THE MARTYR OF ANTIOCH. Sacred Musical Drama. The words selected and arranged from Milman's poem [by W.S. Gilbert]. The music composed by Arthur Sullivan. This work was composed expressly for, and performed for the first time at, the Leeds Triennial Musical Festival, October 15th, 1880. Dedicated by special permission to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. PREFACE. The Words of "The Martyr of Antioch" are selected from the drama of that name by the late Very Rev. H.H. Milman, Dean of St. Paul's. The responsibility of the selection, and of the alteration in the manner of Margarita's death, rests with the composer. To his friend Mr. W.S. Gilbert is due the change which in one or two cases has been necessary from blank verse to rhyme, and for these, and many valuable suggestions, he returns Mr. Gilbert his warm acknowledgements. The Action of the piece is laid at Antioch, in Syria, in the latter part of the third century. The persons represented are: -- HEATHENS. Olybius, the Roman Prefect. Callias, the Priest of Apollo. Julia, and other Maidens and Youths, Worshippers of the Sun. The Populace of Antioch. CHRISTIANS. Fabius, Bishop of Antioch. Margarita, Daughter of Callias, Priest of Apollo. The Christian Congregation. The plot may be briefly described. Olybius is in love with Margarita, and she returned his love. This, however, was in her heathen days. She is now a Christian, and with her conversion, of which both her lover and her father are ignorant, she, though still not indifferent to him, rejects all idea of union with a heathen. The piece opens with a chorus of Sun-worshippers, preliminary to a solemn sacrifice. The Prefect calls for Margarita to take her accustomed place and lead the worship. During her non-appearance, the Priest charges him with lukewarmness in the cause of Apollo, and he avows his firm intention to put all Christians to death. The scene changes to the Christian Cemetery, where one of the brethren is buried, and a hymn is sung over him. After the funeral, Margarita remains behind, and pours forth her feelings in adoration of the Saviour. Her father finds her thus employed, and learns for the first time of her conversion. The scene again changes to the Palace of the Prefect. The Maidens of Apollo sing their evening song. Olybius and Margarita are left together; he begins his old endearments, and dilates on the glories which will be hers when they are united. She then confesses that she is a Christian; he curses her religion, and she leaves him for prison. The final action takes place outside the prison of the Christians on the road to the Temple of Apollo. The Maidens of Daphne chant the glories of the god, while from within the prison are heard the more solemn and determined strains of the Christians. Margarita is brought out and required to make her choice. She proclaims her faith in Christ. Her lover and her father urge her to retract, but in vain; and she dies with the words of rapture on her lips:-- "The Christ, the Christ, commands me to His Home; Jesus, Redeemer, Lord, I come! I come! I come!" [I have the full sanction of the Dean's sons for the use I have made of his drama; and they permit me to say that, in their opinion, the alterations inevitable upon the adaptation of the drama to musical requirements have been made with judgment and good taste, and in complete accordance with the spirit of the original work. -- A.S.] CHARACTERS. MARGARITA (Soprano). JULIA (Contralto). OLYBIUS (Tenor). CALLIAS (Bass). FABIUS (Bass). INTRODUCTION. SCENE 1. -- The front of the Temple of Apollo. No. 1. CHORUS OF SUN WORSHIPPERS. MEN. Lord of the golden day That holdst thy fiery way, Out-dazzling from the heavens each waning star, What time Aurora fair, With loose dew-dropping hair, And the swift Hours have yoked Thy radiant car. Thou mountest heaven's blue steep, And the universal sleep From the wide world withdraws its misty veil. The silent cities wake, The encamped armies shake Their unfurled banners in the freshening gale. The basking earth displays Her green breast in the blaze, And all the Gods upon Olympus' head In haughty joy behold Thy trampling coursers bold, Obey thy sovereign rein with stately tread. MAIDENS. Lord of the speaking lyre, That with a touch of fire, Strik'st music which delays the charmed spheres, And with a soft control Dost steal away the soul, And draw from melting eyes delicious tears. Thou the dead hero's name Dost sanctify to fame, Embalmed in rich and ever-fragrant verse. In every sunlit clime, Through all eternal time, Assenting lands his deathless deeds rehearse. JULIA. The love-sick damsel laid, Beneath the myrtle shade, Drinks from thy cup of song with raptured ear, And