henthearmies of Charles theSecondandhisparliamentwereairajed against eachother. Th.-sceneliesatPlymouth, thenin thepossession of theparliamentaryforces.
Elvira,t!ie daughterol Lord Walton, governorofthefortress,is in love with
Lord
Arthur7a/?Jt»^a Cavalierin the serviceof t!ie Kaijc. Before the aciiou of the Opera commences,tho
hand
(;f Elvirahasbeenpromisedto SirRichardForth, aPuritan,andCo'onelin theParliameo taryarmy;
oppressed with grief,themaiden
supposes herdoom
is sealed,when,toher grear joy, SirGeorge Walton, (brothertothe governor,) brings herword, through his intercessionher fatherhad
relented, andthat ^r/^»rwas
to be admitted into thefortress,that thtir nuptial::'miulitbe celebratedwithduesplendor.
Henrii'^'.r^
widow
of Charlest!c First,is at this time a prisonerinthecastle at PiymouM:..and has recentlybeensentencedtodeath
by
theParliament. Arthurdiscovers her quality aiuidistressing situation,and
when
Elvira,inafitof playfulness, liasthrown herbridalveilover*h.rQueen itoccursto
him
thatunderthatdisguisehemay
be enabledtoconveyher out of thecastie, andsave herlife. Neglecting,therefore, hisbetrothed,he saciifices his love tohisloyalty; 111 the act of leaving the castle, he encounters his rival,
who
strives to prevent his exit; but on discoveiing his companion to be the Queen and not Elvira, lie suffersthem
to leave thecastle.
The
escape of their prisoner is soon discovered, and diiections are issued for pursuit. -£{<rfl,1elieving herselfforsaken by her lover,becomes delirious.During the second act, the
madness
of Elvira,coutuni^a; Arthuris proscribedby
thepar-liament,
and
sentenced to death.By
the entreaties of Sir George Walton, in the hope ofre-storing his niece to her senses, Sir Biehard, whose interest with the parliame I is great, un-dertakes to plead for the lite ofhis lival, should he be taken unarmed.
The
third actcommences
with an interview between Arthur and Elvira, in a garden iiea,'' the fortress. Elvira, although still suffering under aberration ofintellect, hears with joy tlieexplanation of her lover, by which she learns that the lady with
whom
lie had fled was liorival, bat the Queen Hennelia. While thus cngat^ed in conversation,a ])arty ofPiiritai:sen
ter, headed
by
Sir Richard, Sir George, andothers; Arthur is secured, andc(jnd«'mned 10 r,.i.' fcr on the 8|)0t,when
a messenger enters ivi;li a letter annouiicing that the King's aruiy ii >been defeated—^rf/*«r is |:ardoned: the sudden joy restoresìì7i;ì/(i to herreason,and shenikf
I
PURITANI.
i^TTO
I.
SCENA
I.—
Spazioso terrapieno nella fortezza.
^t ve(j)jono alcune cinte, torri ed altre opre di fortificazioni, conpontilevato],ee.
1. All'erta!—
2. Stoairerta!—
Tutti. Già r albaappari!
1
.
La
tromba—
2.
Rimbomba
!—
Tutti.
E
miliziadeldì. [Corodi soldati.Quiindola trombasquilLi,
Rattoil gueniersidesti,
L'armitremendeappresta, Allavittoriava !
Pari del ferro al lampo,
*
Sel'irain corsfavilla,Degli Stuardiil
campo
Incenere cadià.
[Odesi ìui preludiodiarmonia relif/iosa.
Bruno. diCromvèl guerrieri, Pjegliiam la
mente
eil cor A'mattutinicantici Sacrialdiviu Fattor.[/Soldatis'inginnocchiano. [Coro di Puritani.
La
campana
suono lapre-(fJiiera.
La
Luna,il Sol, le Stelle,Le
tenebreeilfulgorDan
gloriaal Creator Inlor favelle!La
terra eifirmamentiEsaltanoilSignor:
A
luidian laudieonor Tuttelegenti!Sold. 1. Udisti?
2.
Udii-Insieme. Fini!
Bru. Al reclie feceil dì
L'innodei puricor Salì sui venti!
SCENA
ILCorodiCastellanee Castellane. 1.
A
festa!Bru.
Almo
gioirs'appresta—A
tutti ridail cor—
Cantate uncasto amor. Coro. Gaizonche mirn Elvira,
La
bella virginella,L
a])pella lasua stella-Reginadell'amor.E
ilrisoeil cai"oviso BeltàdiParadiso;E
rosain sulostel,E
un
angelodel ciel!Sinceroun cavaliero la pianto alei d'accanto,
Ha
ilvanto altero e santo D'innamorar quelcor.Elvira allorsospira, Glichiede eterna fede:
E'J oggidàmercede
A
un sìfidato ardor.A
festa!—
J 2. Insieme.A
festa!A
festa!—
Tutti.A
festa!A
festa!Almo
gioir s'appresta:A
tuttiridailcor.Seanozze invita
Amor.
[Tuttipartono; ilsolo
Bruno
SCENA
IILRiccardo
eBruno.
Eie. Or dove fuggo iomai?
—
dove maicelo Gli orrendiaffanni miei?
Come
queicantiRispondonoal miocorfunereipianti?
—
Elvira, Elvira! omiosospirsoave,
Persenipreiotiperdei!
Senza
speme
edamor
—
inquestavita,Or
cherimaneame
''i—Bru.
La
Patriaeil Cielo!Jiic. Qualvoce?
—
chedicesti?
—
E
vero!-
èvero!Bru. Apriiltuo coro intero Ali amistà,n' avrai conforto.
Eie. .
E
vano;Ma
purt'appagherò—
Sai ched'ElviraIlgenitorm'acconsentialamano.
Quando
ilcampo
volai.Ieri allatarda^era— Quigiunto conmia schiera,
Pien d'amorosaidea
—
Vo
alpadre—
Bru.
Ed
ei dicea?Eie. ^'Sospira Elvira aTalbo Cavaliere,
"
E
sovrailcornonv' hapaterno impero. 4THE
PURITANS.
^VCT
I.
SCENE
I.—
Afortri'Sft with drawbridges, towers,
and other works offortijieation. Cliffs and hills ill the distunee.
Ì. Aiouse!
2. I
am
ready.All.
The
inorii is appeariug.1.
The
trumpet—
2. Issounding
—
All. Announcingthe day.
[Brunoand Chorus ofSoldiers.
Yes5
when
the trumpetsounds,The
warrior quickly rouses;Hisdreaded armsprepares,
And
salliesfortli tovictory. Quickasthe flasli ofswords,Ifrage inflames Lislieart,
The
camp
oftheproudStuarts Willbe reducedto ashes.[Aprelude ofsacredmusicisheard. Bruno. 0,warriorsofCromwell,
Letus our minds and hearts
To
morninffhymns
devote, Ini)raiseofourCreator.[Thesoldiers kneel.
I'jnorusofPuritans. The hell souu-dsfor prayer. Tiiemoou,the sun, thestars,
The
darknessand the liglit,Give glory totlieEternal, Accordingto theirlanguage.
The
earth andall thefirmamentPay homage
to theLord;To
Him
loudpraiseand honor Letevery nationgive.1stSold. Did'st hear? 2d Sold. I heard.
All. ' 'lisover.
JJru.
To
him
who made
thedayThe
hymn
of the]»ureheartIswafted ou the winds.
SCENE
II. Citorusof ViU(i<jers. \st.To
mirth ! 'id. All.To
mirth!To
mirth!jE?rM.
A
dayofjoyisnear; Letevery heart bemerry
!Sing yeof
some
pure love.Clio. Tlu'youth
who
sees Elvira,The
beautifulyoung
maideil; Callsher his shiningstar; Callsherhisqueen of love.Her
smile, herlovely face,Isofcelestial beauty,
A
roseupon
itsstem,An
angel fromthe sky.A
faithful cavalier.Beside her sheddingtears,
The
boast can lu-oudlymake
To
have her heart inflamed. Elvini then did sigh,Demanded
histrue faith,And
on this dayshe givesThe
priceofhispurelove.1st.
To
mirth !2(?.
To
mirth!All.
To
mirth!A
dayofjoy isnear;Letevery heartbegay
When
Love
toHymen
leads.[Exeuntall,except BrvM^i.
SCENE
III.Enter Richard.
Bieh. "Whither shall I
now
fly?Where
can1hide
my
horrible aflBictiou?How
these songs resound inmy
heart, like funeral dirges?Elvira, Elvira!
my
sweetest hope? for ever ihavelostthee! Deprived ofhopeand love,in thislife
now
what
remainstome
?Bru.
