Poems by George P. Morris :: :: University of Virginia Library

GERTRUDE.
Ho! Hans!—Why, Hans!—You Hans, I say!
Awake!—Here'll be the deuce to pay!
For coming guests get fire and lights,
And help me put the room to rights!
(Hans stretches and yawns.)
Hans!—I 've no patience with the lout!
What, Hans, on earth are you about?
(Shakes Hans, who yawns again.)

252

Did ever room look so forlorn?
Hans!—Hark! I hear the postman's horn!

(Sounds of a horn in the distance. Hans stretches, yawns, and rises.)
HANS.
What der tuyvel is der matter,
Dus you chitter—chatter—clatter?

GERTRUDE
(aside.)
His impudence can not be borne!

HANS.
What's dat I hear?

GERTRUDE.
The postman's horn!
(Sounds of horn again.)
Whose notes o'er moor aud mountain flung—

HANS.
Are not so noisy as your tongue!

(Horn sounds as though approaching; whips are heard, and the post-coach is supposed to arrive outside with Passengers. Enter the Attendants, with portmanteaus, carpet-bags, etc., and Passengers.)

[Rejoice! rejoice! we're safe and sound]

CHORUS.
Rejoice! rejoice! we're safe and sound,
And shelter for the night have found,
Within this snug abode!

253

The dust may rise, the rain may fall—
Beneath this roof we'll smile at all
The dangers of the road!

SOLO.
Then let the cheerful board be spread;
To supper first, and then to bed,
Till birds their songs begin:
Thus, whether sleeping or awake,
The weary traveller will take
His comfort at his inn.

CHORUS.
Rejoice! rejoice! we're safe, etc.

259

[The life for me is a soldier's life ]

SONG.

The life for me is a soldier's life!
With that what glories come!
The notes of the spirit-stirring fife,
The roll of the battle-drum;
The brilliant array, the bearing high,
The pluméd warriors' tramp;
The streaming banners that flout the sky,
The gleaming pomp of the camp.

260

CHORUS.

A soldier's life is the life for me!
With that what glories come!
The notes of the spirit-stirring fife,
The roll of the battle-drum!

263

[Confusion!—Again rejected ]

SONG—KARL.

Confusion!—Again rejected
By the maid I fondly love!
Illusion!—In soul dejected!
Jealous fears my bosom move.
Dear Sophia!—Hope's deceiver!
Whom I love; but love in vain!
Can I to my rival leave her?
No—the thought distracts my brain!

Love—revenge!—Oh, how I falter!
Passion's throes unman me quite:
Now he leads her to the altar—
How I tremble at the sight!
Hold, tormentors! cease to tear me!
All in vain I gasp for breath!
Hated rival—scorn I bear thee
Which can only end in death!

265

[When I behold that lowering brow]

When I behold that lowering brow,
Which indicates the mind within,
I marvel much that woman's vow
A man like that could ever win!
Yet it is said, in rustic bower,
(The fable I have often heard)
A serpent has mysterious power
To captivate a timid bird.

This precept then I sadly trace—
That love 's a fluttering thing of air;
And yonder lurks the viper base,
Who would my gentle bird ensnare!

266

'T was in the shades of Eden's bower
This fascination had its birth,
And even there possessed the power
To lure the paragon of earth!

269

['T is a soldier's rigid duty]

'T is a soldier's rigid duty
Orders strictly to obey;
Let not, then, the smile of beauty
Lure us from the camp away.
In our country's cause united,
Gallantly we'll take the field;
But, the victory won, delighted
Singly to the fair we yield!

Soldiers who have ne'er retreated,
Beauty's tear will sure beguile;
Hearts that armies ne'er defeated,
Love can conquer with a smile.
Who would strive to live in story,
Did not woman's hand prepare
Amaranthine wreaths of glory
Which the valiant proudly wear?

271

[The spring-time of love is both happy and gay ]

SONG—FREDERICA.

The spring-time of love is both happy and gay,
For Joy sprinkles blossoms and balm in our way;
The sky, earth, and ocean, in beauty repose,
And all the bright future is couleur de rose!

The summer of love is the bloom of the heart,
When hill, grove, and valley their music impart;
And the pure glow of heaven is seen in fond eyes,
As lakes show the rainbow that's hung in the skies!

The autumn of love is the season of cheer—
Life's mild Indian summer, the smile of the year—
Which comes when the golden-ripe harvest is stored,
And yields its own blessings, repose, and reward.

272

The winter of love is the beam that we win,
While the storm howls without, from the sunshine within.
Love's reign is eternal—the heart is his throne,
And he has all seasons of life for his own.

278

[From my fate there's no retreating— ]

DUET—LANISKA AND FREDERICA.

From my fate there's no retreating—
Love commands, and I obey;
How with joy my heart is beating
At the fortunes of to-day!
Life is filled with strange romances—
Love is blind, the poets say;
When he comes unsought, the chance is
Of his own accord he'll stay.

279

Love can ne'er be forced to tarry;
Chain him—he'll the bonds remove:
Paired, not matched, too many marry—
All should wed alone for love.
Let him on the bridal-even
Trim his lamp with constant ray;
And the flame will light to heaven,
When the world shall fade away!

