ESTHER, AN ORATORIO, OR SACRED DRAMA; As it is performed at the THEATRE ROYAL in COVENT-GARDEN, With the LAST IMPROVEMENTS.
By GEORGE FREDERIC HANDEL,
Esq
CAMBRIDGE: Printed for J. WOODYER, and T. FLETCHER.
Dramatis Personae.
AHASUERUS.
ESTHER.
First ISRAELITE Woman, Confident to ESTHER.
MORDECAI.
First ISRAELITE.
Second ISRAELITE.
HAMAN.
HABDONAH.
CHORUS of ISRAELITES.
CHORUS of PERSIAN OFFICERS.
ESTHER, AN ORATORIO, OR, SACRED DRAMA.
ACT I.
SCENE I.
ESTHER, MORDECAI, and CHORUS of ISRAELITES.
RECITATIVE,
accompany'd.
sung by
Israelite Woman.
BREATHE soft ye Gales, ye Rills in Silence roll,
And heav'nly Peace reside in
Esther's
Soul.
AIR.
Watchful Angels, let her share
Your indulgent, daily Care.
RECITATIVE.
sung by
Esther.
O! King of Kings, celestial Lord!
Whose Works our Admiration raise,
With Rapture shall my Lips record,
Thy Majesty's immortal Praise.
Hallelujah.
SCENE II.
HAMAN, HABDONAH, and OFFICERS.
RECITATIVE.
sung by
Habdonah.
'Tis greater far to spare, than to destroy.
sung by
Haman.
I'll hear no more, it is decreed,
All the Jewish Race shall bleed.
Hear and obey, what
Haman
's Voice commands;
Hath not the Lord of all the East,
Giv'n all his Pow'r into my Hands?
Hear all ye Nations far and wide,
Which own our Monarch's Sway,
Hear and obey:
AIR.
Pluck Root and Branch from out the Land,
Shall I the God of
Israel
fear?
Let Jewish Blood dye ev'ry Hand,
Nor Age, nor Sex I'll spare.
Raze, raze, their Temples to the Ground,
And let their place no more be found.
sung by
Officer.
Our Souls with Ardour glow,
To execute the Blow.
CHORUS.
Shall we the God of
Israel
fear?
Nor Age, nor Sex we'll spare.
Pluck Root and Branch from out the Land.
SCENE III.
sung by
Israelites.
Jerusalem
no more shall mourn,
In sad Captivity forlorn:
The righteous God, in whom we trust,
Will be propitious to the Just.
To rapture then your Voices raise,
And change your Sighs to Songs of Praise.
AIR.
sung by
Israelite Woman.
Tune your Harps to chearful Strains,
Moulder idols into Dust;
Great
Jehovah
lives and reigns,
We in great
Jehovah
trust.
DA CAPO.
AIR.
Praise the Lord with chearful Noise,
Wake my Glory, wake my Lyre;
Praise the Lord each mortal Voice;
Praise the Lord ye heav'nly Choir.
Zion
now her Head shall raise,
Tune your Harps to Songs of praise.
DA CAPO.
CHORUS.
Shall we of Servitude complain,
The heavy Yoke and galling Chain?
SCENE IV.
RECITATIVE.
sung by
Mordecai.
How have our Sins provok'd the Lord!
Wild persecution hath unsheath'd the Sword,
Haman
hath sent forth his Decree;
The Sons of
Israel
all
Shall in one Ruin fall.
Methinks I hear the Mother'
s
Groans,
While Babes are dash'd against the Stones.
I hear the Infant's shriller Screams,
Stabb'd at the Mother's Breast,
Blood stains the Murderer's Vest,
And thro' the City flows in Streams.
AIR.
O Jordan
,
Jordan
, sacred Tide!
Shall we no more behold thee glide
The fertile Vales along,
As in our great forefather's Days?
Shall not thy Hills resound thy Praise,
And learn our holy Song.
DA CAPO.
CHORUS.
Ye Sons of
Israel
mourn,
Ye never to your Country shall return.
END of the First ACT.
ACT II.
SCENE I.
ESTHER and CHORUS of ISRAELITES.
CHORUS.