Heaven
and thy country.Bieh.
What
voice*?What
didst thou say? Itistrue—
itis true!Bru.
Open
thy heart to friendship,and thou wilt findrelief.Bieh. Itisinvain;butstill Iwillcomplywith thyrequest.
Thou
knowestthat Elviras fatlierhad granted
me
her hand. I then hasten tothe camp. Arriving here late last night,withmy
troops,my
heart burning with love,Iwent to him.Brìi.
And
what
saidhe?Bieh. "ElviraissighingfortheKnightTalbot, andherfatherhasno empireover herheart."
/
PUftìiAJSi.
Bru. Ti calma, amico—
.Rie. Il duol,che ai cor
mi
piomba. Sol calmaavrònel sonnodellatomba—
Ah
persempreioti perdei,Fiord'amore,omio speranza;
Ah
lat^i'a chem' avanza Saràvita didolor—
Saràesemnìodi terror!Quando
erraiper annied anni Al joter dellaventura, Iosiìdaisciagurae affanni Nellaspemedeltuoamor
—
0)^ «^lualsognoingannator!
Bnt. T'appellanle schiere
A
lorcondottier.JRìc. Di gh
da
ilseutiereM'èchiusoalpensier!
Bru.
A
patria ead
onoreNon
arde iltuo cor?—
Jiic. Io .'.do
—
eilmio
ardoreE
amore,èfuror!Bru.
Deh
poniinoblio L'età, chefioriva Neisognid'amor.Rie.
Mi
èinmente
ognorviva,Mi
accresceiidesio, M' addoppiaildolor!Bel sognobeato D'
amore
econtento,O
cangiailmio
fato,cangiail mio cor.
*
come
ècontento, Neididel doloreLa
dolcememoria
D'un teneroamor. [Fjrciint.
SCENA
IV.—Staiisa di Elvira.Elvi::.v e Pir^ Giorgio.
Eh
amato Zio, mio secoiidoPadre! Gio. ['ercbèmestacosi? m' abbnccia,Elvira!EIr.
Deh chiamami
tuafiglia!'
Gio. figlia
—
oh nome,Che!ivecchiezzamiaconsolie alletta.
Peldolce
tempo
eh' ioti veglio accanto,E
pelsoavepianto,Che
in questo giorno d'allegrezza jàeno, Pioveda!ciglio ad innondarmiil seno—
figliamiadiletta,
Oggi, sposasarai!
Elv. Sposa?
No
:—
mai!Sai
come
ardein pettomio
Beilafiamma
ounipo-sente, Saieh'èpuroilmiodesìo.Cue
innocente èquestocor.Se
tramante—
airarainnante *Strascinata
—
undìsarò—
Forsennato—
in quell'istante Didolore iomorirò!Gio. Scacciaormaipensier sinero.
Eìv. Morirsì
—
Sposanomai!Gio.
Che
dirai, seilCavaliero Quivedrai—
^setuosarà? Elr. Ciel:'—ripeti, chiverrà?
frio. E'^listesso^
Eiv.
Eoli—chi?—
Gio. Elv. Gio. Elv. Gio. Elv. a 2. Gio.E
fla vero?Oh
figlia Desso?—
Arturo*? Arturo ilgiuro!Oh
gioia. XT V oh Arturo, -,Non
esogno—
^^j Elvira ^^^'amori
Piangi, figlia, sulmiosei?",,Piangi,ah piangidicouteiik.w.
Ticancelli ognitormento Questalagrima d'Amor.
E
tumira, Diopietoso, L'inncceuzainuman
veic;Benedici tu dalcielo.
Questogiglio dicandor!
Elv. Quest'
alma
alduoloavvezzii,Si vinta è dalgioir,
Che
ormai nonpuòcapii' Sìgran dolcezza!—
Chi mossea'mieidesir^Il
Genitore—
Gio. Ascolta.
Sorgcalanottefolta,
Taccaleterra eilciel
;
. Parca naturaavvolta
D'un fosco emestovel.
L' ora propiziia'miseri,
Iltuo pregar, tue Jagrime, M' avvalorarsì 1
anima
—
Ch'io corsi al genitor.
Elv.
Oh
mioconsolator!Gio. Incominciai
—
"Germcoìo,''^Né
più potei parlarjAllorb.ignaisua
mano
D'
un
muto
lagrimar;Poiripigliai, tra, gemiti:
*• iv'angelica InaElvira
Al
prodeArttirsosjìira:Seadaltre nozze acuirà
—
La
misera—
morrà.'''Elv. spirto dipietà,
Sceso dalciel per
me
!E
ilPadre?—
[Conaìf"!'.%.Gio.
Ognor
tacca.Elv. Poscia1
Gio. Sclamò:
—
"Hiecardo Chieseeotteneamiafé:Ei
lamiafujliaavrà!"'Elv. Ciel! Sol audirtiiopalpito!
E
tu?—
Gio. •'La
figlia misera,^'' Io ripetea, *'morrà P^ "A
li r(ra," Eimi
dice,,E
stringemialcor,"S'a Elvirafelice,
Sialieta (Z' amor."'
Elv. Odi
—
O
ciel, qual suonsidesta?Gio. Ascoltiam: tirassicura
—
Elv. Vien losuon dalla foresta—
Gio.E
ilsegnaidigente d'arme,Chedal vallo nelle
mura
Chiedeforsepenetrar.
Armigeri. Vieneil prodee nobil Conie,
THE
PURI
TANS.
Bru.
Calm
thyself,my
friend.Mich.
The
griefthatweighsiii)odmy
heartcan only rest iuthesleepofdeatli.Ah
! foreve'- 1theehave lost,Lovelyflower,
my
dearesthope!Ah!
my
futuredaysoflife ^Vill forme
be daysofsorrow.And
alone byterrormarked.When
Istrayedfrom yearto year, Bornealongen
wingsoffate,Grief
and
fortune Idefied,Hoping
solely in thylove. Oh, delusion! oh,my
dreams!Bru.
The armv
call forthee to become theirThe
path of glory isbarred beforemy
leader.Bich steps.
Bn(. Isnot thy heart inflamedatthe
name
of countryand honor?Bich. Iburn; but
my
flameisofloveandfury.Bni.
Ah
! buryinoblivion that timewhichbloomediudreamsoflove.
Bich. It alwaysrecursto
my
mind, itin-creases
my
desires,itaugmentsmy
sorrows.0,
happy
dream
Of
loveand
peace!Change t^ou thyfate,
Or change
my
heart. 0, whata torment,In daysofwoe, Isthe
remembrance
Of
vanished love. [Exeunt.SCENE
W.—Elrh-a'sAjiartmciif. EiHcrElvika
and SirGeorge.
Eii\ 0,dearestuncle!
my
secondfather!^V/• G.
Why
sosad?Embrace
me, Elvira.Elv.
Ah
! callme
thy daughter.Sir G. Oh,daughter! oh !
name
whichcon-solesand charms
my
old age!By
that sweettimesinceIhave watched over thylife,and by
thesesweettears that on this day ofrejoicings flowfromthese eyes
upon
my
bosom—
Oh^ dear daughter,today thoushalt beabride.Elv. Bride!
—
no,never!Thou
wellknow'sthow
inmy
breastAn
all-powerfulflameisburning;Thou
wellknow'sthow
puremy
mind
And how
candidis thisheart. Ifall-tremblingtothealtarI'iieyshalleverdrag
my
steps, Quitedistracted,in thatmoment
Ishall die, oppressedwith grief.
Ah
! dispelsuchgloomy
thoughts.shall die
—
but nevermarry
!ShouldtheKnightthou here shaltsee Sir G.
EIr. .
Sir G.
Provethineown,
what
would'stthousay?Elv. Sayagain
who now
iscoming? Sir G. Himself.Elv.
He ?— who
?Sir G. ItisArthur.
Eh:
Isthis trueÌSir G.
My
child, Iswearit.Elv.
Himself—
Arthur?Sir G. Yes.
Elv. Oh, joy !
Both. 'Tisno
dream—
^^^^^^[^ohlove. Sir G.Weep,
ohdaughter, onmy
bosom
;Shed,ah! shed
warm
tears ofjoy |Be
alltormentswashed
away
By
these tokens ofaffection.And
thousee,mercifulHeaven, Candor pureinhuman
formFrom
onhigh thy blessingsendOn
thislily,aswhiteas snow. Elv. Thissoul,to griefaccustomed,issoovercome
by
joy.That
scarcelyitcansustain This unexpectedbliss!Who
hasforeseenmy
wishes?Was
itmy
father?Sir G. Listen!
