THE SIEGE OF TROY; OR, FAMOUS, TROJAN HORSE, A GRAND HEROIC, SERIO-COMIC, TRAGIC SPECTACLE.
IN TWO PARTS, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF All the Scenery, Machinery, and Movements, TOGETHER WITH The Decoration of the Pantomime, AND PARTICULARLY THE PANTOMIMIC-ACTION, SONGS, DUETTS, CHORUSSES, &c.
As performing with unbounded Applauſe, at the NEW AMPHITHEATRE OF ARTS, WESTMINSTER-BRIDGE, Under the immediate Direction and Inſpection of Mr. Aſtley, jun.
LONDON: PRINTED BY H. PACE, NO. 56, HIGH-STREET, BOROUGH 1795.
Prieſts and Prieſteſſes, Trojan Warriors, Dancers, and Mob, Grecian Warriors, &c. &c.
The Evening's Entertainment will be given in the following Order, viz.
N. B. The Siege of Troy will be performed every Evening, until further Notice.
*⁎* Nothing under full Price can poſſibly be taken.
MENELAUS enters, from his tent, expreſſing great uneaſineſs at the length of time which Troy has taken, in withſtanding a ten years Siege. Ulyſſes, with other officers enter, and finding Menelaus in a melancholy ſituation, un⯑unfolds his deſign of introducing A WAR HORSE, &c. This idea the king approves, and embraces Ulyſſes with raptures of joys, all ſwear to perform the project with ſecrecy and [6]expedition, for which purpoſe they diſpatch a meſſenger to Troy, with an offer of peace.
Paris enters, followed by his officers, attended by the Grecian Meſſenger, who delivers his creden⯑tials. Paris reads, and ſhews great joy at the contents of the letter, expreſſive of the Greek's deſign of raiſing the ſiege: then, as an offering to Pallas, for having obtained the Palladium by treachery, they beg to preſent Paris with a horſe, as an atonement for the wrongs committed by them. Paris conſults with his officers, who per⯑ſuade him to agree with the propoſals: he em⯑braces them, and diſpatches the Grecian meſſenger with every mark of ſatisfaction, at the ſuppoſed peace with the Greeks.
Briſtle, a cobbler, and his wife, after arguing on the retreat of the Grecians, quarrel on the ſub⯑ject, and a battle enſues.
A grand proceſſion of prieſts and prieſteſſes, Trojan warriors, dancers, &c. &c. An offering at Diana's ſhrine, in conſequence of the Greeks returning from before the walls of Troy.
[9] After the offering to Diana, a dance of female Trojans takes place, which is interrupted by the arrival of a meſſenger from Caſſandra, who wiſhes to come from her place of confinement (detained there as a lunatic) to expound a prophecy. Paris, after ſome deliberation, complies with the requeſt: the meſſenger retires, and, ſoon after, returns with Caſſandra, who deplores her ſituation, in conſequence of being treated as one deranged in mind: ſhe informs Paris of the approaching danger of Troy. Paris, the Prieſts, Prieſteſſes, &c. ſhew every mark of diſbelief, which enrages, Caſ⯑ſandra, who, ſeizing her wand from her attend⯑ant, invokes the Gods: informs Paris that ſhe has the power to perform a miracle, and deter⯑mines that inſtant to put it to the teſt, then leave him to judge of the truth of her prophecy. Caſſandra ſtrikes the figures of the Gods, which change from gold to black marble.
Paris and the reſt are ſeized with horror! The actions diſplayed by the various groups, expreſſive of fear, hope, and revenge, forms the moſt lively and intereſting picture of the various paſſions that agitate the human breaſt, which it is poſſible to convey through the medium of ſcenic effect.
Various Trojans are ſeen going to welcome the arrival of the great horſe.
The Trojans are ſeen ſurveying the horſe, whoſe wonderful appearance aſtoniſhes the ſpec⯑tators: ſeveral of them comment upon his pro⯑portion, &c. and then retire to finiſh the day in feſtivity.
Ulyſſes opens the trap door, which is ſo ad⯑mirably contrived that the keeneſt eye cannot obſerve it, deſcends, and reconnoitres the city; but being interrupted by the approach of the Trojans, aſcends with ſpeed, and cloſes the door after him.
Several Trojans are ſeen returning from their rejoicings.
Ulyſſes, finding all clear, appears a ſecond time, and while the Trojans are drowned in wine, the Grecians, who lie concealed within the WAR HORSE, deſcend, with every neceſſary inſtru⯑ment of deſtruction: they retire to various parts of the city, in order to accompliſh their deſign, at a proper ſignal being given; firſt receiving their inſtructions from their general.
The Trojan rabble keeping it up, Briſtle captain of the gang.
The time being come, and the ſignal given, the Grecians execute their well-planned project; [14]and while the unſuſpecting Trojans are buried in wine and ſleep, Ulyſſes and his party ſeize the gates of the city, let in the covering army, who enter with ſhouts, that ſeem to rend the ſkies; breaking open houſes, putting all to the ſword, without ſparing age or ſex; the confuſion becomes general; palaces and other magnificent buildings fall a ſacrifice to the fury of the flames.
Helen is diſcovered in a tower, ſurrounded with fire, and no mode of eſcaping inevitable death.
The dreadful claſhing of ſwords and ſhields, together with the conqueſt and deſtruction of Troy, terminate this grand ſpectacle; of which diſmal cataſtrophe, the poet gives the following emphatical deſcription:—
PERHAPS no ſubject ever afforded a greater ſcope for the painter's pencil, or the inge⯑nuity of the machiniſt, in point of ſtage-effect, than the Famous SIEGE of TROY; nor has the compoſer had a leſs field for his muſical abilities. It will be ſeen, that the performers in general have each their ſhare of buſineſs in this ſplendid and heroic ſpec⯑tacle, and are not wanting in pantomimic action, to convey a proper idea of the nature of the ſiege, as well as the credulity of the beſieged, in admitting within their walls the grand Trojan War Horſe, which con⯑tained five hundred Grecian ſoldiers, properly equipped for battle, &c. within its body.
☞ The pantomime will be given every evening till further notice.