see him received into the number of the demi-gods: the hunters
pay their homage to him, and the whole concludes by a general
country-dance.
The other specimen has for title,
The COQUETTE PUNISHED.
The decoration represents a delicious garden, in which there
are several compartments, separated by canals and _jet-d'eaux_.
This scenery should exhibit the prospect of at once a
pleasure-garden, and a fruit-one.
In the bottom of this perspective, there appear several
gardeners busied, some in pruning the hedges, others in sowing
and planting: more towards the front are seen, some women at
work, tying up the flowers, or cleaning them from pernicious
leaves; others setting roots in vases. All this forms the
scenical picture at the drawing up the curtain.
A simphony mixed with the most rural instruments of music,
begins with soft and soothing airs.
One of the female gardeners, more showishly dressed than the
others, and who is employed upon some necessary task about the
flower-vases, seems however more attentive to the admiring the
flowers, than to do her work: and as she is standing near a
canal, she is, when she imagines none are taking notice of her,
looking _at_ her figure in the watery mirror, admiring herself,
and adjusting her dress. Though she does all this by stealth,
her companions remark her coquettry, make signs to each other,
and point her out to the gardeners, who join the laugh at her,
without the coquet's perceiving it, who is too much taken up
with herself.
The simphony should express by the sounds, as nearly as
possible, the mockery and bursts of laughter from the rest of
the gardeners.
The coquet is sadly tempted to gather some of the flowers for
her own use, but dares not. In the moment that she is expressing
the greatest mind for it, enters a gardener, who is not one of
those employed at work, and who makes up to her, shows her a
fine nosegay, and signifies to her that he is come on purpose to
offer it her. The coquet immediately leaves off her work; and
this _pas-de-deux_ begins by all the little grimaces and false
coyness that the coquette opposes to her acceptance of the
nosegay, but which at the same time only the more betray the
mind she has for it. The gardener keeps pressing her to receive
it. Her companions, curious to see how this will end, advance
little by little towards them: the gardeners follow them; and
all surrounding the coquette and her swain, form a dance, in
which the men seem to excite the lover not to take a denial, and
the women want to engage the coquette to receive the nosegay;
but all this, with a bantering air: at length the coquette
accepts it, sticks some of the flowers in her hair, and the rest
in her bosom. Her companions and the gardeners, shew by their
signs, that they were very sure she would take the nosegay and
return to their, work.
Another gardener now enters, on the side opposite to that on
which the first came, and advancing with an air of gaiety,
presents to the coquette, a small basket of fine fruit. In this
_pas-de-trois_, she a-fresh makes a great many faces, about
whether she will take the fruit or not. The swain of the nosegay
expresses his vexation at the intervention of this rival, but
the coquette manages so well that she pacifies his jealousy, and
accepts the other's basket of fruit, which she hangs upon her
arm. The gardeners do not quit their work, but they give to
understand by shrewd signs, what they think of the coquette's
game.
It is easy to conceive, that the composer of this music will, in
the airs made for the _pas-de-deux_, and _pas-de-trois_, pay
attention to the different affections that are to be
characterised by the dance.
While the gardener who brought the nosegay, and the other who
presented the fruit, and the coquette, are all seemingly in good
harmony, enters a third gardener, gallantly dressed, of a most
engaging figure, having in his hands some pink-and-silver
ribbons.
The simphony should announce the arrival of this amiable
gardener, by an air all expressive of briskness and gay
gallantry.
The gallant gardener approaches the coquette, and shews her
those glittering ribbons, which at once catch her eye, and give
her a violent longing for them. This new-comer takes notice of
the flowers in her hair and bosom, and of the fruit-basket hung
upon her arm. He gives her plainly to understand that she must
return all this to his rivals, if she has a mind to have the
ribbons. These begin to express their resentment; but the
coquette is so transported with the pleasure of bedizening
herself with those ribbons, that no regard can with-hold her:
she returns the flowers to the one, and the fruit to the other,
and takes the ribbons. The two gardeners, who see themselves
slighted in this manner, threaten him who has given the ribbons,
and throw themselves into attitudes of falling upon him; at
which he puts on a resolute look, and does not seem to fear
them. Her companions and the gardeners leave their work, and
advance some steps forwards, being curious to see how the scene
will end.