[Lads and lasses, trip away]

CHORUS OF PEASANTS.

Lads and lasses, trip away
To the cheerful roundelay!
At the sound of tambourine,
Care is banished from the scene,
And a happy train we bound,
To the pipe and tabour's sound.
Merrily, merrily trip away,
'T is a nation's holiday!

280

Merrily, merrily, merrilie,
Bound with spirits light and free!
Let 's be jocund while we may;
And dance—dance—dance—
And dance the happy hours away!

When the gleaming line shall come,
To the sound of trump and drum;
Headed by advancing steeds,
Whom the king in person leads—
Let us hail him in his state,
For the king's both good and great!
Merrily, merrily trip away,
'T is a nation's holiday!
Merrily, merrily, merrilie,
Bound with spirits light and free!
Let 's be jocund, now we may,
And dance—dance—dance—
And dance the happy hours away!

288

[All hail the king!—Long live the king]

CHORUS.
(Grenadiers and all the Characters.)
All hail the king!—Long live the king!
Our hope in peace and war!
With his renown let Prussia ring—
Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!
He is the pillar of the state!
Our sword and buckler he!
Heaven give to Frederick the Great
Eternal victory!

290

[Home, home, home—]

CHORUS.
(German air.)

Home, home, home—
Dear, lost home!
Though here we pine in slavery,
Our hearts are all in Saxony,
Our girlhood's happy home!

Land of the free and bold,
To hopeless bondage sold!
While abject toil and fear
Enchain thy daughters here,
We yearn for thee,
O Saxony!—
For freedom, love, and home!

(The Girls attempt to waltz to the music; but, overcome by their feelings, they resume their tasks.
SOPHIA.

Home, home, home—
Dear, lost home!
Though cares oppress us fearfully,
We exiles carol cheerfully
Of girlhood's happy home!

Beneath our native sky,
The hours went swiftly by;

291

While on a foreign soil,
Our youth consumes in toil!
We yearn for thee,
O Saxony!—
For freedom, love, and home!

301

[Sky, stream, moorland, and mountain ]

SONG AND CHORUS.

[_]

(German air.)

SOPHIA AND FACTORY GIRLS.

Sky, stream, moorland, and mountain,
Tree, cot, spire, and dome,
Breeze, bird, vineyard, and fountain,
Kindred, friends, country, and home!—
Home, home, home, home!—
These are the blessings of home!

(The Factory-Girls now waltz cheerfully to the music.)

Hope how fondly I cherish,
Dear land, to see thee once more!
O Fate! let me not perish
Far from my own native shore!
Home, home, home, home!—
Saxony, Liberty's home!

(The Girls waltz as before, etc.)

Those who freedom inherit,
Bow not to Tyranny's throne;
Then, friends, in a kind spirit,
Judge of my love by your own.
Home, home, home, home!—
The land of the heart is our home!

303

[Dared these lips my sad story impart]

SONG—KARL.
Dared these lips my sad story impart,
What relief it would give to my heart!

304

Though the scenes of past years as they rise,
Bring the dews of remorse to my eyes,
Yet, oh hear me, and ever conceal
What in agony now I reveal!—

KING.
Speak freely, Karl—

KARL.

And behold, while I throw off the mask!
Ah, no, no, no, no, no—
I shrink in despair from the task!

In the page of my life there appears
A sad passage that 's written in tears!
Could but that be erased, I would give
All the remnant of days I may live:
Yet the cause of the cloud on my brow
I have never disclosed until now—

KING.
Say on, Karl—

KARL.
Here behold!—It is branded in flame!
Ah, no, no, no, no, no—
I shrink in despair from my shame!

310

[Fiery Mars, thy votary hear ]

SONG—HAROLD.

Fiery Mars, thy votary hear!
Weave for me a wreath of glory!
When I rest upon my bier,
Let my memory live in story!
Aid my sword in time of war!
In my country's cause I wield it—
Only with the breath I draw,
Will I to the foeman yield it!

311

[Ah! Love is not a garden-flower ]

SONG—SOPHIA.

Ah! Love is not a garden-flower,
That shoots from out the cultured earth;
That needs the sunbeam and the shower,
Before it wakens into birth:
It owns a richer soil and seed,
And woman's heart supplies them both,
Where it will spring, without a weed,
Consummate in its growth.

These leaves will perish when away
From either genial sun or shower;
Not so will wither and decay
Celestial Love's perennial flower.
'T is our companion countless miles,
Through weal or woe in after years;
And though it flourishes in smiles,
It blooms as fresh in tears!

313

[The King, the princes of the court ]

DUET—SOPHIA AND FREDERICA.

The king, the princes of the court,
With lords and ladies bright,
Will in their dazzling state resort
To this grand fête to-night:
The merry-hearted and the proud
Will mingle in the glittering crowd,
Who glide with Fashion's sparkling stream
Where one I love will shine supreme!—
La ra la, la ra la, la la la, etc.

