The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan Part 79

Arrest the coa.r.s.e intruding spies!

(They are arrested by the "Daughters of the Plough")

Girls: Have mercy, O lady -- disregard your oaths.

Princess: I know not mercy, men in women's clothes!

(Cyril & Florian are bound)

SONG -- Hilarion

Hilarion: Whom thou has chain'd must wear his chain, Thou canst not set him free, He wrestles with his bonds in vain Who lives by loving thee!

If heart of stone for heart of fire, Be all thou hast to give, If dead to my heart's desire, Why should I wish to live?

Cyr & Flo: Have Girls: Have mercy, O Mer- lady! cy!

Hilarion: No word of thine -- no stern command Can teach my heart to rove, Then rather perish by thy hand, Than live without thy love!

A loveless life apart from thee Were hopeless slavery, Were hopeless slavery, If kindly death will set me free, Why should I fear to die?

Girls: Have mercy!

Hilarion: If kindly death

Girls: Have mercy!

Hilarion: will set me free, If kindly death will set me free, Why should I fear, Why should I fear to die?

(He is bound by two of the attendants, the three gentlemen are marched off.)

(Enter Melissa)

Melissa: Madam, without the castle walls An armed band Demand admittance to our halls For Hildebrand!

All: Oh, horror!

Princess: Defy them!

We will defy them!

All: Too late -- too late!

The castle gate Is battered by them!

(The gate yields. Soldiers rush in. Arac, Guron, and Scynthius are with them, but with their hands handcuffed.

Men: Walls and fences scaling, Promptly we appear; Walls are unavailing, We have enter'd here.

Female exaceration.

Stifle if you're wise.

Stop your lamentations, Dry your pretty, pretty

Girls: Rend the air with wailing. Men: eyes!

Shed the shameful tear!

Man has enter'd here.

Walls are unavailing.

Girls: Rend the Men: Walls and air fences with scaling, wail------ Promptly we appear; ---------- Walls are unavailing.

ing. We have enter'd here.

Shed Female exe- the cration.

shame- Stifle if ful tear! you're wise.

Man Stop your lament- has ation, en- Dry your pret- ter'd ty here! eyes. O Walls are stop your un- lament- a- ation, vail- Dry your pretty pretty ing. eyes! Female exe- Man cration. Stifle has if you're en- wise. Stop your lament- ter'd ation, Dry your pretty here! eyes.

(Enter Hildebrand)

RECITATIVE

Princess: Audacious tyrant, do you dare To beard a maiden in her lair?

Hildebd: Since you inquire, We've no desire To beard a maiden here, or anywhere!

Soldiers: No, no. We've no desire To beard a maiden here or anywhere!

SOLO -- Hildebrand

Hildebd: Some years ago, No doubt you know (And if you don't I'll tell you so) You gave your troth Upon your oath To Hilarion my son.

A vow you make You must not break, (If you think you may, it's a great mistake), For a bride's a bride Though the knot were tied At the early age of one!

And I'm a peppery kind of King, Whose indisposed for parleying To fit the wit of a bit of chit, And that's the long and the short of it!

Soldiers: For he's a peppery kind of King, Whose indisposed for parleying To fit the wit of a bit of chit, And that's the long and the short of it!

Hildebd: If you decide To pocket your pride And let Hilarion claim his bride, Why, well and good, It's understood We'll let bygones go by-- But if you choose To sulk in the blues I'll make the whole of you shake in your shoes.

I'll storm your walls, And level your halls, In the winking of an eye!

For I'm a peppery Potentate, Who's little inclined his claim to bate, To fit the wit of a bit of a chit, And thats the long and the short of it!

Soldiers: For he's a peppery Potentate, Whose indisposed for parleying, To fit the wit of a bit of chit, And that's the long and the short of it!

TRIO -- Arac, Guron & Scynthius

All 3: We may remark, though nothing can Dismay us, That if you thwart this gentleman, He'll slay us.

We don't fear death, of course -- we're taught To shame it; But still upon the whole we thought We'd name it.

(To each other) Scynthius: Yes!

Guron: Yes!

Arac: Yes!

All 3: Better p'r'aps to name it.

Our interests we would not press With chatter, Three hulking brothers more or less Don't matter; If you'd pooh-pooh this monarch's plan Pooh-pooh it, But when he says he'll hang a man, He'll do it.

(To each other) Scynthius: Yes!

Guron: Yes!