The
nightwas
growing dark;Were
silentheavenand
earth, Allnatureseemed enwrapped,Ai
in agloomyveU
;The
liour tosadnessfavorable.Thy
prayers andthy tears,Strengthenedso
much
my
soul,That
tothyfatherIran. E'v. O,my
consoler dear!Sir G. Ithus began
:—
"My
brother—" NorconldIfurther speak.And
having bathedhishand
Insilencewithmy
tears,With
sobsI thenresumed:"
Your
angel-likeElvira For valiantArthur sighs;Shouldshe anothermarry,
The
unfortunate will die." Elv.Oh
! thoumy
angelkind,On
earth forme
descended!My
fatherthen—
[WithanxietySir G.
Kept
silent.Elv.
And
then—
Sir G. Exclaimed, " Richard
Has
asked, obtainedmy
promise,And
heshallhavemy
v.aughter." Elv. Alas! thou makestme
tremble.And thou?—
Sir 0. "
Thy
childunhappy," RepeatedT, '^willdie.""
Ah
! letherlive," said he,And
pressedme
to his heart;
"
Ah
!may
shehappy
be,May
shebeblessedinlove!" Elv. Heavens! listen;what
soundisthat?Sir G. Let us hear: assure thyself.
Elv.
From
theforest comesthe sound. Sir G. 'Tisthesoundofmen
atarms,Who,
from out thepalisade.Ask
forentrancetothefortress.Herethe braveandnoble Count Soldiersonttiide.
8
IPURITANI.
Gio.Non
tei dissi?Ulv.
Ah
padre mio! \Abbracciando Via.Gio.
Pago
alfluèlituodesio. Coro.Lord
Artiu'ovarcliiilponte,Fate
campo
alpròguerrier!Gio.
A
quel suono,alnome
amato, Altuo coreori>restafede;i
Questogiorno veuturato, D'ogiiigioiaèbelforier! lEìv.
A
quelnome, almio
contento,Al miocoreiocredo apjiena
;
Tantagioia, oliDio, pavento,
Non
holeua—
a sostener!Coro.
Ad
Arturo de'Cavalieri,Bel campioneingiostra eamor.
Le
donzelle ed1guerrieriFanno
festaefannoonor!SCENA
V.Elvira,
Valton,
Siu Giorgio,eLord
Arturo.
Sala d) arme con logge vaste, ove V architettura
Gotica mostra la intera sua pompa. Dal latro destro esce
Lord Arturo
con alcuni scudieri epaggi, liqualirecano tarii doninuziali. Dallato
sinistro escono Elvira, Valton, Sir Giorgio
—
Damigellecon Castellani e Castellane che partono festoni di fori. Dalfondo della scena escono isoldatigiudatida Bruno. Uomini.
Ad
Arturo!Donne.
A
Elvira!Insieme.
Onor
!Tiiiii. Corouiambella evalor!
Damigelle. Ellaè fiordi verginelle. Bellaalpardi primavera.
Come
1'astro della seraSpiraall'
alma
paceeamor
!Scudieri. Belloegliè tra' Cavalieri,
Com'
èilcedroallaforesta:Inbattagliaegliètempesta:
E
campioneingiostra eamor. Art.A
te, cara,Amor
talora]\Iiguidofurtivo e in pianto, Or
mi
guidaated'accanto Tralefeste e 1'esultar!Albrillardisibeli'ora. Seramìuentoilduolpassa1;o,
Vo
inebbrezza—
esoubeato, M'è celesteilgiubilar!Gior.ì Senzaoccaso questa aurora Val. S
Mai
nuli' ombra,o duolvidia:Santainvoila
fiamma
sia:Pace ognorv' allietiilcor!
Elv. Oh,
mio
Arturo!—
Alt. Ah,Elviramia
!—
IjIv.
Or
son tua—
Art. Sì,
mai
tusei!—
Tutti. Cielo aiTdia'voti mici, Benediciafedee
amor
!SCENA
VI.Val
ton, Sir Giorgio, Elvira,poiBruno, edEnrichetta.Val. [Dojjoavere jìiano dettounmoottoa Bruno, che
s^inchinaeparte.]
Tu
m'intendesti—
FiamortaidelittoA
chi s'attenta escirdaquestemura
Senonabbiailnioas-enso
—
carafigli,Sicompiasenza
me
1'augustolito—
Mercè diquestoscritto
Voi, sinoaltempio, apertopasso avrete:
[Ad
Art. cuidà unfoglio.Tu
gli accompagnerai. \aSir Gior. NobilDama,
[Bru. giunge con Ear. L'alto AnglicanSovrano Parlamento Tichiamaalsuocospetto: lotisonscorta!Enr. (Ahìmì',diesento!)
E
diedame
sìchiede! Val. Ime
solos'addice [Esilaìuio.Obbediretacei'!
—
Altro
non
liceArt.
E
de'Stuardi amica"? [a Gior.in dìsp<(rfeGio.
E
prigioniera[Ad
Art.in disparte.Da
moltelune, e fuda ognun credutaAmica
de' Stuardiemessaggera, Sotto mentirespoglie.Art.
Oh
Dio! cheascolto!E
decisoilsuofato: Essaèperduta—
Oh
sventurata!—
[Da
sì',viaguardandopietosamente Enr.Enr. (Qnalijietàinquelvolto!
—
)Vai. figli: al
Tempio
eallepompose
festeAccorra
ognun
—
La
nuziale veste Va, odiletta, a indossar: Ito voiseco—
[Ad
Elv. Fuoridel valloimieidestrier sien presti:[a llru.
Che
in brevoioqui sarò—
La
nostra aadata[Ad Enr
Ciè forzi d'affrettar!
Com'
io v' uniscaE
avoi sorridail Cielo,oCoppio amata. [Val. uniscenuovamenteledestredi Elv. e di Artlibenediceep«?Vecalleguardie.
SCENA
VII. Enrichetta edArturo. Enr. (Pietà edolore[GuardandoattentamenteLordArt.
Ha
in fronte efanno sicurt delcore.)Cavalier
—
Art. S'or tiè d'uopodiconsiglio, Disoccorsoed' aita,in
me
t' ailida!Enr. Se
mi
stesse sulcapoaito periglio? Art. Deh, palla; oh Dio!—
che temi?Enr. Breveora
—
esarò sj)enta!Ah
tune
fremi![Art.
fa
unsegnodifremito. Art. Sìfremo—
io fremoPerte,])er
me—
perPadremio, che spento Cadeafidoa'Stu^irdi!—
E
tuclii sei? chitusii,tu vuo'salvar.Enr.
E
tardi!Figlia a Enrico,ea Carlosposa. Pariadessiavròlasorte
—
J^rf.
Oh
Regina—
[S^inginnochia.Enr. Attendo morte?
Art, Taci, ahtaciperpietà! [Alzandosi
Fuor
lemura, a tuttiascosa Titrarrò piervie sicure—
Tu
n'audrai diqui—
Enr. Alla scure!
THE
PURITANS.
9 Sir G. DidInot sayso?Eiv.
My
father! [Emhracinghim.Sir G.
Now
tliywishes arefulfilled.Clio. LetLoi'dArthurcrossthe bridge:
Clearthe
way
forthegi-eatwarrior. Sir G.On
thatsound,on thatdearname,Inthyheart
now
placethy faith,Thisdaywill,
by
fortuneblessed,Be
forerunner ofthyjoy. Eii\ Inthat nanio, inluycontent.Inuiy heartIscarceluit faith.
Somuclijoy! Alas! I fear
Ihave notstrengthtobearit up.
CJto.
To
LordArthur, ofallknightsThe
most bravein loveand
battle. Sing,ye maidensand
ye warriors. Songsofjnaise,and
homage
pay.SCENE
V.Elvira, Walton^, Sir
Gkorgk,
andLoud
Arthur.
Aìì
Armonj
of splendid Gothicarchiteciure,withthe background quite open.
Louu
AuTHUit entersfrom
the right s'de,with Esquires and Pagescarrying nupti(d presents.From
theleftside, enter Elviua,
Walton,
SirGiokge,
Ladies,
and
Peasunts carrying garlands of-flowers.
From
thehackofthe scene, enterSol-diers,ledby
Bruno.
Men.To
Arthur-Women.
To
Elvir.i^All. Honor.
Let nscrown beauty andvalor. Ladies. Sln^ofmaidensisthe flower.
Sheisas beautifulasspring;
Likethestaratevening hour, She withloveinspiresthesoni.
Esquires.
