L'Africaine, one of the Maestro's last operas (1865), unites in itself
all the strength and at the same time all the weakness of Meyerbeer's
composition.

The music is easy flowing and enthralls us with its delicious melodies;
but it only appeals to our senses, and nobler thoughts are altogether
{4} wanting. Nevertheless the opera finds favor by reason of these
advantages, which are supplemented by an interesting, though rather
improbable libretto.

The famous Portuguese navigator Vasco de Gama (born in 1469) is the
hero, though he does not appear in the best possible light, and is by
no means strictly historical.

The first scene is laid in Lisbon. Donna Ines, Admiral Diego's
daughter is to give her hand to Don Pedro, a counsellor of King
Emmanuel of Portugal. But she has pledged her faith to Vasco de Gama,
who has been sent with Diaz, the navigator, to double the Cape, in
order to seek for a new land, containing treasures, similar to those
discovered by Columbus. Reports have reached Lisbon, that the whole
fleet has been destroyed, when suddenly Vasco de Gama appears before
the assembled council of state.

He eloquently describes the dangers of the unknown seas near the Cape
and gives an account of the shipwreck, from which he alone has escaped.
He then places his maps before the council, endeavouring to prove, that
beyond Africa there is another country, yet to be explored and
conquered.

Vasco has on his way home picked up a man and a woman of an unknown
race. Those slaves however stubbornly refuse to betray the name of
their country, and a lively debate ensues between the Grand Inquisitor
and the younger more enlightened members of the council, as to the
course, which should be adopted with Vasco. At last, owing to {5} the
irritation caused by his violent reproaches, fanaticism is victorious,
and instead of being furnished with a ship to explore those unknown
lands, he is thrown into prison, on the plea of his being a heretic,
for having maintained the existence of countries which were not
mentioned in the Holy Scriptures.

The second act takes place in a cell of the Inquisition, in which Vasco
has been languishing for a month past, in the company of the strange
slaves Nelusco and Selica. The latter has lost her heart to the proud
Portuguese, who saved her and her companion from a slave-ship. But
Vasco is only thinking of Ines, and Nelusco, who honors in Selica not
only his Queen, but the woman of