Purcell: King Arthur, or The British Worthy (1691) / Act 5 - Fairest Isle - Andreas Scholl, Accademia Bizantina, Stefano Montanari

Fairest isle, all isles excelling,

Seat of pleasure and of love

Venus here will choose her dwelling,

And forsake her Cyprian grove.

Cupid from his fav’rite nation

Care and envy will remove;

Jealousy, that poisons passion,

And despair, that dies for love.

Gentle murmurs, sweet complaining,

Sighs that blow the fire of love

Soft repulses, kind disdaining,

Shall be all the pains you prove.

Ev’ry swain shall pay his duty,

Grateful ev’ry nymph shall prove;

And as these excel in beauty,

Those shall be renown’d for love.