La virtù de’ strali d’Amore

A summary of the stage action.

Act I

Scene 1

When the curtain rises, Erabena, dressed in disguise as the male servant Eumete, waits for Meonte to return while the sailors finish loading their ship. Meonte, a victim of Amore’s capricious arrows, has boken his promise of fidelity with Erabena in order to purse his new passion for Cleria. Grief-stricken, but eager to stay near her beloved, Erabena has assumed this disguise as Meonte’s servant. To her horror, she has learned that Meonte has returned to this island in hopes of finding Cleria. Eumete sits rejected waiting the outcome of this demeaning turn of events.

Amore appears and strikes Clarindo and Dalinda with the arrows of love. Unseen by the young peasants, Pallante, a young, noble knight, enters accompanied by his sardonic drunken servant, Erino. Pallante, Cleria’s ardent but rejected suitor, has returned after a year’s journey of adventure and noble deeds. Seeing Clarindo’s joy, Pallante laments his unrequited love.

From the peasants Pallante learns that Evagora’s son, Darete, has been captured and entranced by the evil witch, Ericlea. Pallante swears that he will rescue his friend from her evil embrace. As the peasants leave, Erino mocks Pallante’s unrequited love for Cleria. Suddenly, a woman is heard shouting for help. Recognizing Cleria’s voice, Pallante rushes off to be her champion. A violent sword fight ensues between Pallante and Meonte. Cleria breaks from her ravisher just as Pallante stabs the abductor. Erino and Pallante run off after Cleria, leaving Eumete alone with the wounded Meonte. With Cleria’s name on his lips, Meonte faints. Fearing him dead, Eumete curses fate, pulls his dagger from his side, and threatens to thrust the weapon into her heart. The sailors snatch away the blade. In despair and eager to die, Eumete curses them for their act of kindness. Her scolding words are cut off as the air fills with magical sounds. A ship is seen moving across the sky towards them. When it lands near the woods, the good witch Cleandra and her servants rush towards Meonte’s side.

Cleandra, Meonte’s protector, commands her servants to place Meonte on her ship. She assures Eumete that Meonte will not die and that before one full day passes, all will be revealed and happiness will return. As Cleandra’s ship leaves with the wounded Meonte, the sailors lament the uncertainties of life. Eumete tells them that when Meonte saw Cleria’s picture, he was entranced and instantly fell in love with her and that is why he came to this island to capture Evagora’s daughter. When the sailors learn that the girl Meonte had tried to abduct was actually Evagora’s daughter, they fear the ruler’s wrath and urge Eumete to flee with them onto their ship. Eager to see Cleandra’s words fulfilled and Meonte return, Eumete refuses.

Scene 2

Meanwhile, deep in the woods, Cleria’s companions are looking for her. Suddenly, Cleria rushes into the clearing and tells them of how Pallante’s bravery allowed her to escape from Meonte’s amorous embrace. Her friends urge her to view Pallante’s virtuous act as a testament of his love, a love that should be returned. Cleria refuses and says that she will never allow love to conquer her. As darkness falls, they flee the woods to escape the evil magic of Ericlea.

Scene 3

Deeper in the woods Pallante and Erino stop to rest. When asked about Meonte, Erino assures his master that Cleria’s abductor appeared to be mortally wounded, an action that will make Cleria hate him even more. The only way to secure her love, Erino reasons, would be to stop playing the weak and foolish suitor, and boldly take her. Rejecting this venal advice, Pallante nobly withdraws to meditate on the one adored in vain. Erino scoffs at his words and drinks himself to sleep. Suddenly the woods fill with strange sounds and fearful sights. Ericlea and her demons torture Darete. Seeing their punishments, Erino runs away in terror. The hideous Ericlea savagely embraces Darete with the words, “Do you rashly despise the flames of my love?”

Act II

Scene 4

The gods have gathered in the heavens to celebrate the union of Psiche and Amore. Marte interrupts the celebration with his demand that Amore turn Cleria’s love towards Pallante. Amore refuses and runs away to avoid Marte’s wrath. Venere pleads with Marte not to taunt her son, but it is too late. Struck by Amore’s avenging arrows, Marte burns with passion for Venere and the lover’s withdraw to her chamber.

Scene 5

At dawn Erino stumbles into the clearing where Pallante has slept and tells him of the frightful scene in the enchanted woods at midnight. Pallante, reminded of his vow to rescue Darete, sets off to do so. Amore, who has returned to earth to plan his revenge on Marte, wearily places his arrows beneath a tree and rests. Lulled by the sounds of nature, he soon falls asleep. Eumete enters and, finding the sleeping god, determines to punish him for her horrible love life. She takes one of Amore’s arrows and stabs the sleeping god. Wounded, Amore sees beyond the disguise and confesses his love for her, for Erabena. Fearful, Erabena flees the amorous god. Amore follows, leaving his arrows on the ground.

Scene 6

Cleandra’s magic has cured Meonte’s wounds. Repenting of his rashness, Meonte vows to woo Cleria nobly. Mysteriously, Cleandra does not directly reply, but instead tells him that before this day conclude he will rejoice in the eyes of a woman, living yet dead, and she will die while yet living. This obscure prophecy ends with the promise that today Meonte will also learn the secret of his birth. With these strange words, Cleandra sends Meonte off to seek his destiny.

Scene 7

In the heavens Psiche laments the loss of Amore. Fama, the goddess of rumor, tells her that he is on earth pursuing a new love, the young Erabena, and urges the young bride to take a lover. Psiche refuses and swears her fidelity to Amore. She begs Giove to bring her Amore back to her. He agrees and sends Saturno and Mercurio to do so.

Scene 8

Exhausted from the chase, Amore begs Erabena to show pity to the god of love. Burning with passion and declaring his godly powers, Amore promises to discard Psiche in order to possess his Erabena. Angered and appalled at these words because they remind her of Meonte’s broken promises of love, Erabena mocks Amore. Despairing, she calls out for Meonte to return as she runs away. Rejected, Amore sits alone, puzzled by this strange turn of events. Saturno silently approaches and captures the young god. Mercurio remains to gather Amore’s arrows. He is interrupted with the arrival of Venere and Marte who question him about Amore’s fate. Mercurio assures them that the young god has been captured. Forgetful of the arrows on the ground, the gods rejoice and return to the stars.

Act III

Scene 9

Wandering on the edge of the forest, Pallante confesses his tender feelings for Cleria. Erino sees Cleria coming towards them with her friends, Clito and Leucippe. Pallante and Erino hide to overhear their conversations. Cleria swears that she would rather die than give herself to any man she does not love. Dismayed at her stubborness, the friends move deeper into the forest leaving Cleria by herself. Cleria sees one of Amore’s arrows on the ground and picks it up. Pricking her finger, she calls out in pain. Pallante rushes forward and Cleria falls into his arms. Surprised, but pleased at her protestations of love, Pallante joins the others in praising the power of love’s arrows. Pallante returns the arrow to Amore’s quiver and renews his vow to free Darete. He sets off towards Ericlea’s woods and the other leave to tell Cleria’s father of this sequence of events. Meonte and Erabena both stumble into the clearing. Not willing to reveal her identity until Meonte’s virtue has been tested, Erabena assumes her disguise as the servant Eumete. She tells Meonte about a recent dream in which Amore appeared as a champion for the abandoned Erabena. Remorseful for his actions towards his former lover, but unwilling to forsake his passion for Cleria, Meonte blames Amore’s arrows for all that has happened to the foresakened Erabena. Angrily, the disguised Erabena picks up one of Amore’s arrows (where it has been placed by Pallante) and stabs Meonte. The power of Amore’s arrows is once again revealed and the lovers embrace as Meonte remembers Cleandra’s prophetic words: “This day you will rejoice in the charming eyes of a woman, living yet dead.” Mercurio enters and demands that Erabena return Amore’s arrows. She returns the arrows to the god and together the reuinted lovers run away, eager to leave the island.

Scene 10

Pallante has found the magic urn holding the spell that binds Darete to Ericlea. Turning his thoughts from Cleria towards what lies ahead, he boldly confronts the demons guarding the urn. Bravely he fights them all, including Ericlea herself, and thrusts his sword into the urn.

Scene 11

Once the spell has been broken, Pallante finds himself on the ground near the sea. Daretre, now free from Ericlea’s spells, calls out to him. Just as the friends are reunited, Meonte and Erabena see them. Meonte, eager to seek revenge for the harm done to him, challenges Pallante. The young rivals fight, ignoring Erabena’s pleas. Cleandra, along with Evagora and Cleria, enter. She steps between the warriors and demands they put down their weapons. To the amazement of all, she reveals they are indeed brothers, the final revelation of her earlier prophesies. The brothers embrace as Evagora is reunited with his son, Darete. Meonte steps forward to declare loyalty to Evagora. The ruler accepts this noble vow and announces the celebration of two marriages that evening—Pallante and Cleria, and Meonte and his Erabena.

Scene 12

In the heavens Amore is reunited with his Psiche. Venere returns his arrows to him and Amore promises to heal the earthly lovers’ wounds with tender passion. Psiche chides him for pursuing Erabena. Amore blames the power of his arrows for his strange actions. Coyly, Psiche demands a lover’s revenge: sweet kisses, lovers united mouth to mouth and breast to breast. Venere, Psiche and Amore all declare that, in the affairs of the heart, it is only fitting that a lover’s punishment must always follow the crime!