The simphony should here express, by different airs, the
resentment of the two first swains, and the resentment of the
gallant gardener.
The coquette uses her best arts to pacify the two angry
gardeners; but it is all in vain; they express their
indignation, and are determined to take their revenge upon their
rival. Just in the instant that they are preparing to attack
him, and that he is stoutly standing upon his defence, comes in
a female gardener, amiable, lively, but without any mark of
coquettry in her looks or dress; who, by the eager and
frightened air with which she interposes, and places herself
between the gallant gardener and the others, to prevent their
hurting him, discovers the tender regard she has for him.
The two others, in respect to this charming girl, dare not
proceed; but they give her to understand that the coquette has
been so base as to return the flowers to the one, and the fruit
to the other, that she might get the ribbons from the gardener
whom she is protecting from their just resentment.
At this the offended fair one expresses to her lover her
indignation, but does not the less for that make the others
sensible that she will not suffer them to hurt him. She snatches
next, from the coquette, the ribbons. The whole company round
testify their approbation of what she has done, even the two
gardeners, who were, the moment before, so angry, burst out
a-laughing for joy, to see the coquette so well punished, being
now left without flowers, fruit, or ribbons; at which she
withdraws, overwhelmed with confusion, and with the loud laugh
and rallying gestures of her companions and the other gardeners.
The gay gardener, vexed at having been surprised by his
mistress, in an act of gallantry to another woman, wants to pass
it off to her as merely a scheme to amuse himself, and to laugh
at the coquette. At first she will not hear him; she treads the
ribbons under her feet, and is going away in a passion. He stops
her, and entreats her forgiveness with an air so moving and
penetrated, that, little by little, she is disarmed of her
anger, and pardons him, in sign of which she gives him her hand.
There is no need of specifying here what the dance in action,
accompanied by the music, should express in this _pas-de-deux_;
it is too obvious.
The gardeners, men and women, testify their rejoicing at this
reconciliation, and the dance becomes general.
_FINIS._
* * * * *
* * * *
* * * * *
SPELLING NOTES:
The word "Salii" was consistently printed as Salü (u with umlaut);
it has been corrected for the e-text. The word "Præsul" was printed
in italics and may have read "Proesul" (oe for ae ligature);
it is here given the standard spelling.
A number of words usually spelled with "y" are written with "i" in this
text: nimph, mith, simbol; and names such as Pilades, Hilas.
The form "Hetruscans" is used consistently.
Some Variations and Anomalies:
"character" is sometimes spelled "charracter" or "caracter"
"direct" and "dirrect" both occur
"withall" is more common than "withal"
"embarras" is consistently spelled with one "s"
"exagerate" is almost always spelled with one "g"
"choregraphy" is always written without the second "o"
"gestual" is not an error for "gestural" but a different word
ERRORS, noted or corrected:
_All duplications occur across a line break ("of / of ...")._
diverting the Romans from serious thoughts [thoughs]
twirling it, or with a pail to draw water [a a pail]
Voi gli correrete dietro [Voigli]
"Then handing you backwards
[_catchword has "There" for "Then"_]
specifying rules for its attainment [for for]
must be strictly forbidden [fobidden]
a vain silly hint of self-recomdation;
[_text unchanged: "recom/dation" at line break_]
nothing is more strongly inculcated [stongly]
Persons of every size or shape [of of]
inhabitants of the southren climates [_spelling unchanged_]
called by them _LasCheganças_, [_spacing unchanged_]
(not to mention Sadler's wells) [_capitalization unchanged_]
not being able to contradict the authorities
[_printed "be/ing" at line break without hyphen_]
adopted with a passionate fondness by the Romans [adoped]
the obstacles which arise out of the ground-work
[_printed "our of", corrected by hand to "out of"_]
and steps of Venus [of of]