TYRANTS
may a while presume,
They never shall receive their Doom;
But they soon shall trembling know,
Stern Justice strikes the surest Blow.
SCENE II.
MORDECAI, ESTHER.
RECITATIVE.
sung by
Esther.
Why sits that Sorrow on thy Brow?
Why is thy rev'rend Head
With mournful Ashes spread?
Why is that humble Sackcloth worn;
Speak,
Mordecai,
my Kinsman, Friend;
Speak, and let
Esther
know
Why all this solemn Woe.
sung by
Mordecai.
One fate involves us all:
Haman
's Decree,
To strike at me,
Hath said, that ev'ry Jew shall fall:
Go stand before the King with weeping Eye.
sung by
Esther.
Who goes unsummon'd, by the Laws shall die.
sung by
Mordecai.
Haste to the King, his Mercy crave,
Trust to th' Almighty, and be brave.
Why wer't thou rais'd to
Persia
's Throne?
Not for thy Sake alone.
sung by
Mordecai.
Dread not righteous Queen the Danger,
Love will pacify his Anger;
Fear is due to God alone:
Follow great
Jehovah's
calling,
For thy Kindred's Safety falling;
Death is better than a Throne.
DA CAPO.
RECITATIVE.
sung by
Esther.
I go, the Power of Grief to prove;
O! may that Grief Compassion move.
AIR.
Tears assist me, Pity moving,
Justice cruel Fraud reproving;
Hear, O God! thy Servant's Prayer:
Is it Blood that must atone?
Take, O take my Life alone,
And thy chosen People spare!
CHORUS.
ANTHEM.
As Pants the Hart for cooling Streams,
So longs my Soul for thee O God!
SOLO.
Tears are my daily Food,
While thus they say,
Where is now thy God.
SOLO.
Now, when I think thereupon, I pour out my Heart by myself;
For I went with the Multitude, and brought them forth into the House of God.
CHORUS.
In the Voice of Praise and Thanksgiving, among such as keep Holy-day.
DUET.
Why so full of Grief, O my Soul: why so disquieted within me?
CHORUS.
Put thy Trust in God, for I will Praise him.
SCENE IV.
AHASUERUS, ESTHER, and CHORUS of
Israelites.
sung by
Ahasuerus.
Who dares intrude into our Presence
Without our Leave!
It is decreed,
He dies for this audacious Deed.
Hah!
Esther
there!
The Law condemns, but Love will spare.
sung by
Esther.
My Spirits sink, alas! I faint.
sung by
Ahasuerus.
Ye Pow'rs! what Paleness spreads her beauteous Face!
Esther
awake, thou fairest of thy Race;
Awake and live, 'tis my Command,
Behold the golden Sceptre in my Hand!
Sure Sign of Grace;
The bloody stern Decree
Was never meant, my Queen, to strike at thee.
DUET.
sung by
Esther.
Who calls my parting Soul from Death?
sung by
Ahasuerus.
Awake, my Soul, my Life, my Breath,
sung by
Esther.
Hear my Suit, or else I die.
sung by
Ahasuerus.
Ask my Queen, can I deny?
SONG.
O beauteous Queen, unclose those Eyes,
My fairest shall not bleed:
Hear Love's soft Voice that bids thee rise,
And bids thy Suit succeed.
Ask, and 'tis granted from this Hour,
Who shares our Heart, shall share our Power.
RECITATIVE.
sung by
Esther.
If I find Favour in thy Sight,
May the great Monarch of the East
Honour my Feast,
And deign to be his Servant's Guest;
The King and
Haman
I invite.
AIR.
sung by
Ahasuerus.
How can I stay when Love invites!
I come my Queen to chaste Delights.
With Joy, with Pleasure, I obey;
To thee I give the Day.
DA CAPO.
Exeunt.
SCENE IV.
Manent ISRAELITES.
sung by
First Israelite.
With inward Joy his Visage glows.
He to the Queen's Apartment goes.
Beauty hath his Fury charm'd,
And all his Wrath disarm'd.
AIR.
Heav'n has lent her ev'ry Charm
Rising Fury to disarm
And the Monarch's Breast will prove,
That each Passion yields to Love.
