 | A Fairy Tale |  |
SCENE a wood.
Enter Grimbald and his followers disguised like shepherds, leading king Arthur, Conon, Aurelius, Albanact, and attendants.
Grim.
Here, this way, Britons, follow Oswald's flight.
This evening as I whistled out my dog,
To drive my straggling flock, and pitch'd my fold,
I saw him dropping sweat, o'erlabour'd, stiff,
Make faintly as he could, to yonder dell.
Tread in my steps: long neighbourhood by day
Has made these fields familiar in the night.
Arth.
I thank thee, shepherd;
Expect reward, lead on, we follow thee.
[As Arthur is going off, enter Philidel and his followers.
SONG. Sung by Philidel.
Hither this way, this way bend,
Trust not that malicious fiend:
Those are false deluding lights,
Wafted far and near by sprites,
Trust 'em not, for they'll deceive ye;
And in bogs and marshes leave you.
Chor. of Phil. spirits.
Hither this way, this way bend.
Chor. of Grimb. spirits.
This way, this way bend.
Phil.
sings.
If you step, no danger thinking,
Down you fall, a furlong sinking:
'Tis a fiend who has annoy'd ye;
Name but Heav'n, and hell avoid ye.
Chor. of Phil spirits.
Hither this way, this way bend.
Chor. of Grimb. spirits.
This way, this way bend.
Philidel's spirits.
Trust not that malicious fiend.
Grimbald's spirits.
Trust me, I am no malicious fiend.
Philidel's spirits.
Hither this way, &c.
Grimb.
From your prey, and from your glory.
Too far, alas, he has betray'd ye:
Follow the flames, that wave before ye:
Sometimes sev'n, and sometimes one;
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry on.
That way Oswald chose for flying:
Firm is the turf, and fit for bearing,
Where yonder pearly dews are lying,
Far he cannot hence be gone;
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry on.
Arth.
'Tis true, he says; the footsteps yet are fresh
Upon the sod, no falling dew-drops have
Disturb'd the print.
[All are going to follow Grimbald.
Phil.
sings.
Hither this way.
Chorus of Phil. spirits.
Hither this way, this way bend.
Chorus of Grimb. spirits.
This way, this way bend.
Philidel's spirits.
Trust not that malicious fiend.
Grimb. spirits.
Trust me, I am no malicious fiend.
Philidel's spirits.
Hither this way, &c.
[They all incline to Philidel.
Grim.
speaks.
Curse on her voice, I must my prey forego;
Thou, Philidel, shalt answer this below.
[Grimbald sinks in a flash of fire.
Arth.
At last the cheat is plain;
The cloven-footed fiend is vanish'd from us;
Good angels be our guides, and bring us back.
Phil.
singing.
Come follow, follow, follow me.
Chor.
Come follow, &c.
And me. And me. And me.
Vers., 2 Voc.
And green-sward all your way shall be.
Chor.
Come follow, &c.
Vers.
No goblin or elf shall dare to offend ye.
Chor.
No, no, no, &c.
No goblin or elf shall dare to offend ye.
Vers., 3 Voc.
We brethren of air,
You heroes will bear
To the kind and the fair that attend ye.
Chor.
We brethren, &c.
[Philidel, and the spirits go off singing, with king Arthur, and the rest in the middle of them.
Enter Grimbald and his followers disguised like shepherds, leading king Arthur, Conon, Aurelius, Albanact, and attendants.
Grim.
Here, this way, Britons, follow Oswald's flight.
This evening as I whistled out my dog,
To drive my straggling flock, and pitch'd my fold,
I saw him dropping sweat, o'erlabour'd, stiff,
Make faintly as he could, to yonder dell.
Tread in my steps: long neighbourhood by day
Has made these fields familiar in the night.
Arth.
I thank thee, shepherd;
Expect reward, lead on, we follow thee.
[As Arthur is going off, enter Philidel and his followers.
13
Hither this way, this way bend,
Trust not that malicious fiend:
Those are false deluding lights,
Wafted far and near by sprites,
Trust 'em not, for they'll deceive ye;
And in bogs and marshes leave you.
Chor. of Phil. spirits.
Hither this way, this way bend.
Chor. of Grimb. spirits.
This way, this way bend.
Phil.
sings.
If you step, no danger thinking,
Down you fall, a furlong sinking:
'Tis a fiend who has annoy'd ye;
Name but Heav'n, and hell avoid ye.
Chor. of Phil spirits.
Hither this way, this way bend.
Chor. of Grimb. spirits.
This way, this way bend.
Philidel's spirits.
Trust not that malicious fiend.
Grimbald's spirits.
Trust me, I am no malicious fiend.
Philidel's spirits.
Hither this way, &c.
Grimb.
By Hell she sings them back, in my despite.
I had a voice in Heav'n, ere sulph'rous steams
Had damp'd it to a hoarseness: try it now.
SONG.
I had a voice in Heav'n, ere sulph'rous steams
Had damp'd it to a hoarseness: try it now.
1
Let not a moon-born elf mislead yeFrom your prey, and from your glory.
Too far, alas, he has betray'd ye:
Follow the flames, that wave before ye:
Sometimes sev'n, and sometimes one;
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry on.
II.
See, see, the footsteps plain appearing,That way Oswald chose for flying:
Firm is the turf, and fit for bearing,
Where yonder pearly dews are lying,
14
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry on.
Arth.
'Tis true, he says; the footsteps yet are fresh
Upon the sod, no falling dew-drops have
Disturb'd the print.
[All are going to follow Grimbald.
Phil.
sings.
Hither this way.
Chorus of Phil. spirits.
Hither this way, this way bend.
Chorus of Grimb. spirits.
This way, this way bend.
Philidel's spirits.
Trust not that malicious fiend.
Grimb. spirits.
Trust me, I am no malicious fiend.
Philidel's spirits.
Hither this way, &c.
[They all incline to Philidel.
Grim.
speaks.
Curse on her voice, I must my prey forego;
Thou, Philidel, shalt answer this below.
[Grimbald sinks in a flash of fire.
Arth.
At last the cheat is plain;
The cloven-footed fiend is vanish'd from us;
Good angels be our guides, and bring us back.
Phil.
singing.
Come follow, follow, follow me.
Chor.
Come follow, &c.
And me. And me. And me.
Vers., 2 Voc.
And green-sward all your way shall be.
Chor.
Come follow, &c.
Vers.
No goblin or elf shall dare to offend ye.
Chor.
No, no, no, &c.
No goblin or elf shall dare to offend ye.
Vers., 3 Voc.
We brethren of air,
You heroes will bear
To the kind and the fair that attend ye.
Chor.
We brethren, &c.
[Philidel, and the spirits go off singing, with king Arthur, and the rest in the middle of them.
| A Fairy Tale | |