 | Aladdin ; or, The Wonderful Lamp |  |
The Entrance to the Sultan's Palace.
First Sentinel.
What do I see? What a great swarm of men
Is coming to the palace down the street!
A grand procession of distinguished strangers,—
Princes they are, that's clear. Run, Hassan, run
And let the Sultan know, with your best haste,
That several princes from some distant land
Are on the road to visit him to-day.
[Exit Second Sentinel.
(Eighty black and white slaves enter slowly in procession, the black bearing the vases on their heads. After them enters Morgiana, sumptuously clad, attended by six female slaves. Soliman, attended by his Vizir and body-guard, meets them on the steps of the palace. As the first slave reaches the top, he speaks.)
Soliman.
Welcome, my trusty and belovèd kinsman, welcome!
Great, yea, most great, the joy that fills our heart,
To see you here thus unexpectedly.
The Slave
(kneels).
I am a slave, oh mighty Lord; no prince!
The eightieth merely in this long array.
Most humbly we approach, here at thy feet
To lay the gifts Aladdin promised thee.
Soliman.
You—slaves, and thus right royally attired?
From him? The tail—the stripling? From Aladdin?
Slave.
Yes, mighty Sultan.
Soliman.
And the aged dame,
Attended by these lovely creatures, is—
Slave.
His mother, Sire.
Soliman.
His—What? The tailor's widow?
Morgiana
(throwing back her veil).
The same, most mighty Sultan! So, you don't
Know me again? That's probably because
I wear a veil.
Soliman.
Vizir!
Vizir.
My gracious liege!
Soliman.
What say you now?
Vizir.
I'm dumb! I'm petrified.
Soliman.
Come on, dear madam,—to the palace! Come!
And there you shall awake me from my dream.
Morgiana.
Ah, not a bit of it's a dream, Sir Sultan!
'Tis simple, downright, plain, straightforward fact,
And not a grain of witchcraft in it all.
Come, follow, slaves, me and your master! Come!
Soliman.
If this be not a dream, and no delusion,
Gulnara soon will be Aladdin's bride.
The Slaves
(shout).
Long live great Soliman! Long live Aladdin!
[Exeunt into the palace.
First Sentinel.
What do I see? What a great swarm of men
Is coming to the palace down the street!
A grand procession of distinguished strangers,—
Princes they are, that's clear. Run, Hassan, run
And let the Sultan know, with your best haste,
That several princes from some distant land
Are on the road to visit him to-day.
[Exit Second Sentinel.
(Eighty black and white slaves enter slowly in procession, the black bearing the vases on their heads. After them enters Morgiana, sumptuously clad, attended by six female slaves. Soliman, attended by his Vizir and body-guard, meets them on the steps of the palace. As the first slave reaches the top, he speaks.)
Soliman.
Welcome, my trusty and belovèd kinsman, welcome!
Great, yea, most great, the joy that fills our heart,
To see you here thus unexpectedly.
The Slave
(kneels).
I am a slave, oh mighty Lord; no prince!
111
Most humbly we approach, here at thy feet
To lay the gifts Aladdin promised thee.
Soliman.
You—slaves, and thus right royally attired?
From him? The tail—the stripling? From Aladdin?
Slave.
Yes, mighty Sultan.
Soliman.
And the aged dame,
Attended by these lovely creatures, is—
Slave.
His mother, Sire.
Soliman.
His—What? The tailor's widow?
Morgiana
(throwing back her veil).
The same, most mighty Sultan! So, you don't
Know me again? That's probably because
I wear a veil.
Soliman.
Vizir!
Vizir.
My gracious liege!
Soliman.
What say you now?
Vizir.
I'm dumb! I'm petrified.
Soliman.
Come on, dear madam,—to the palace! Come!
And there you shall awake me from my dream.
112
Ah, not a bit of it's a dream, Sir Sultan!
'Tis simple, downright, plain, straightforward fact,
And not a grain of witchcraft in it all.
Come, follow, slaves, me and your master! Come!
Soliman.
If this be not a dream, and no delusion,
Gulnara soon will be Aladdin's bride.
The Slaves
(shout).
Long live great Soliman! Long live Aladdin!
[Exeunt into the palace.
| Aladdin ; or, The Wonderful Lamp | |