dead to all around, Save the sweet bliss of sound, Sits heedless that her soul's beloved is near. MAIDENS. The love-sick damsel laid, etc. MEN. Lord of the unerring bow, Whose fateful arrows go Like shafts of lightning from the quivering string, Pierced through each scaly fold, Enormous Python rolled, While thy triumphant to the sky didst spring. And scorn and beauteous ire, Steeped with ennobling fire Thy quivering lip and all thy beardless face. Loose flew thy clustering hair, While thou the trackless air Didst walk in all thine own celestial grace. MAIDENS. Lord of the holy spring Where the Nine Sisters sing, Their dearest haunt our Syrian Castaly; There oft the enchanted maid, By the cool waters laid, Feels all her labouring bosom full of thee. ALL. The Kings of earth stand near In pale religious fear, The purple sovereign of imperial Rome, In solemn awe hath heard The wild prophetic word That spake the cloud-wrapt mystery of his doom. {MAIDENS. Lord of the holy spring, etc. {MEN. Lord of the unerring bow, etc. MEN. Lord of the cypress grove, That here in baffled love, The soft Thessalian maid didst still pursue. Until her snowy foot In the green earth took root, And in thine arms a verdant laurel grew. ALL. Lord of the cypress grove, etc. ALL. And still thy tenderest beams Over our falling streams At shadowy eve delight to hover long. They to Orontes' tide In liquid music glide Through banks that blossom their sweet course along. MAIDENS. And still in Daphne's bower Thou wanderest many an hour, Kissing the turf by her light footsteps trod, And nymphs at noon-tide deep, Start from their dreaming sleep, And in his glory see the bright-haired God. ALL. Phoebus Apollo hear, Great Lycian King, appear! Come from thy Cynthian steep or Xanthus' shore. Here to our Syrian home, Invisible god-head come, And o'er our land thy choicest influence pour. Phoebus Apollo hear, Great Lycian King, appear! No. 2. SOLO (Callias) and ARIA (Olybius). CALLIAS. Break off the hymn! And now the solemn rites are duly paid, The hundred steers have bled, O'er all the Temple the rich incense curls In clouds of fragrance, And the golden cups in generous libation have poured forth The honied wine, and all along the shade of sacred Daphne Hath your pomp been led! Waking the slumbering echoes from their caves, To multiply the adoring Io Paean To great Apollo! OLYBIUS. Where is the crown and palm-like grace of all, The sacred virgin Priestess, Margarita? Come, Margarita, come, Come in thy zoneless grace, Take thine appointed place, And strike thy holy lyre of silver string. Come, Margarita, come. For this delay of thine, Thou wilt the fairer shine, Even as a late long-looked-for flower in Spring. Come, Margarita, come. For when her living lyre out sings, The shamed birds do fold their wings, And all upon whose ear it falls, Stand breathless as the listening walls, That, as they tower in space above, Themselves seem touched to light and love. Come, Margarita, come, Come, Margarita, come! No. 3. DUET (Olybius and Callias). CALLIAS. Great Olybius, 'tis said that here in Antioch, The high place and chosen sanctuary of those Galileans, Who with their godless and incestuous rites Offend the thousand Deities of Rome: 'Tis said, even here Olybius hath let sleep The thunders of the law, which should have smitten With the stern frequency of angry Jove, When with fierce storms he darkens all the world. OLYBIUS. It is most true that I have sought to stay this frenzy, Not with angry fire and sword, But with lofty and contemptuous mercy, That scorned too much to punish. But, Callias, I am not one that wears a subject's duty loose, And cast off when e'er a changeful will Would clothe itself in sole authority. The edict of the Emperor is to me As the unrepealed word of fate, To death it doth devote these Christians, And to death my voice shall doom them. No. 4. CHORUS. Long live the Christian's scourge, Long live Olybius! Go on thy flower-strewn road, The champion of our God, By Phoebus' self his chosen chef confessed. His brightest splendours bask Upon thy flowing casque, And gild the waving glories of thy crest. SCENE II. -- The Burial place of the Christians. -- Night. ORGAN SOLO. No. 5. -- FUNERAL ANTHEM (Unaccompanied) [S.A.T.B.] Brother, thou hast gone before us, and thy saintly soul is flown Where tears are wiped from every eye, and sorrow is unknown. From the burden of the flesh and from care and fear released, Where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. The toilsome way thou'st travelled o'er and borne the heavy load, But Christ hath taught thy languid feet to reach his blest abode. Thou'rt sleeping now like Lazarus upon his Father's