He
'midstwarriorsis distinguishedAs
thecedaramongst
thetrees;
When
in battle, heisathuiideibolt.When
intourneys, glory andlove. Art.To
thee,dearest,love sometimesLed
me, in secretandin tearsj
Now
itbringsme
tothyside,In themidst offcastsandjoy. Atthebrilliancy ofthishour,
If
my
past griefsIremember, Iam
charmed; Iam
fullofbliss,HeavenlyisthejoyIfeel.
Sir G.}
May
thisdawn
haveno (ledine, Wat. )Nor
e'erbringyoucloudsor grief;Holy
bethisflamein you:May
peace ever gladvourheart!Elr. Oh,
my
Arthur!Art. Oh,
my
Elvira !Elv.
Now
Iam
thine.Art. Yes; thou artmine. All. Heaven, smileupon
my
vows;Heaven, blessourfaith andlove.
SCENE
VI.'
Waltox,
SirGeorge, Elvira, Bruno, and Hen-rietta.Walton. [Afterwhispering somethingto Jhuno,
u-h> b >ws (did re!ires.\
Thou
understoodstmo
well; whoeverattemptstoquit thesewalls
with-out
my
leave,isdoomed
to death.My
dearest children, totliesacredaltaryou
may
go with-outme. Invirtueofthis writing[toArt. giving hima paper],you
willhavefree admittance to thetemple.Thou
[to Sir George]accompany
them. Noblelady [toHenrietta,wJio enters, con-ductedbyErano,]you
arecalledbefore theHigh, Parliament. Ishall beyourescort.Hen. (Alas!
what
doIhear?)what
do theyseekfrom
me
?W<tl.
My
dutyis [hesitating, thenapproachinghis (laughter,and looking atthe nuptial gifts] tv> obey and besilent. I
must
submit.Art. [AsidetoSir G.] Isshe afriend to the Stuarts?
Sir. G. She has beenfor
many
months
apris-oner,
and was
thoughtby
everyone afriend to theStuarts, andtheirujesseugerin disguise.I To
A
rt. aside.Art. (Heavens!
whatdolhear?
Her
fate isdecided. Sheislost. Oh, unfortu- ate
woman
!) [Aside, butlookingxcithpityonHen. Hen.(What
comjiassiouia thatface!)Wal. Letali hasten tothe temple: andthou,
my
dearest,go and adorn thyselfwith thy uup-tiJdress.You
go withher [tothe ladies]; andtlou [toBruno] have
my
horses ready outside thewalk. ShortlyIshallbeback.Oar
depai -turewe
must
hasten, \to Hen.]As
I do now,may
Heaven
uniteand
blessthispairbeloved. [Waltonunitesagainthehands ofElv. andArt.,gives them his blessing, and retires with tue
Guards.
SCENE
YII.Henrietta
and Arthur.Hen. Sorrow and compassionare painted on his face, and clearly
show
the feelings of his heart. Cavalier!A
rt. Ifanyadviceyouwant,oranyassistance, put yourtru>tinme.Hen. Ifa great danger were pendingovermj' head
—
Art. Speak
—
what
doj-oufear?Hen.
A
fewmoments
—
Ishallbe puttodeath![Art. shudders.]
Ah! you
shudder!Art. Yes,1shudder, I tremble f(ir yourself, forme,for
my
fatlier,who,faithful tothe Stuarts, forthem
lost hislife! Butwho
areyou
?^Vho-ever
you
may
be, Iwillsave you. Hen. Itistoolate.Henry's daughter, wife of Charles
—
Like their fate willbe
my
own. Art. Oh,my
Queen
—
[He kneels.
Hen. DeathIexpect.
Art. Speaknotthus,forpity's sake! [Rising. Behindthese walls,from all concealed,
By
sureways
Isliallleadyou;
You
from hereshall go!Jfen.
To
theaxe!IO I
PURITANI.
Art. No,Regina, ancorv' è speme:tesalva
—
o spentiiusieme. Enr. Cangi;!, o Arturo,i! pio cousiglìo,Pensaaituomortaijieriglio
;
PensaaElvira,iltuotesoro, Ciletiattendeaisacroaitar!
Art.
Non
parlardileidie adorojDivalornon
mi
spogliar!Eli)-. Sventuratoprigionera,
IIuiifatoioseguirò:
Giunse a
me
1'estrema sera—
Pertei' alba incominciò!Art. Sarai salva, o sventurata, lamorteincontrerò
—
E
laverginmia
adorata Nelmorire invocherò!—
SCENA
Vili.Elvira, Giorgio, Arturo, eEnrichetta. Elviraha il capo coronato di rose: ha un
hellis-siìtto monile(liperlealcollo. Entra in isceha avendonelle
mani
ilma^jnijicovelo biancoretja.latoledaArtnro.
Elv. Sonvergin vezzosa
—
in vestadi sposa, Soubiancaed umil—
qual giurilo d'Aprii•Ho
cìiiomeodorose -cui cinsertue rose;Ho
il senogentil—
del beltuoniontil.Enr., Art.e
6
io.Se miroil suocandor Mipar laluna,allor
Che
tra lanubi apparLa
notte aconsolar. Se ascoltoilsuocantarUn' angelo
mi
par, Clicintuonialprimoalbor InnialsupernoAmor.
Di
ma, s'èverdiem'
ami—
Dimmi,
ogentil: die brami?Elv. Qual mattutinastella.
Bellavogl'iobiillar
;
Di'l crin lemollianella
Mia
giovaad aggraziar. Elvira,mia
diletta,Sou ])restaaltuo pregar,
f Fanciullaesemplicetta,
I
Ognor
desia scherzar;Scusare a tes'aspetta Suo troppovezzeggiar.
[Ad
Enr. quasiscusandolaprerjhiera di Elv. Elv.A
illegia<li'ii"mia
provaDeh, no!i av^eravii ;
III veloinfoggianova Sulcapotuogentil.
Enr. Ilvezzo tuom'aTetta,
Mi
ècaro a sacondar. Elv. bella,ticeloLe
anella del crin,Com'
ionel belveloMi
voglio celar.Ascosa,
O
vezzosa, Nel velodÌAin, Or sembrila sposa,Che
vassiall' altir. Enr. Ascosa inbiancave',Orjioso, Dio, celar
Elv.
Eur
Enr.A
rf. e (rio. Art. Già. Val. e Coi Elv Art., L' affanno,ilpalpitar, L'angosciadelmio
cor!(Dehtu, pietosociel;
Raccogli con favor
La
prece didolorCli'osiaa televar!)
(Oh
come
daquelvel,Che
!anoscoudeilcrin,Veggio
un
splendordivin Dispeme
a balenar!Deh
tu,pietosociel,M' avviva iltuofavor,
Mi
fadau-ireofurorI^a vittimasalvar!
(Elviracol suovel,
Un
zeffirettoappar,Un
iride sulmar.Un
Silfo, ingrembo
ai fior.)[Onardandola conpaternacompiacenza, T' arrida, carailCiel
Coi roseo suofavor, Tal eh' io tiveggioognor Tra'vezza agiubilar!
17, •
mia
x'i •Elvira
-^^^j^ Elvira, 11 di1' oreavanza!
SeilPadres'adira
—
Iovolo amia
stanza!Ma
poscia,o fedel,l'uposamiilvel. [Convezzosemplice.
Gio. eEnr.
SiilPadres'
adira^
Ah
rieda atua stanza!Saràil tuofedel.
Che
t'orni del vel![Elv.partecolleDamigelleecon Gio.
SCENA
IX.Enrich
ETTA edArturo.
Arturo
f/uarda con (frande sospetto air intorno nuovamente, e traedalla cintura ilfo'jlioovulo (ZrtVALTON.Enr. Sullaverginea testa
D'
una
feliceun
biancovel s' addice—
A
me
no1 già—
Art. T'arresta [Correndoaleietrattenendola E'chiarodon delciel! così ravvolta,
Deluderlalavigilante scolta
—
Tu
miasposa parria—
(Conrisoluzione.)Vieni.
Enr.
Che
dici mai!Tu
corri a tuaruina, aorribil sorte!Art. Vieni
—
Ah
vieni—
T'involo acerta morte,SCENA
X.Eiccardo
e detti,conspada ignuda.Eie. Fermn. Invaurapirpretendi Ogni ben cb'ioavevainterra;
Qui ti sfidoamortaiguerra
—
Trema, ah tremadelmio
acciariAi-t. Sprezzo, audace, iltuolurore:
La
mortaidisfida accetto:THE
PURITANS.