The cavaliers of Italy,
The gay gallants of France,
With Spain and England's chivalry,
Will join the merry dance.
The court of Love—the camp of Mars,
Fair Prussian dames, “earth-treading stars,”
To music's strain will float in light,
Where one I love will beam to-night!—
La ra la, la ra la, la la la, etc.

315

[Victoria! victoria ]

CHORUS.

Victoria! victoria!
The Saxon maid is free!—
Victoria! victoria! etc.

321

[This gloomy cell is my abode at last ]

DUET—SOPHIA AND COUNT.

SOPHIA.
This gloomy cell is my abode at last;
The sole reward for all my perils past.
T is strange that love within the breast should dwell,
When hope, dejected, bids the heart farewell!

322

COUNT.
What sounds are these? No human form is near,
And yet that well-known voice I faintly hear,
'T was sure the fancied music of the mind,
Whose breathings mingled with the midnight wind.

BOTH.
Yes!—'T is lost!—'T is gone!—Hark! it comes again,
Like distant echoes of a melting strain:
In melody her/his spirit floats around!—
That voice!—These walls are vocal with the sound.
I hear its music near me still!—'T is there!
Sure 't is some gentle spirit of the air!

323

[Hark! 'tis the deep-toned midnight bell ]

BRAVURA—SOPHIA.

Hark! 'tis the deep-toned midnight bell,
That bids a sad and long farewell
To the departed hour;
How like a dirge its music falls
Within these cold and dreary walls,
Where stern misfortunes lower!

Ah! vainly through these prison-bars
Glide the pale beams of moon and stars,
To cheer this lonely tower;
From evening's close to dawn of day,
Hope's star sheds not a single ray
To light the solemn hour!

Alas! what pangs must guilt conceal,
When innocence like mine can feel
So crushed in such an hour!
I know not whether love be crime—
But if it is, in every clime
'T is woman's fatal dower!

327

[Once, mild and gentle was my heart ]

SONG—KARL.

[_]

(German air.)

Once, mild and gentle was my heart!
My youth from guile was free!
But when love's bonds were torn apart,
What joy had life for me?
No words, no threats could daunt my soul,
My reckless spirit spurned control
Till swayed by smiles from thee!

A wanderer o'er the desert sand,
An outcast on the sea,
An exile from my native land—
What 's all the world to me?
Each friend misfortune proved a foe:
I scorned the high—despised the low—
Till swayed by smiles from thee!

330

[The gentle bird on yonder spray ]

SONG—LANISKA.

The gentle bird on yonder spray,
That sings its little life away;
The rose-bud bursting into flower,
And glittering in the sun and shower;
The cherry-blossom on the tree—
Are emblematic all of thee.

Yon moon that sways the vassal streams,
Like thee in modest beauty beams;
So shines the diamond of the mine,
And the rock-crystal of the brine;
The gems of heaven, the earth and sea,
Are blended, all, dear maid, in thee!

339

[That law's the perfection of reason ]

SONG—WEDGEWOOD.

That law's the perfection of reason,
No one in his senses denies;
Yet here is a trial for treason
Will puzzle the wigs of the wise.
The lawyers who bring on the action
On no single point will agree,
Though proved to their own satisfaction
That tweedle-dum 's not tweedle-dee!

To settle disputes, in a fury
The sword from the scabbard we draw;
But reason appeals to a jury,
And settles—according to law.
Then hey for the woolsack!—for never
Without it can nations be free;
But trial by jury for ever!
And for tyranny—fiddle-de-dee!

341

[With mercy let justice]

CHORUS.
With mercy let justice
To mortals be given,
For Justice and Mercy
Are twin-born of heaven!

343

[What outrage more, at whose command ]

SOLO AND CHORUS.

KARL.
What outrage more, at whose command
Am I thus shackled and restrained?—
What mockery 's this? In this free land
The subject's rights should be maintained.

344

CHORUS.
The traitor braves the king's command!

KARL.
Those whom the lion would ensnare,
Should of his reckless fangs beware!
The forest-monarch, held at bay,
Will turn and spring upon his prey!

CHORUS.
Thus bold will guilt full oft appear!—
The sword of Justice let him fear!

WEDGEWOOD
(as KARL is placed in the witness-box.)
Silence in the court!

CHORUS.
With mercy let justice
To mortals be given;
For Mercy and Justice
Are twin-born of heaven.

351

[The javelin from an unseen hand ]

QUINTETTE AND CHORUS.

KARL.
The javelin from an unseen hand
Was sent that laid me low!—
Behold exposed the felon's brand
Unto my mortal foe!

CHORUS.
Who 's now the traitor? etc.

352

[Rejoice! our loyal hearts we bring]

CHORUS.
Rejoice! our loyal hearts we bring
As free-will offerings to the king!

SOLO—SOPHIA TO KING.
Oh, let me to thy ermine cling
In gratitude, (kneels,)
God bless the king!

CHORUS.
God save the king!
Long live the king! etc.

356

[Our hearts are bounding with delight ]

FINALE.

Our hearts are bounding with delight!
'T is Freedom's jubilee!
For right has triumphed over might—
The bond again are free!
Hurrah!—hurrah!
Let the welkin ring!
To Justice and Liberty
Pæans we sing!