breast. Where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. "Earth to earth" and "dust to dust," the solemn priest hath said, So we lay the turf above thee now, and seal thy narrow bed, But thy spirit, brother, soars away, the faithful blest, Where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. And when the Lord shall summon us whom thou hast left behind, May we, untainted by the world, as sure a welcome find. May each, like thee, depart in peace to be a glorious guest, Where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. No. 6. SOLO (Fabius). Brother, thou slumberest silent as yon stars; And silent as the falling dews around thee, We leave thy verdant grave. Hold we all prepared, Like him before whose hallowed grave we stand, To give the last and awful testimony To Christ our Lord. Hark! hark! they are behind us. They come to drag us to the judgment hall. Pale lights are gleaming through the dusky night, And hurrying feet are trampling to an fro. Disperse -- disperse, my brethren to your homes. Farewell! we meet, if not on earth, in heaven. No. 7. SOLO, RECITATIVE, and HYMN (Margarita). Yet once again I touch thy golden strings, My silent and forgotten lyre! I too like thee was hallowed to an impious service Even till a touch from heaven waked my soul's music, And poured it forth in ecstasy to Him who died for men. And shall not thou, my partner In mine unholy worship, mingle now Thy sweetness with my purer vows, Oh! fountain of sounds delicious, shall I not unseal thee! Dwell not within thy secret wreathed shell Sounds full of chaste and holy melancholy, Even sounds accordant to the weary steps of Him, That loaded with the ponderous Cross, toiled up the steep of Calvary. For thou didst die for me, oh, Son of God! By thee the throbbing flesh of man was worn; Thy naked feet the thorns of sorrow trod, And tempests beat thy houseless head forlorn. Thou that wert wont to stand Alone on God's right hand, Before the ages were, the Eternal eldest born. Low bowed thy head convulsed and drooped in death, Thy voice sent forth a sad and wailing cry, Slow struggled from thy breast the parting breath, And every limb was wrung with agony, That head whose veil-less blaze Filled angels with amaze, When at that voice sprang forth the rolling suns on high. For us, for us thou didst endure the pain, And thy meek spirit bowed itself to shame, To wash our souls from sin's infecting stain, To avert the Father's wrathful vengeance flame; Thou that could'st nothing win By saving worlds from sin Nor aught of glory add to thy glorious name. No. 8. -- DUET (Margarita and Callias). CALLIAS. My own, my loved, my beauteous child! Once more thou art thyself. MARGARITA. How to unbarb the dart Which I must strike into his inmost soul? Oh, heaven, have mercy on him in thy mercy! His love surpasses every love but thine. CALLIAS. Why dost thou tremble, child? The altar waits. MARGARITA. I cannot sacrifice! CALLIAS. Are mine ears false to me -- Darest thou deny thy God, thy father's God, The God of Antioch? MARGARITA. No god is he, but mortal as thyself, Withering before the all-enlightening Lamb, Whose radiant throne shall quench all other fires. CALLIAS. Behold in yonder space thy King enthroned, As God adored by man -- by thee disowned. See his eternal might, And shade thy brow, Is he not Life and Light? What sayest thou? MARGARITA. To yonder orb I say, "Bridegroom gold-crowned, Sent forth to cast thy ray on man earth-bound; Thy golden lustre shed, Shine thou on high, Till time itself be dead, Then shalt thou die." {CALLIAS. Behold in yonder space, etc. {MARGARITA. To yonder orb I say, etc. SCENE III. -- Palace of the Prefect. No. 9. -- CHORUS (S.A.). "EVENING SONG OF THE MAIDENS." Come away with willing feet, Quit the close and breathless street: Sultry court and chamber leave, Come and taste the balmy eve, Where the grass is cool and green, And the verdant laurels screen All whose timid footsteps move With quickening stealth of love. Where Orontes' waters hold Mirrors to your locks of gold, And the sacred Daphne weaves Canopies of trembling leaves. Come away with willing feet, etc. Come away, the heavens above Just have light enough for love, And the crystal Hesperus Lights his dew-fed lamp above. Come the wider shades are falling, And the amorous birds are calling Each his wandering mate to rest, In the close and downy nest. And the snowy orange flowers, And the creeping jasmine flowers From their swinging censers cast Their richest odours and their last. Come, the busy day is o'er, Flying spindle gleams no more, Wait not till the twilight gloom Darken o'er the embroidered loom, Leave the toilsome task undone, Leave the golden web unspun, Hark! along the humming