11 Art. No,my
Queen; therestillishope:1II save yon,orbothshall perisli.
Hen. Arthur,change yourkindlutL-ntion;
Thiu what Jnnger youwill meet;
Of yourdear Elvirathink,
Who
now
waitsforyou atthealtar.Art.
Name
not herwhom
I adore!Do
not deprivemy
heart ofvalor. Men. inmisfortune andcaptivity,To
my
fateI will submit.Oil
my
life thesunissetting;On
thyown
itrisesnow.Art. Luckless Queen, youshallbe saved, Or
my
deathI will encounter;^Vith theii:imeotherIlove
On
my
lips, I.shallexpire.SCENE
Vili.Enter
Elvira
and SirGeorge.
divini n-ìthawrcailiofroses on her head,wear-inrjapearlvecldace. t:heholds in.'urhandthe veilt!i:itArtlinrpresentedherwitli.
Elv. I
am
afairmaiden adornedasa bride: Iam
humble
andcandid asliliesinApril;My
hairisquite fragrantwitli rose'sperfume;My
bosom
is graced with necklace ofpearls. Hen., Art.andSir Georf/e.When
1beholdhercandor. Sheappears tome
themoon, Tiiatpierces throughthe clouds.To
gladdenthesadnight-And
Vvhen her voiceIhear,Sheseemsto
me
anangel. Thatraises,at thedawn.Hymns
to theeternnlLove. Elv. Lady,ifyou loveme
truly—
Uen. Speak, denr;
what
dostthouwish? Elv. Iwishto shine as brightlyAs
does themorning
star,With
elegance andtaste.Hen. Oh,
my
beloved Elvira! 1am
ready atyourdesire.A simplegirl, andinnocent, She alwayslikes to pla\
.
Indulgent youniu^tbe
To
her excessiveliveliness.[7bHen. asifcrcnsing Elrira'schildish request.
Elv.
My
trialto adorn thyhair,Alas! do notdespise
;
I will ina
new way
Thisveil place on thy head. Hen.
Thy
sport affordsme
joj-:I
am
pleased tosecondit. Elv.My
dear, thv fiiielingletsIhidein this veil,
As
I wouldinit Hl' hidden myself, thoucharminglady!Inthislovely veil,
Thou
seeinest the bride Thatgoesto thealtar.<'-V;/.
Now,
coveredwiththis veil,Heaveuò
! Ican concealThe
caresuponmy
face,The
anguishofmy
heart.(And
thou,mostgraciousHeaven, PropitiouslyreceiveThe
prayers which,inmy
griefIdared to raise tothee.) Art. (Oh! how, from thatwhiteveil
In whichher faceishidden,
Isee shine forth aray
Of
hopethat gladsmy
henrt.Ah
! thoumostgraciousHeaven,Thy
.'avorsgTanttome. ThatImay
savethis victimFrom
m
unjust oppression.) Sir G. Elvira, with herveil.Appearsa gentle zephyr,
A
rainbowover the waters,A
sylphamong
theflowers.(May Heaven
lookon thee,My
dear, with rosysmiles!That
1may
seethee ever In pleasureandinmirth. Wal. and^Come
dearest Elvira;Cho. (
The
day isadvancing. Elv. Ifangryismy
father,Irunto
my
room;But
then thou, dearest,Th}^veil put on me. [Withnaivete.
Art, SirG. and Hen. IfangTvisthyfather,
Eeturntothy
room
;Thy
lover willthenThy
veilput on thee.[Elv., Sir G. andLadies, exeunt.
SCENE
IX.Henrietta
andArthur.
Arthur, lookinr/aroundn-ith caution,draws from
hisbelt ihepaperreceivedfrom Walton. Hen.
Upon
theheadof ahappy
maiden wellsuitsa whiteveil [Aside,and((boutto t((ke(>fftiie
veil],butnot on mine.
Art. Desist! [Bunnincitopreventher.]
By
thewillof
Heaven
thisveilisput onyou. AVrappedup
init, youwill deceive the vigilance of the sentry.You
will be thoughtmy
biide. [ 117/^resolution.] Come.
Hen.
What
doyou
say?You
will run toyourdestruction—toa dreadful fate!
A
rt. Come,come
; Iwill save you fromcer-taindeath.
SCENE
X.Enter
Richard
(vith drawn sirord.Bich. Stop. In vain thouattemptestto steal
The
onlytreasure I had on earth.HereIchallenge theeto death!
Tremble—
ah! tremble atmy
sword!Art. I despise,boldman, thy fury! I accept thy mortal challenge;
12
IPURITANI.
[aEtc.
[Freddamente. Questoferro nel tuo petto
Jiinoall'elsaiovuòpiantar.
[Perhaitersl: Enr.sifrappone: ilvelosi scom-pone,eilSKOvoltisiscuopre.
Enr. Pace
pace—
ahv'arrestate, Perma
sanguenon versate. Ari.Ah
clie fai!—
liidi.
La
Prigioniera? [Constvpore.Enr. Dessoioson.
Art.
Tua
voce altera.Orcol ferrososterrai
—
Vieu—
lìic.
Con
lei,tuillesoandrai. Art. Eflaver?—
Enr. Qualfavella? Bic. Più non vietoa voi 1'andar.
Art. (Seildestinoatem' invola, miaElvira,
amor mio
santo,Uu
sospiroateseuvola,E
lidice insuon dipianto;TI consola!
—
io iiiugie inguai T'ameròconi iot'amai!)lìic. (Parti, stolto,eprovaintanto
Queldolorche a
me
serbaviTu
vivraidesertoe in jjianto Giorni oscuri,eterni egravi-Pania
eAmor
tui)erderai—
Fiatuavitaun
mar
diguai!Enr. (Sogno
—
oavròconfortoalpiantoAvrò
tregua adi sigravi?Sogno, o
andrommi
al figlioaccanto Tragli ami^lessi suoisuovi? Tantoben, se,ohDio,soania—
Non
mi
lar destargiammai
i)[Coro dentro le scene.
Gemi
afesta! Al tempioandiamo
!Art. edEnr.Genteappressa?
—
Oh
ciel fogiamo!Mie. Si fuggite
—
ilvuole un Dio!Art. Piia che siain oltrelemura.
[Per partire poisitesta.
Parlerai?
—
Mie.No
t'assecura—
A
rt.Tu
logiura. Hic. Igiuro! Tutti.Addio—
[-1//. eEnr.partone.SCENA
XI.Riccardo, poi
Yaltox,
Bruno,
Elvira, con Damitjelleinpompa
di)io:ze.lìic. [Quasisegue
coW
occhioipassi deifugyiaschi.E
giàalponte—
Passailforte—
E
alleporte— Giàu'andò!—
Coro. Altemiiio,altemanoa festa! [Escendo.
Dov'èArtur?
Mie. Dianzifuqui
—
Elv.
Ove
sei, Artur?—
Eie. Parti!—
Elv. ^ Eie. Gio. Coro'Giàfuordella
mura
—
. Laggiùallapianura.1.
La
tuaprigioniera.La
rea messaggieraColviicavaliere? [a Val.
2. Ciascun suxui Testriero
—
Spronando —volando-Tutti. Miratecola!
-[Quadrogeneralo.
Eh:
gettavn grido.V(d. Soldatiaccorrete
—
ciòbionzituonate,All'
arme
appellate—correte—
volate, Pel crin transcinateiduetraditor. [Lacampana
del forte suonaastormo: ilcan-none sparaalenti intervalli. Tutti. All'
arme
!—
Val. T'affretta.
'
[aBru. Tuttididentro. AH'
arme
!—
Val e tutti. Vendetta!
[Val. snudala.spada, eparte. Eie. Oh,
come
sipasce—
d' affinied'ambasceL'ardordivendetta
—
chem'angeem'alletta:Oh
come
nel seno—
simascèilvelenoDi sdegnoed'amor
—
dispeme
edolor! Elv.La
dama
d'Artiu'o-èbianco velata—
La
guardaesos[)ira—
Sua
sposalachiama:Elvira è la
dima!
—
Non
sono più Elvira? Gio. e Coro. Ehni-a! chedici?—
Elv. IoElvira?
Ah
no—
No—
No
!—
Uomi.
La
miseraèpallida—
Don.E
immobilee squallida—
Uomi.
Le
lucenon gira—
Don. Sorridee sospira—
Uomi.
Demente
sifa—
Tutti. cieli, pietà.
[?jIv.
mi
suo deliriocredevedereArt.edicequesti versiconlapiùgrandemestiziaedelirantepas-sione.