CHORUS.
ANTHEM.
The King shall rejoice in thy strength, O Lord!
Exceeding glad shall he be of thy Salvation.
DUET and CHORUS.
His Honour is great in thy Salvation:
Glory and great Worship shall thou lay upon him.
CHORUS.
We will rejoice in thy Salvation, and triumph
In the Name of the Lord our God.
Hallelujah.
END of the Second ACT.
ACT III.
SCENE I.
MORDECAI and CHORUS of ISRAELITES.
RECITATIVE.
sung by
Mordecai.
JEHOVAH, crown'd with Glory bright,
Surrounded with eternal Light,
Whose Ministers are Flames of Fire,
Arise and execute thine Ire.
CHORUS.
He comes! he comes to end our Woes,
And pour his Vengeance on our Foes.
Earth trembles, lofty Mountains nod;
Jacob
arise and meet thy God.
SCENE III.
sung by
Ahasuerus.
Now, O Queen, thy Suit declare,
Ask half my Empire, and 'tis thine.
sung by
Esther.
O gracious King, my People spare,
For in their Lives, you strike at mine;
Reverse the dire Decree,
The Blow is aim'd at
Mordecai
and Me:
And is the Fate of
Mordecai
decreed,
Who, when the Ruffian's Sword
Sought to destroy my royal Lord,
Brought forth to Light the desp'rate Deed!
sung by
Ahasuerus.
Yes, yes I own, to him alone
I owe my Life and Throne:
Say then, my Queen, who dares pursue
The Life to which Reward is due.
sung by
Esther.
'Tis
Haman
's Hate
That sign'd his Fate.
sung by
Ahasuerus.
I swear by yon bright Globe of Light,
Which rules the Day,
That
Haman
's Sight
Shall never more behold the golden Ray!
AIR.
sung by
Haman.
Turn not, O Queen, thy Face away,
Behold me prostrate on the Ground!
O speak, his glowing Fury stay,
Let Mercy in thy Sight be found.
AIR.
sung by
Esther.
Flattering Tongue, no more I'll hear thee,
Vain are all thy cruel Wiles:
Bloody Wretch, no more I fear thee,
Vain thy Frowns, and vain thy Smiles.
Tyrant, when of Pow'r possess'd;
Now thou tremblest when distress'd.
DA CAPO.
RECITATIVE.
sung by
Ahasuerus.
Guards, seize the Traitor, bear him hence;
Death shall Reward the dire Offence;
To
Mordecai
be Honour paid;
The Royal Garment bring.
My Diadem shall grace his Head;
Let him in Triumph thro' the Streets be led,
Who sav'd the King.
AIR.
sung by
Ahasuerus.
Thro' the Nation he shall be
Next in Dignity to me;
All my People shall revere
Merit to their Prince so dear.
Daily to his honour'd Name,
Incense shall on Altars flame.
CHORUS.
All applauding Crouds around
Shall his deathless Fame resound.
AIR.
sung by
Haman.
How art thou fallen from thy Height!
Tremble Ambition at the Sight,
In Pow'r let Mercy sway.
When adverse Fortune is thy Lot,
Lest thou by Mercy be forgot,
And perish in that Day.
DA CAPO.
AIR and DUET.
I'll proclaim the wond'rous story,
Of the mercies I receive:
From the Day spring's dawning glory,
'Till the fading Day of Eve.
All the blessings Heav'n is lending,
We'll defend, our grateful lays
To his radiant Throne ascending,
Wasted on the wings of Praise.
In exalted raptures joining,
We'll employ our happy days;
All our grateful pow'rs combining,
To declare his endless praise.
SCENE III.
ISRAELITES with MORDECAI in Triumph.
GRAND CHORUS.
The Lord our Enemy has slain;
Hallelujah,
Solo.
Ye Sons of Jacob sing a chearful Strain.
Hallelujah.
Sing Songs of Praise, bow down the Knee,
Hallelujah.
The Worship of our God is free.
Hallelujah.
For ever blessed be his holy Name,
Let Heav'n and Earth his Praise proclaim.
Hallelujah.
FINIS.