air, Home the laden bees repair, And the bright and dashing rill From the side of every hill, With a clearer, deeper sound, Cools the freshening air around: Come away with willing feet, etc. No. 10. -- RECITATIVE and AIR (Olybius). Sweet Margarita, give me thine hand for once, Oh, snowy treasure! That shall be mine, thus fondly clasped for ever. See what Olybius' love prepares for thee, A palace tuneful with Assyrian choir, The wealth of Indian looms beyond the sea, And all the slaved breezes waft to Tyre. When sated with the purple of parade, In summer gardens thou shalt pass the day, On sunny lawns or in secluded shade, Where silver dashing fountains idly play. A throne whereon the Asiarch holds his state, Thou shalt then rule our army and our fleet; While subject Prince and vassal Potentate Pour forth their lavish homage at thy feet; By all the world of Orient Kings adored, Proud panoplies obedient at thy side, Proud panoplies obedient to thy call; Thou fairer for the lustre of thy lord, Thy lord more glorious for his lovely bride. No. 11. -- DUET (Margarita and Olybius). MARGARITA. Oh, hear me, Olybius, I know thy spirit pants for glory; There is a thirst within thine utmost soul Which triumphs cannot satiate, nor the sway of earth; I'll tell thee how to win a record That shall be registered by flaming hands In the adamantine heavens. OLYBIUS. But canst thou win me an immortality of thee? MARGARITA. I can! OLYBIUS. Name then the price, be it forfeit life Of the most hardy in yon Christian crew, 'tis given. MARGARITA. I ask thine own eternal soul, Believe in Jesus Christ, and I am thine! For I would quit my cloudless course on high To wander in the darkling world with thee, Learn thou this faith and then thy bride Will bring to thee another dowry than her poor beauty. OLYBIUS. Curse upon this faith that thus hath wrung The love from thy pure soul, Curse upon thy -- MARGARITA. Ha! thou shalt not curse the Saviour! So now farewell for ever, proud Olybius! Though my voice fail, I'll weep a last farewell. OLYBIUS. Now whither goest thou? MARGARITA. To my prison, Sir. SCENE IV. -- The Temple of Apollo. No. 12. -- CHORUS (Heathen Maidens and Christian). MAIDENS. Now glory to the God who breaks, The monarch of the realms on high, And with his trampling chariot shakes The azure pavement of the sky. CHRISTIANS [T.B.]. Now glory to the God whose throne, Far from this world obscure and dim, Holds its eternal state alone Beyond the flight of seraphim. {MAIDENS. Now glory to the God who breaks, etc. {CHRISTIANS. Now glory to the God whose throne, etc. No. 13. -- SOLO (Julia) and CHORUS. JULIA. The maids lift up their hymn around the temple, Now lead the Priestess forth to hear her doom, To worship at Apollo's shrine or die. Io Paean! as we sing Light our smoking censers swing, And each laden basket showers All its painted store of flowers. Io Paean! Clarian God, Come and fill thy proud abode. CHORUS [S.A.T.B.]. Io Paean! Io Paean! JULIA. Io Paean! we behold Naught but walls that flame with gold, Long retiring colonnades Crowded with the sacred maids. Io Paean! youth divine, Open thou thy sacred shrine. CHORUS. Io Paean! Io Paean! JULIA. Io Paean! we adore thee, Phoebus, low we bow before thee, Io Paean! Lycian King! Syria's crowding myriads sing. Io Paean! Heaven and earth Mingle in our holy mirth. CHORUS. Io Paean! Io Paean! No. 14. -- SCENE (Margarita, Julia, Olybius, Callias, and Chorus). JULIA, OLYBIUS, CALLIAS. Great is Olybius, and his mercy great! Maiden, up-raise thy voice, Olybius' throne or a blasphemer's fate Is thine; make thou thy choice. MARGARITA. 'Tis made. The funeral pyre. CHORUS. Blasphemy! Blasphemy! Hear what the Priestess saith, She doth profane our faith, Our God, the God of day. Away with her! Away, away with her! Away with her! Blasphemy! Blasphemy! MARGARITA. God, at whose word the vast creation sprang Exulting in its light and harmony, From the blank silence of the void abyss; That God hath spoken by his Son. He came From the dark ages of the infant world, Foretold -- the Prophets' everlasting burthen, The virgin bare the Son, the angelic host Burst out in song, The Father from his clouds declared him. And again he comes, Again, but not as then. Not clad in mortal flesh, To live the life or die the death of man. Girt with his own omnipotence, His throne the wreck of worlds; The glory of his presence lighting infinity, He comes, he comes to assume the eternal judgment seat! [the vocal score notes that the remainder of this solo may be omitted if desired.] Then thou and I shall meet once more, Before the face of Him whose awful brightness Shall be the sun of that dread day in which The thousand thousands of the