 | Sir Francis Drake, and Iron Arm |  |
SCENE II.
The Outside of a Prison, with practicable door, and grated window.Enter Iron Arm—whistles, two of his horde enter—he dispatches them different routs, telling them he will go to their Cave and refresh himself with sleep; looks at the prison bars with disdain, and exit.—Enter Sancho and Soldiers, marching on Oxenham prisoner—Inis meeting them.
RECITATIVE—INIS.
That's the brave Englishman! oh, dear a me!
I must indulge my curiosity!
9
For Hispaniola's sake let me examine him!
Indulge me—and of bribes I'll give a surplus,
There (kisses him)
and this flask which I have stolen on purpose. (gives him a flask.)
DUET—INIS AND OXENHAM.
Tell me truly (if it suit ye)
When Drake lands what will he dare do?
Oxen.
Pretty beauty, do his duty,
Conquer first, then nobly spare you.
Inis.
Lord! we've heard he is so daring,
Cutting, slashing, storming, swearing;
Neither man nor woman sparing.
Oxen.
—No, no, no!
Inis.
But we've Soldiers, Sailors plenty,
That your Captain's crew out numbers.
Oxen.
Damme! give us one to twenty,
And we'll soon disturb their slumbers;
Drub your Soldiers, sink your Sailors,
Make as many quake and quail as
The Devil did among the Tailors.
Yeo, yeo, yeo!
Pretty Donna, 'pon your honour,
Can you like a British lover?
Inis.
What do sighs mean?—what one's eyes mean?
If you've sense you'll soon discover!
Oxen.
Yeo, ho! avast! your's sparkle finely,
Like diamonds glittering love so kindly;
Damme! but you look divinely,
Inis.
(conceitedly)
—No, no, no!
But we've Soldiers, &c.
Enter Officer, blames Sancho for not having secured
his prisoner—a Gaoler from the Prison hurries
him into the jail, and the Officer, marching the
other Soldiers off, leaves Sancho as centinel—after
Sancho has paced a few times backwards and forwards,
occasionally imbibing comfort from his bottle,
Oxenham looks through the grate.[1.]
Inis.Tell me truly (if it suit ye)
When Drake lands what will he dare do?
Oxen.
Pretty beauty, do his duty,
Conquer first, then nobly spare you.
Inis.
Lord! we've heard he is so daring,
Cutting, slashing, storming, swearing;
Neither man nor woman sparing.
Oxen.
—No, no, no!
Inis.
But we've Soldiers, Sailors plenty,
That your Captain's crew out numbers.
Oxen.
Damme! give us one to twenty,
And we'll soon disturb their slumbers;
Drub your Soldiers, sink your Sailors,
Make as many quake and quail as
The Devil did among the Tailors.
Yeo, yeo, yeo!
2.
Oxen.Pretty Donna, 'pon your honour,
Can you like a British lover?
Inis.
What do sighs mean?—what one's eyes mean?
If you've sense you'll soon discover!
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Yeo, ho! avast! your's sparkle finely,
Like diamonds glittering love so kindly;
Damme! but you look divinely,
Inis.
(conceitedly)
—No, no, no!
But we've Soldiers, &c.
RECITATIVE—OXENHAM.
So here I'm harbour'd—not much to my mind,
I say old boy! this cabin's cursed confin'd.
(Sancho nods and drinks to him.)
Aye pull away—I'm set here in the bilboes!
(He tries the strength of the iron bars—shakes his head —pulls out a clasp knife, which he opens.)
Avast! if this knife now was but a saw!
How I would— (Strikes it against the grating.)
—Umph—zounds as I shake my elbows!
I'll drown the noise by tipping him slack jaw.
Aye, drink away—at it here goes ding dong.
(Sancho drinks during this soliloquy.)
I say, old toper! will you have a song?
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Sancho surlily replies—aye—
He begins sawing and singing, the Centinel acting what he sings.
SONG—OXENHAM, Tune Bembow.
As honest a Seaman as honest can be,
By the foe was imprison'd all in Barbary;
Where a barbarous Blackamoor whom Christian souls must hate,
Made him work like a Neger Boy as he look'd through his grate.
Tune—Black-eyed Susan.
By the foe was imprison'd all in Barbary;
Where a barbarous Blackamoor whom Christian souls must hate,
Made him work like a Neger Boy as he look'd through his grate.
All as he work'd, he sometimes sigh'd,
Dropping salt tears at every wish!
While his old Guard, the bottle ply'd,
And drank his flip like any fish!
But still the Moor his keen revenge to sate,
Made him work harder at the Dungeon's grate.
Sancho, having now got considerably inebriated,
staggering round, nearly detects him.Dropping salt tears at every wish!
While his old Guard, the bottle ply'd,
And drank his flip like any fish!
But still the Moor his keen revenge to sate,
Made him work harder at the Dungeon's grate.
Tune—Poor Jack.
Drink on, says the Sailor! for sorrow's a dry,
With tears I've replenish'd my cup;
So the old soul he swigg'd it 'till, piping his eye,
He nearly had swigg'd his last sup!
So he stagger'd and hiccup'd, and swell'd in great state!
On the Prisoner's grief turn'd his back;
Who found a sweet cherub who open'd his grate,
And freedom restored to Poor Jack!
With tears I've replenish'd my cup;
So the old soul he swigg'd it 'till, piping his eye,
He nearly had swigg'd his last sup!
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On the Prisoner's grief turn'd his back;
Who found a sweet cherub who open'd his grate,
And freedom restored to Poor Jack!
At this period Sancho, overcome with liquor, staggers against the Prison, his back towards Oxenham, and his musquet within his reach—Oxenham having, during the above air, by sawing, at length loosened the grating, cautiously takes it out, and, snatching Sancho's musquet from him, gently shoves him down with the but end, and makes his escape— the Jailor appears at the window, awakes Sancho, and making him sensible of their loss, they exeunt in the utmost trepidation;—Iron Arm's ruffians re-enter, and complain of the little prospect they have of obtaining plunder; but perceiving Alphonso, &c. approaching, retire—Alphonso enters, leading on Victoria, followed by Inis—the Ruffians fix on their prey, one seizes Victoria, the other Inis— Victoria is rescued by Alphonso, but Inis borne off by the Ruffians.
| Sir Francis Drake, and Iron Arm | |