Halloween ; or, The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne A New Grand Scotch Spectacle |
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1. | SCENE I. |
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Halloween ; or, The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne | ||
SCENE I.
A handsome Gothic Apartment in Athlin Castle, adorned with a portrait of Mary; in the centre of the Scene folding doors leading to her Apartment.Enter Alleyn, he gazes, enraptured, on Mary's portrait, and sings.
DUET—ALLEYN AND MARY.
Alleyn.
Mary—angelic Maid,
Doomed to adore thee!
Hopeless Youth's Roses fade,
Death! I implore thee!
Sprung from an humble Cot,
Proud renown seeking;
In secret to sigh's my lot!
Love, my heart's breaking!
Mary
replies from her apartment.
Love on—but love in vain,
Fond youth, I hear thee;
But Birth bids me Worth disdain,
Mary can't cheer thee.
Highborn, in splendid state,
Humble joys seeking;
In secret to sigh's my fate,
Love—my heart's breaking!
At the close of the Duet the folding doors open,
and Mary, timidly, approaches—he throws himself
at her feet—she raises him, takes a bracelet from her
arm, adorned with her miniature, and presents him
—he kisses it with rapture, and affectionately presses
her hand to his lips; while thus situated, Osbert
enters on one side the stage, and Matilda on the
other—they start, and the lovers appear confused—
Osbert, frowning on Alleyn, half draws his sword.Alleyn.
Mary—angelic Maid,
Doomed to adore thee!
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Death! I implore thee!
Sprung from an humble Cot,
Proud renown seeking;
In secret to sigh's my lot!
Love, my heart's breaking!
Mary
replies from her apartment.
Love on—but love in vain,
Fond youth, I hear thee;
But Birth bids me Worth disdain,
Mary can't cheer thee.
Highborn, in splendid state,
Humble joys seeking;
In secret to sigh's my fate,
Love—my heart's breaking!
RECITATIVE—MATILDA.
Alleyn—my heart acknowledges thy worth,
Thy bosom's anguish painfully I view;
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Her thanks, but not her vows to thee are due.
Matilda and Osbert lead Mary off.
Alleyn despondently fixes his eyes on the scarf he had received from Mary at the banquet, and, seating himself at the table, inscribes on it,
“Farewell for Ever!”
AIR—ALLEYN.
One lingering look 'ere yet we part?—
Ah! no, 'twould but deceive!
This last sad token of a broken heart,
Despondent thus I leave.
To combat Love, how vain is Man's endeavour,
Farewell! bright vision! ah! farewell for ever.
Throws the scarf on a table underneath her portrait, and exit.—A trap door in the stage is uplifted, and Donald and one of Malcolm's chiefs ascend.
RECITATIVE—CHIEF.
Thus far our hopes succeed—see yon pass clear,
Hush! hush! (looking through the door)
our prize approaches—disappear!— (they conceal themselves.)
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RECITATIVE—MATILDA.
This scarf! her absence! my dear Child is fled!
My shatter'd brain yields to this mental storm;
My eye sight fails (still gazing on the scarf)
by Alleyn thus betray'd,
So black a heart within so fair a form!
(She faints, and is borne off, all following mournfully.)
Halloween ; or, The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne | ||