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SEMELE.
Withdraw, withdraw thy hand!–Oh, mercy, mercy,
For the poor nation! Yes, thou art the child
Of great Saturnius–

ZEUS. Ha! thou thoughtless one!
Shall Zeus, to please a woman’s stubbornness,
Bid planets whirl, and bid the suns stand still?
Zeus will do so!–oft has a god’s descendant
Ripped up the fire-impregnate womb of rocks,
And yet his might’s confined to Tellus’ bounds
Zeus only can do this!
(He extends his hand–the sun vanishes, and it becomes
suddenly night.)

SEMELE. (Falling down before him.)
Almighty one!
Couldst thou but love! [Day reappears.

ZEUS. Ha! Cadmus’ daughter asks
Kronion if Kronion e’er can love!
One word and he throws off divinity–
Is flesh and blood, and dies, and is beloved!

SEMELE.
Would Zeus do that?
ZEUS. Speak, Semele! What more?
Apollo’s self confesses that ’tis bliss
To be a man ‘mongst men–a sign from thee,
And I’m a man!

SEMELE. (Falling on his neck.)
Oh Jupiter, the Epidaurus women
Thy Semele a foolish maiden call,
Because, though by the Thunderer beloved,
She can obtain naught from him–

ZEUS. (Eagerly.) They shall blush,
Those Epidaurus women! Ask!–but ask!
And by the dreaded Styx–whose boundless might
Binds e’en the gods like slaves–if Zeus deny thee,
Then shall the gods, e’en in that self-same moment,
Hurl me despairing to annihilation!

SEMELE. (Springing up joyfully.)
By this I know that thou’rt my Jupiter!
Thou swearest–and the Styx has heard thine oath!
Let me embrace thee, then, in the same guise
In which–

ZEUS. (Shrieking with alarm.)
Unhappy one! Oh stay! oh stay!

SEMELE. Saturnia–

ZEUS. (Attempting to stop her mouth.)
Be thou dumb!

SEMELE. Embraces thee.

ZEUS. (Pale, and turning away.)
Too late! The sound escaped!–The Styx!–‘Tis death
Thou, Semele, hast gained!

SEMELE. Ha! Loves Zeus thus?

ZEUS.
All heaven I would have given, had I only
Loved thee but less! (Gazing at her with cold
horror.) Thou’rt lost–

SEMELE. Oh, Jupiter!

ZEUS. (Speaking furiously to himself,)
Ah! Now I mark thine exultation, Juno!
Accursed jealousy! This rose must die!
Too fair–alas! too sweet for Acheron!

SEMELE.
Methinks thou’rt niggard of thy majesty!

ZEUS.
Accursed be my majesty, that now
Has blinded thee! Accursed be my greatness,
That must destroy thee! Cursed be I myself
For having built my bliss on crumbling dust!

SEMELE.
These are but empty terrors, Zeus! In truth
I do not dread thy threats!
ZEUS. Deluded child!
Go! take a last farewell forever more
Of all thy friends beloved–naught, naught has power
To save thee, Semele! I am thy Zeus!
Yet that no more–Go–

SEMELE. Jealous one! the Styx!–
Think not that thou’lt be able to escape me. [Exit.]

ZEUS.
No! Juno shall not triumph.–She shall tremble–
Aye, and by virtue of the deadly might
That makes the earth and makes the heavens my footstool,
Upon the sharpest rock in Thracia’s land
With adamantine chains I’ll bind her fast.
But, oh, this oath–
[Mercury appears in the distance.
What means thy hasty flight?

MERCURY.
I bring the fiery, winged, and weeping thanks
Of those whom thou hast blessed–

ZEUS. Again destroy them!

MERCURY. (In amazement.)
Zeus!

ZEUS. None shall now be blessed! She dies–

[The curtain falls.]