JUNO. My daughter! Inspiration spurs thee on, Raising thy heart to flights of Helicon! If thus in strains of Delphic ecstasy Ascends the short-lived blissful memory Of his bright charms,--Oh, how divine must be His own sweet voice,--his look how heavenly! But why of that great attribute Kronion joys in most, be mute,-- The majesty that hurls the thunder, And tears the fleeting clouds asunder? Wilt thou say naught of that alone? Prometheus and Deucalion May lend the fairest charms of love, But none can wield the bolt save Jove! The thunderbolt it is alone Which he before thy feet laid down That proves thy right to beauty's crown. SEMELE. What sayest thou? What are thunder-bolts to me? JUNO. (Smiling.) Ah, Semele! A jest becomes thee well! SEMELE. Deucalion has no offspring so divine As is my Zeus--of thunder naught I know. JUNO. Mere envy! Fie! SEMELE. No, Beroe! By Zeus! JUNO. Thou swearest? SEMELE. By Zeus! by mine own Zeus! JUNO. (Shrieking.) Thou swearest? Unhappy one! SEMELE. (In alarm.) What meanest thou, Beroe? JUNO. Repeat the word that dooms thee to become the wretchedest of all on earth's wide face!-- Alas, lost creature! 'Twas not Zeus! SEMELE. Not Zeus? Oh, fearful thought! JUNO. A cunning traitor 'twas From Attica, who 'neath a godlike form, Robbed thee of honor, shame, and innocence!-- [SEMELE sinks to the ground. Well mayest thou fall! Ne'er mayest thou rise again! May endless night enshroud thine eyes in darkness, May endless silence round thine ears encamp! Remain forever here a lifeless mass! Oh, infamy! Enough to hurl chaste day Back into Hecate's gloomy arms once more! Ye gods! And is it thus that Beroe Finds Cadmus' daughter, after sixteen years Of bitter separation! Full of joy I came from Epidaurus; but with shame To Epidaurus must retrace my steps.-- Despair I take with me. Alas, my people! E'en to the second Deluge now the plague May rage at will, may pile mount Oeta high With corpses upon corpses, and may turn All Greece into one mighty charnel-house, Ere Semele can bend the angry gods. I, thou, and Greece, and all, have been betrayed! SEMELE. (Trembling as she rises, and extending an arm towards her.) Oh, Beroe! JUNO. Take courage, my dear heart! Perchance 'tis Zeus! although it scarce can be! Perchance 'tis really Zeus! This we must learn! He must disclose himself to thee, or thou Must fly his sight forever, and devote The monster to the death-revenge of Thebes. Look up, dear daughter--look upon the face Of thine own Beroe, who looks on thee With sympathizing eyes--my Semele, Were it not well to try him? SEMELE. No, by heaven! I should not find him then--