Eh:
Arturo,ahgià ritorni?Dunque
sei fidoancor!Ah
vienial Tempio,feilelArturo—
Eternafede,mia
ben, tigiuro!Come
oggièpuro sempreavròilcore Vivrò d'Amore, morròd'Amor
! Sicredeall' ara—
GiuraedArtiu'o
—
Ellasìtenera—
Eisìspergiuro
—
Ellasìcandida
—
Eitraditor
—
Miseravergine, morrà d'amor![
Oh
come
l;o1'anima
trista edolente, jUdendo
igemiti dell'innocente;1
Oh
come
perfido fu iltraditore. [Che
intantispasimilasciòquel cor!Diodiclemenza, t'offro
mia
vita,Seall'innocenza giovid'aita:
Deh, siiclementea
un
purocore!Deh, siipossente sul traditor!
Piùlamiro,epiù doglia profonda,
E
più l'alma
s'accendeinamore
!—
Ma
più inn aspraedavvampa
ilfurore Controchitantoben m'involò!Gio.
La
miaprece pietosaeprofondaChe
ateviensui sospir deldolore;Tu
clementeconsola, Signore, Perlavergincuil'empioimmolò
![Elv. quasi tornandoa vedere Art, che fugge. Don. Uomi. Don.
Uom
i. Don. Uomi. Insi. Eie. e Coro. Gio. Eie.THE
PURITANS.
13
Up
lothehiltwithin Ihybosom
Iwill plungetlii>verysword.
[When
theyareon thepoint ofjlghtinfj, Hen. in-terposi s; herveilbecomes disordered.Hen. Peace! ah! peace! put
down
yourarms;Do
notriskyourlives forme.A
rf.Ah
!what
haveyou
done*?Rich.
The
prisoner! [With amazement.Hen. Trulyshe.
Art. Tliy loftylanguage.
Come,
maintainnow
with thy sword.liieh.(Coldly.)
Thou
shaltgo with herin safety. Art. Isit tru;'?Hen.
(What
wordsare these?) Bich. Inolonger stopyour going. Art. Ifmy
fatetakesme
froui thee.Dear
Elvira,my
sweetlove,A
deepsigh fromhereIsend,To
tellthee, in plaintive tone, _Z?econsoled. I afar,iu grief,Shalllo ethee asI do uow. £ich.(Go,thou
madman,
andnow
feelThe same
griefreservedforme
j 'ihoushalt live alonein tears,
D.iysobscure,
aud
sad,andlong;Tliouslialtloseboth love
and
country. Endless griefthy lifeshallbe.) Men.Do
Idream?
orshall IhaveTo
my
woesatlasta1ruce?Do
Idream
? ormy
dear sonIin
my
armsshallstillenfold1 If Idreamtofsomuch
bliss—
Heaven, never break
my
rest. •[Chorus behindthe scenes.
Fnends
rejoice!Come
to thetemple.Art. d-Hen. Peoplearecoming
—
letus Hy. Bieh. Yes, dofly. Soheavencommands.
Art. [On thepointofgoinf/,turns backto Bieh. Wilt thou speakbefore
we
have Passedthe walls?Bieh. No, no; becertain.
A
rt. Swearitnow. Bieh. Iswear.All. Farewell.
(Art. andHen. exeunt.
SCENE
XI.RiCHAUD, then
Walton,
SirGeohgk, Bruno,
Elvira, withDamselsdressedfor themarriage. Bieh. [Lookingfrom
thebalconyafterthefngitives.He
isatthebridge—
he has passed thefort.Has
reached the gates—
heisgone away. Cho. Friends,rejoice!—
come
tothe temple!Where
is Arthur?^
Was
herejustnow.Where
artthou,dearArthurf .He
isgone.Elv. Bieh Elv. Bieh
j^-^'j^ fAlready
beyond
the walls—faraway
*S7/-G
S ^^^^ ^^^plain.\stCho.
Your
lady prisoner—
the guilty emis-sary.With
the worthlesskniglit?2d Cho. Letusto horse,
And
spurandfly. All.Look
there![General Tableau. Elv. utters ashrieJc.
Wal. Come, soldiers,hasten ; fire ofl:' the
can-nons;
Call
now
to arms—
runquickly, fly!And
both thetraitorsdragquickly here. [Thealarm bellofthe citadel sounds. Thecan-vanisfired atintervals. All.
To
arms!Wal. Hasten. [To Bruno.
All. [Witliin.]
To
arms!Wal. and Chorus. Revenge! [Wal.drawshissword andgoesout.
Bieh.
Oh
!how
it isfedon tormentsandwoes.The
fireofvengeance, that grieves andde-lights.
Oh
!how
inmy
breast thefeelings aremixed
Ofloveanddisdain,ofhopeauddespair.
Eh\
The
loverof Arthur has onawhiteveil;He
viewsherandsighs,hecdls herhis bride. Elviraisthe lady!Am
I not Elvira?Sir G. andChorus. Elvira,
what
sayest?Elv. IElvira?
Ah
! no,nò.Men.
The
sad oneispale.Women.
Shemakes
not amovement.
Men.Her
eyeshave nolife.Women.
Shesmiles andshesighs.Men. Shelosesall reason. All. Oh, heavens,havepity !
[Elv. in her delirium thinks she sees Art. and sings thefollowinglines with profoundsorrow andfrantic passion.
Elv.
Dear
Arthur, thou returnest?Still truethouartto
me
!Come
tothe temple,my
faithful Arthui-, Foreverfidelity I swearto thee.My
heart,asnow,wille'erbe pure:On
loveI'lllive, onloveI'll die.Women.
She thinks sheisatchurch. Men. She swears toArthurfaith.Women.
Sheisso loving. Men.He
issofalse.Women. Sheissocandid. Men.
He
such atraitor. All.Unhappy
maiden!Shewill dieoflove,
f
Oh
!how
thymind
isfilledwith sorrow\Rich.
&
\ Hearingthe sighsofthispoor he.rt.Cho. I
Oh!
how
perfidious was the traitor[ Thatbroughtonh^rso
much
affliction!Sir. G.
God
of Mercy,my
lifeI offer.Iftothe innocent thou wiltgiveaid.
Ah
! be propitiousto a heartfopure,And
show
thypower
against thetraitor.Rich.
The more
I seelier, themore
Igrieve, •And
greater loveforherIfeel;But more
my
fury becomesinflamed 'Gainsthim
who
stole fromme
thistreasure. Sir G.My
pious prayer, deeo and sincere.Which
comestotheeon wingsof grief,Receivethoukindly, O,
Lord
of bounty, Forthispoormaiden,that traitor'svictim.14
IPURITANI.
Elv. Tiveggo—
rjiàfuggi—
ingrato,abbandoniChi tanto t'amò! Arturo
—
Oh
Dio!—
No!—
Coro. Ahi durasciagura, ahilutto e dolor!
Sìbeli;!, sìpuradelciel creatura Neldidel dilettoschernitatradita
Andrà
maladettoilviitraditor. Eìr. Qual febbre vorace m'uccide—
mi
sface—
Qual tìamma,qual' ira
mi
avvampa
emartira!i^^iutasmiperversi fuggitedispersi!
—
iutantofurorsbranatemi ilcor.
Puri, epoi Tutti. Maledizione!
Non
casa,noi spiaggiaraccolgaifuggenti!Ioodiodel cielo,iuodioa'viventl, Battutidai venti, daorrende tempeste,
Le
odiatelortestenou possanposar!Erranti, piangentii'aorridaguerra Colcielo,laterrailmar, glielementi
—
Oguor
maladettiin vitaedinmorte, Sia eternalor sorte eternoilpenar!FINE dell'
atto
PRIMO.^TTO
li.
SCENA
1.—
Gran
Salacon porte laterali.Castellani è Castellane,Puritani, eB.;u o. 'Tutti. Piangonleciglia
—
Sispezzailco:—
L'infermafiglia
—
morrà d'amor l. Ilduol Finvase?i2.
La
vidi erranteTrafolte piante
—
3. Orper sue case
Gridando
va—
'^Pietà—
Pietà! " Tutti. Piangonleciglia—
Sispezzailcor—
^/inferma figlia
—
morrà
d'amor!SCENA
II.Gior.Gio dagli oppartanicnii d'
Elvira
: poiRiccai:
DO
confoglio.Don. Qual novella1
do.
Or prendeposa.Tutti. Mlserolla!
Don.
E
ognordolente?Gi^. Mestaelieta
—
Don.
E
senza tregua?Gio. S])Iendeil senno
—
or sidilegua A.l misera Ì2iuoceiite. Tutti.Como
mai
?Gio. Dirloposs'io?