angelic hosts And all the souls of all mankind shall bask, Waiting their doom eternal. Thou and I shall then give in the account of this day's process, And Christ shall render each his own reward -- Now sir, your sentence. CHORUS. Blasphemy! Blasphemy! Hear what the Priestess saith, She doth profane our faith, Our God, the God of day. Away with her! Away, away with her! Away with her! Blasphemy! Blasphemy! MARGARITA. The Lord my God is with me and I fear not: The world is but his chamber, And this earth is but the foot-stool of his throne, The heaven's hang in their folds of light to canopy the Omnipresent. OLYBIUS. How doth the rapture of her speech Enkindle the brightness of her beauty! never yet Looked she so lovely when her loosed locks Flowed in the frantic grace of inspiration From the burst fillet down her snowy neck. No. 15. -- QUARTET (Margarita, Julia, Olybius, and Callias). CALLIAS. Have mercy, unrelenting heaven! Have mercy! Oh child of mine, have mercy thou! Was it to curse thy father's brow That thou, my child, to him wast given? Have mercy! OLYBIUS. Have mercy, unrelenting heaven! Have mercy! Oh, love of mine, have mercy thou! To thee my aching heart I bow, For thee alone that heart was striven, Have mercy! {JULIA. Have mercy, unrelenting heaven! Have mercy! {OLYBIUS. Have mercy, oh, unrelenting heaven! {CALLIAS. Have mercy, oh, unrelenting heaven! {MARGARITA. Have mercy, oh, forgiving heaven! { On these I love have pity thou, { They know not how my heart is riven, { Have mercy! { Have mercy, oh, forgiving heaven! {JULIA. Have mercy, unrelenting heaven! { On these I love have pity thou, { They know not how my heart is riven, { Have mercy! { Have mercy, oh, forgiving heaven! {OLYBIUS. Oh, love of mine, have mercy thou! { To thee my aching heart I bow, { For thee alone that heart was striven, { Have mercy! { Have mercy, unrelenting heaven! {CALLIAS. Oh child of mine, have mercy thou! { To thee my aching heart I bow, { For thee a child to him wast given, { Have mercy, unrelenting heaven! No. 16. -- CHORUS. -- FINALE. TENORS. The hour of mercy's o'er -- or sacrifice or die. CHORUS. The hour of mercy's o'er -- or sacrifice or die. OLYBIUS. What means she? Why does she look to yon bright heaven? What sees, That makes her full eyes kindle as they gaze undazzled on the fiery sky? MARGARITA. What means yon blaze on high? The empyrean sky, Like the proud veil of some proud fane, is rending, I see the star-paved land Where all the angels stand, E'en to the highest height in burning rows ascending, Some with their winds dispread, And bowed the stately head, As on some mission of God's love departing, Like flames from midnight conflagration starting. Behold! the appointed messengers are they, And nearest earth they wait to waft our souls away, Higher and higher still More lofty stations fill The jasper courts of the everlasting dwelling. Cherub and seraph pace The illimitable space While sleep the folded plumes from their shoulders swelling. From all the harping throng Burst the tumultuous song Like the unceasing sounds of the cataracts pouring, Hosanna o'er Hosanna louder soaring, That faintly echoing down to earthly ears, Hath seemed the consort sweet of the harmonious spheres, Again I see, again The great victorious strain, The Martyr Army from their toils reposing: The blood-red robes they wear Empurpling all the air, E'en their immortal limbs the signs of wounds disclosing. Beyond -- ah! who is there, With the white, snowy hair? 'Tis He! 'tis He! The Son of Man appearing At the right hand of One, The darkness of whose throne That sun-eyed seraph Host behold with awe and fearing. Hark! thunders from his throne Like steel-clad armies marching, The Christ, the Christ, commands us to his home; Jesus, Redeemer, Lord, I come! Lord! Lord! I come! I come! CHORUS. Glory, glory, glory! The Lord Almighty reigneth, He who forfeits earthly life A life celestial gaineth! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! [For stage performance, this final chorus is extended as follow.] Glory, glory, glory! The Lord Almighty reigneth, He who forfeits earthly life A life celestial gaineth! Sing to the Lord! Let harp and lute and voice Up to the expanding gates of heaven rejoice, While the bright martyrs to their rest are borne. Sing to the Lord! their bloodstained course is run; And every head its diadem hath won Rich as the purple of the summer morn: Sing the triumphant champions of their God, While burn their mounting feet along the skyward road, Sing to the Lord! It is not shed in vain, The blood of martyrs from its freshening rain, High springs the Church like some fount-shadowing palm. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!