E-text prepared by Charles Franks, Delphine Lettau, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) PSYCHE. by MOLIÈRE Translated into English Prose. With Short Introductions and Explanatory Notes. by CHARLES HERON WALL 'Psyche' is a _tragédie-ballet_. Molière had sketched the plan, written the prologue, the first act, and the first scenes of the second and third acts, when the King asked him to have the play finished before Lent. Pierre Corneille, then sixty years old, helped him, and wrote the other scenes in a fortnight. Quinault wrote the words of the songs. Molière acted the part of Zephyr. PERSONS REPRESENTED. JUPITER. VENUS. LOVE. ZEPHYR. AEGIALE _and_ PHAËNE, _two Graces_. THE KING. PSYCHE. AGLAURA. CIDIPPE. CLEOMENES _and_ AGENOR, _two princes_, PSYCHE'S _lovers_. LYCAS, _captain of the guards_. A RIVER GOD TWO CUPIDS. PROLOGUE. _The front of the stage represents a rustic spot, while at the back the sea can be seen in the distance._ SCENE I. FLORA _appears in the centre of the stage, attended by_ VERTUMNUS, _god of trees and fruit, and by_ PALEMON, _god of the streams. Each of these gods conducts a troup of divinities; one leads in his train_ DRYADS _and_ SYLVANS, _and the other_ RIVER GODS _and_ NAIADS. FLORA _sings the following lines, to invite_ VENUS _to descend upon earth_:-- FLORA. The din of battle is stayed; The mightiest king of earth His arms aside has laid; Of peace 'tis now the birth! Descend thou, lovely Venus, And blissful hours grant us! VERTUMNUS _and_ PALEMON, _and the divinities who attend them, join their voices to that of_ FLORA, _and sing the following words_.-- CHORUS OF DIVINITIES _of the earth and streams, composed of_ FLORA, NYMPHS, PALEMON, VERTUMNUS, SYLVANS, FAUNS, DRYADS, _and_ NAIADS. A peace profound we now enjoy, And games and bliss without alloy; Earth's mightiest king has giv'n us rest; To him be praise and thanks addrest. Descend thou, lovely Venus, And happy hours grant us! _Then is formed an entry of the ballet, composed of two_ DRYADS, _four_ SYLVANS, _two_ RIVER GODS, _and two_ NAIADS, _after which_ VERTUMNUS _and_ PALEMON _sing the following dialogue_:-- VERTUMNUS. Yield, yield, ye beauties stern, To sigh 'tis now your turn! PALEMON. See you, the queen above, She comes to breathe soft love! VERTUMNUS. A fair one stern for aye Ne'er wins a faithful sigh! PALEMON. To woo has beauty arms, But gentleness has greater charms. BOTH (_together_). To woo has beauty arms; But gentleness has greater charms. VERTUMNUS. Seek not your hearts to shield; To pine is law, and ye must yield. PALEMON. Is aught more worthless born Than hearts that love will scorn? VERTUMNUS. A fair one stern, for aye Ne'er wins a faithful sigh! PALEMON. To woo has beauty arms, But gentleness has greater charms.