Senelduolche
m
augeilseno, Ogni voce trema emuor
!Coro.
Deh
favella—
(Jio.
Mi
lasciate-Coro.
Ten
preghiamo—
I
Gio.
Ah
nò—
cessate!i
Bru.e^
Deh
timuova
quell'ambasciaI
Coro. \
Che
ciaggravaaltao dolor!j Gio. Siate
paghi—
v'appressate!Cintadirose e coibelcria disciolto Talorlacaravergines'aggira :
E
chiede all' auraeai fiorcon me;=to volta:"Ove
andòE
'vira."Bianco-vestita,eqnalsuall'arra innante, Adem|)ieal rito,e va cantando: ilgiuro. Poigrida,per
amor
tuttatremante—
''
Ah
vieni, Arturo."'Coro. Ahi,figliamiseradelira
amor
!Quartofubarbaroilsedduttor!
Gio.
Geme
talor, qualtortoreamorosa,Or
cade vintadamortai sudore:Or
1'odialsuon dell'arpa lamentosa Cantard'amore
!OrscorgeArturoneli'altrui sembiante
—
Poidelsuoinganno accortae disuasorte,Geme,
piange, s' affanna e cgaor i)iùamante. Invocamorto.
mCoro, Ahi, figliamisera morràd'
amor
I—
Scenda
una
folgore sul traditor!Alle ultimeparoleentra Rie. con unfoglio.
Mie. Disuafolgoreilcielnon sarù
Lmto
!'•A scureinfame èArtìirTa'botdannato
*'T^c'W Anglican SovranoParlamento."
Coro.
E
giusto fato!Eie. Quaggiù, nel
mal
che questavalleserra,A' buonieattristi è
memorando
esempio. Coro. SeladestradiDio tremendaafferraIl crindell'
empio
!YRic.scorre colV occhioilfoglio chetiene aperto. SegueaproclamarelidecretidelParlamcitj. Eie. Di Valtoa l'innocenzaa voi proclami
IlPai-lamento,ea'primionorlo cliiaraa
—
Coro. Qualdoglia.Va!ton, sevedran tua ciglia
Insanaancorlatuadilettafiglia!
—
Eie.
Ed
essa? in Turiaognor?—
Gio. Solquando
un
suonmarzial miseraSLUitePiilricorda ilfuggirdel caro
amante
E
allorfassifurente.Eie.
E
nonv' haspeme
Alcuna?
Gio. Medie'arten'assecuia Che
una
subitagioja,o gxan sciagura Potria sanarlamente
suasaiarrita-THE
PURITANS.
15lUv. 1see thee
—
tbou fliest. Ungrateful! tliouleavest
Thy
lovei sotrue. Oh, Arthur! heaveus!No!
Cho. Oh, hittermisfortune! Oh,
mourning
andgriet!
So handsome, so pure,belovedof Heaven. Deceived on tlie morniagthatpromised her
joy,
A
curseshall pursue thisvilest of traitors.JElv.
What
fever, devouring,now
seizesmy
brain !
What
flameand what ragemy
heart is con-suming!0,
phantoms
jjerverse! go,fly, and disperse, Ormadly
my
heartcome
tearfrommy
bosom. Puri. (& Chorus. Malediction!Let norhousenorshore thefl\er^receive!
By
Heaven
abandoned, dislikedby men.The
sportof the winds, oppic^isedby
thestorms.
May
never theirheadsfindplace of repose. Bewailinsj,and wanderingin horriblecontestWith heaven
and
earth,tue seaand
theele-ments,
Forever detestedin lifeanddeath. Eternal
may
betheirfateand
their woes!END
OF TIIK FIRST ACT.^CT
II.
SCENE
I.—
A
largeBoom
with side doors. ViUagns, Puritans, andBucNO.
All. Alleyes areweeping
—
allheartsare break-ing,The
afflicted girl of loveAviildie.1 .
Grief has seized her.
2. I
saw
herwanderingAnio'.igstthegroves.
3. Sometimes, athome,
Sheisheardtoexclaim, "
Ah
!pity! pity!"All. All eyesareweeping
—
allheartsarebreak-ing.
The
afflicted girl of lovewill die.SCENE
II.Enter Sik
Gkorgk
from
the apartmentsofEi.-viUA, then RiciiAui), with apaper. 'Women.
What
freshnews?
Sir. G. She is
now
reposing.All.
Ah
! poorgirl!Women.
Isshestillweeping?Sir. G. Sad andjoyful.
Women.
Takessherest? Sir. G.Now
shewisdom
shows,and
now
The
poorgirlappears insane. Ail.How
isthis.''Sir. G.
Can
I tellit?When
oppressedby
so mucli grief,All
my
wordsdie onmy
lijjs. Cho. Pray dospeak.Sir. G.
Ah
! letme
rest.Cho.
We
beseech.Sir. G.
Ah
! do desist.Bru. }
Be you moved by
thisafflictionCho. ^ That yourgrief hasraised in us.
Sir. G. I willgrant yourwish. Api)roach.
With
roses crowned,and
with her hairdis-hevelled.
The maiden
dearnow
wandering is se n,Demanding
of the airandoftheflowers, "Where
isElvira?"Now
enrob'din while,and
asbefore thealtar.The
ritesperforming, she repeats theoati.Then, trembling, cries, in ecstasyof love, "
Ah
! come, dear Arthur."Cho.
Ah
!unhappy
girl!deranged by love.Cruelindeed
was
herbetrayer.Sir G.
At
times she is sighing like a loving doveJAt
times she sinks oppressedby
her great woes;
And
then sheisheardat herlamentinghaip,To
singof love.At
timesshe takes anotherface forArthur's;Then
her mistakeperceiving, and herfaie,She sighsand weeps, and, loving
more
th:<.never.
Shedeath invokes.
Cho.
Unhappy
girl! lovewillkillher.May
thunderfallupon
thetraitor!Atthelasttcords,
Richard
enterswithapaper. Bich.The
thunder is not far from strikingArthur,
"He
standscondemned
to die a traitor'sdeath,
His sentence i>
by
Parliamentdecreed.''Cho. Itisbutiust.
Rich.
Amongst
thewoes
that this sad world contains.Itisa warninglorthegood andbid.
Cho.
When
God'srighthand
upon thewickedman
Av^engingfalls
[Mich, glances over the paper,and 2Jì'oceeds to
pro-claimthedecreeof Parliament.
Bich. Likewise of
Walton
the innocence p:o-claimsThe
Parliament, and gives him back hi.5honors.
Cho.
What
grief for Walton, if his dailing daughterStill outof
mind
he'scondemned
to see !Bich. Isshe still
mad
?Sir G. ifmartialsounds the
unhappy
girl but heaisThey
suddenlyrecall herlover'sflight,And
frantic she becomes.Bich. Isthereno hope?
Sir G.
The
art ofheadingstilldeclares, assures, That aueventofsuddenjoyorwoo
16
IPURITANI.
Coro. Qual mai t' attenda, Artur, penain-fluita!
Eie. In
me
ducepremier, parlaCronivello.Il vii, cli'èognorinfilila,
E
disan'^ue civil macchiòInghilterra, Cercateorvoi.E
se sua reafortuna,malizialotragga a questaterra,
Non
abbiagrazia,èpietade alcunn.[IlCurolìarte.
SCENE
III.Elvira
e detti.TjIv. rendetemila
speme
[Dentrola^S(eì^<(.lasciatemimorir. Gio. Essaquivien
—
lasenti?come
ègraveil suon de'suoilamenti!jEsccElv.scapujliata ein vestebianca. Elv. Quilavocesua soave
Mi
chiamava—
epoisparì Quigiuravaesser fedele, Poi crudele—
cimi
fuggi!Ah,
mai
piiiquiasportiinsieme Nellagioiadeisospir?—
Ah
reiKietemi laspeme
Oh
lasciatemimorir!Gio.
l (Qanto
amore
emai
raccolto liic. ) Inquelv
Itoeinqueldolor!)Elv. Chiseitu?
—
[Dopouna pausaa Gio. Gio.
Non
mi
ravvisi?Elv. Padre
mio
?—
mi
cliiamaialTempio
?Non
òsogno—
oh Arturo oh amor!A
tusorridi—
asciughiil pianto!A
Imeu
mi
guidi—
alballo, al canto!Ognun
s'apprestaa nozze, afesta,E
meco
indanzaesulterà.Tu
purmeco
danzerai?[Si volta,evedeBic.,loprendeper lamano. Vienianozze!
Gio. eBic. (Oh Dio!)
Elv. Eglipiang .
