Then speak these words: "Thou shalt not touch this body, till thou comest To Cadmus' daughter clothed in all the might Wherein thou art embraced by Kronos' daughter!" Be not thou terrified, my Semele, If he, in order to escape thy wish, As bugbears paints the horrors of his presence— Describes the flames that round about him roar, The thunder round him rolling when he comes: These, Semele, are naught but empty fears— The gods dislike to show to us frail mortals These the most glorious of their attributes; Be thou but obstinate in thy request, And Juno's self will gaze on thee with envy. SEMELE. The frightful ox-eyed one! How often he Complains, in the blest moments of our love, Of her tormenting him with her black gall— JUNO. (Aside, furiously, but with embarrassment.) Ha! creature! Thou shalt die for this contempt! SEMELE. My Beroe! What art thou murmuring there? JUNO. (In confusion.) Nothing, my Semele! Black gall torments Me also—Yes! a sharp, reproachful look With lovers often passes as black gall— Yet ox-eyes, after all, are not so ugly. SEMELE. Oh, Beroe, for shame! they're quite the worst That any head can possibly contain! And then her cheeks of green and yellow hues, The obvious penalty of poisonous envy— Zeus oft complains to me that that same shrew Each night torments him with her nauseous love, And with her jealous whims,—enough, I'm sure, Into Ixion's wheel to turn all heaven. JUNO. (Raving up and down in extreme confusion.) No more of this! SEMELE. What, Beroe! So angry? Have I said more than what is true? Said more Than what is wise? JUNO. Thou hast said more, young woman, Than what is true—said more than what is wise! Deem thyself truly blest, if thy blue eyes Smile thee not into Charon's bark too soon! Saturnia has her altars and her temples, And wanders amongst mortals—that great goddess Avenges naught so bitterly as scorn SEMELE. Here let her wander, and give birth to scorn! What is't to me?—My Jupiter protects My every hair,—what harm can Juno do? But now, enough of this, my Beroe! Zeus must appear to-day in all his glory; And if Saturnia should on that account Find out the path to Orcus— JUNO. (Aside.) That same path Another probably will find before her, If but Kronion's lightning hits the mark!— (To Semele.) Yes, Semele, she well may burst with envy When Cadmus' daughter, in the sight of Greece, Ascends in triumph to Olympus' heights!— SEMELE. (Smiling gently.) Thinkest thou they'll hear in Greece of Cadmus' daughter? JUNO. From Sidon to Athens the trumpet of fame Shall ring with
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