Egli piange! eiforse
amò
![a Gio. in dispartee sotto voce
—
poi torna afis-sareBic: poi(iliafferrala
mano
etornandoadattcfigiarsìdolorosamente.
Bic.eGio. (Chi frenaril jiianto\raò!)
Elv. M'odiedimmi,amastimai ! [aBic.
Bic. Gli occhiaffisain sul
mio
volto,Ben
mi
guardeelo vedrai—
Elv.Ah
sepiangi—
Ancor tu saiChe
un corfido nell'amor.Sempre
vivedidolor![Siabbandona alpianto. Gio.l'abbraccia.
Gio.
Deh
! tiacqueta, mia diletta,Treguaalduoldal
tempo
aspetta. Elv. Mai!Bic. eGio. Clementeil Ciel tifia.
Elv.
Mai
!—
Ji'ic. eGio. L'ingratoormaioblia. Elv.
Ah
!mai
più tirivedrò!Bic. e Gio. (Sifamialasuaferita.
Mi
(Usperaesquarciail cor.)Elv. toglietemi lavita,
rendetemiil mio
amor
!Bic.e Gio. Tornòil risoin sulsuoaspetto, Qualpensiero alei brillò?
Elv.
Non
temerdelpadremio
!Co'miei i)iantiilplacherò
—
Ogniaffannoandràin oblio,Tanto
amor
consolerò!ùio. (Essainpeneè abbandonata Sognail gaudio che perde!
—
)
Bic. (Qualbeli'alma innamorata
Un
l'ivairapiva ame
!)Elv. Vien, diletto,èinciellaluna:
Tuttotaceintorno intorno:
Finche spuntiin cielilgiorno, Vien,tiposa sul
mio
cor!Deh
t'affretta, Arturomio, Riedi, caro, alla tua Elvira;
Essapiange,etisospira. Eiedi, caro, alprimo
amor
—
{Possa undi,bellainfelice,
Mercèaverditantoaffetto:
Possa
un
giornonel diletto Obbliareilsuo dolor!Gio. Ricovi'artionnait'addic«>.
Bru. Stende notteilcupo orror
—
SCENA
IV.Giorgio osserva alP intorno; poi afferra yel hra^-cio Riccardo, come uno che ^?rt?'7a/u/o mostra
sapereun suogravesegreto.
Gio. Ilrivaisalvartudevi,
11rivaisalvartupoi.
Eie. Io noiposso
—
Gio.
Tu
non vuoi?Bic.
No!
Gio.
Tu
ilsalva!Bic. Ei jìerirà— Gio.
Tu
queir oraben rimembriChe
fuggilaprigioniera?Bic.
Sì--Gio. D' Arturofucolpa interna?
Eie.
Tua
favellaormai- [Quasisdegnandosi.Gio.
E
vera!Bic. Parla aperto!
—
[
Come
sopra.Gio.
Ho
dettoassai! [Comesopra. Eie.Fu
voler delParlamentoSeha colui la
pena
estrema. Deiribelli1'ardimentoIn Artursi doraei'a.
10non l'odio, ionoipavento,
Ma
1'indegnoperirà—
Gio.Un
gelosoereotormentoOr
t'invadeeacceca—
Ah
trema! 11rimorsoelospaventoLa
tuavita strazierà Seil rivaipertefia spento Un'altr'almail seguirà!Bic. Chi?
Gio.
Due
vittimefarai,E
dovunque
tun' adi'aiL'
ombra
lor tiseguirà!Setrailbujo
un
fantasmavedrai Biancolieve—
chegeme
e sospiraTHE
PURITANS.
17
Cho. Wliatendlesspainnow, Arthur, waits for
you!
Bich. I, Colonel ofCromwell,inhis
name
thistoyou
make
known.The
traitor,still afugi-tive,and
who
the English gi'ound with civilbloodliasstained,
must
besearchedforby you.And
shouldhe, eitherby
hisadverse fortuneor iiisbaddesigns, be brought back to thisland,lethimnot gracenorpityfind. [Exit Chorus.
SCENE
III.Elvira
icifhhi.Elr. Eitherhope restore tome, Orinpitylet
me
die.SirO. (Here shecomes
—
Hearestthouher?0,
how
grievousisthe voice of herlaments!)Enter
El
v. ^pithlooksand actions indicating loss ofreason.
Elr. Herehis voice, so soft
and
sweet, Calledonme
—
then diedaway
;Here he swore he
would
befaithful:Then,cruel
man,
hefledfrom me. Nevermore
shallwe
together Feel the rapture of our love!Eitherhoperestore to me, Orin pitylet
me
die.SirG. }
How
much
loveisthereerpressed liich. (Inherfaceand throughhergrief!E!v.
Who
artthou? [To Sir G. Sir G.Knowest
thoume
not?Elv. Father, cai lestthou
me
to chui'ch?'Tisno dream. Arthur! oh, love!
Ah
! thoudost smile!—
thou driestthytears.We
gotothealtar,todanceand
sing;
Each
onepreparesfornuptialfeasts,And,fullofjoy, willdance withme.
Thou
toowithme
shaltjoin the dance.[PerceivingRich., and talcinghimhjthehand.
Come
tothewedding.Sir G. &Bich.
Oh
heavens? Elr.He
isweeping.Yes; heweeps: perhaps heloved
[AsidetoSir G., then, regarding liich., gras2)s his
hand, andabandonsherselfagaintogrief
liich. (£• Sir G.
(Who
cannow
refrain fromtears!)
Eiv. [ToBich.]
Hear
me;
say, hast thouonce loved?7i'/(7(. [ToElv.] Cast thine eyes
upon
thisface.And
thousoon wiltknow
thetruth. Elr. Ifthouweepest,thoumustknow
That
aloving, faithfulheartIswith grief foreveried.
[Elv. abandonsherselftogrief. Sir G. embi'cicesher.
Sir G.
Calm
thyself,my
dearest love;Time
willallthy pangsdispel. Elv. Never!Bich. (t Sir G.
Heaven
willpity thee.Elv. Never!
Rich
&
Sir G.Ah
! forget the traitor7:^/J".
Nevermore
shallIsee thee. Bich. ) Allherwoes become
niineown
;
Sir G. \ Shetopiecesrends
my
heart.Lh\ Either take
my
lifeaway, Ormy
loverestore to me.Bich. \
Now
herfaceappears serene.Sir G. \
What
sweetthoughtreviveshermind?
Elv.
Have
nofearofmy
dearfather;By
these hewillbe appeased;Allour
woes
willbeforgotten;So
much
loveshallhavereward. Sir G. (Byher sorrows sheisbewildered,And
shedreamsoflost content.) Bich.(What
a sweetandloving creatureWas
arivalfromme
taking!)Elv. Come,
my
dear,themoon
is shining;Allis
mute
and calm around;Eretheday shallriseinheaven,
Come,
repose,upon
my
heart. Alas! hasten,my
dearArthur;
Quickreturn tothy Elvira;
She
now
weeps andsighsforthee;
Quickreturn tothy firstlove. fMay, oneday,
imhappy
beauty. SirG. )Thy
great lovemeet
itsreward.Bich. \
May,
oneday,insweetdelightsI
Thy
misfortimesbeforgotten.SirG.
Now
'tisbetterthoushouldstretire.Bruno. Nighto'erspreadshermantledark.
SCENE
IV.Sir
George
looksaround, thentakes hold of Rich-ard'sarm
with the air of one knowing agreat secret.SirG.
Thy
rivalthoumust
save.Thy
rivalthoucanstsave. Bich. Icannot.Sir G.
Thou
wilt not. Bich. No.Sir G. Savehim.
Bich.
He
shall die.Sir G. Dost thouwellthehour
remember
When
the prisoner escaped? Bich. Yes.SirG.
Was
itbutArthursfault?Ridi.
At
last thisspeech—
[Becoming indignant.
Sir G, Istrue.
Bich. Speakfreely.
Sir G. . I'vesaidenough.
Bich. It
was
thewillofParliamentThat
sentencedhim
todie.The
boldness of therebels WillberepressedinArthur.Ihate
him
not,norfear;But
diethetraitormust. Sir G.A
jealous, guiltytormertInvadestiiy soul
—
Buttremble!Remorse
andconstantfright Willmake
th3'lifemostwietched.If
doomed by
theethyiiv;il.Anotherdeath shall follow. Bich.
Whose?
Sir G.
Thou
niakestfall twovictims,And
wherever thoushaltgo,Theirshadeswill thee i>ursue.
Ifa
phantom
l>ynightthoushould'stsee,Pale and light, that is