 | Merlin in Love |  |
ACT II.
SCENE, a wild, rocky, prospect, with an opening, in front, that descends to Merlin's cave;—an old hollow tree growing close by its entrance.
Merlin comes up, out of the cave, and looks, every way, round, with action expressing melancholy, and impatience.
Air IX.
Merl.
Ah!—fatal road of life! thro' vales of woe!
Where pale despair
Tho' at each stage of rest, gay roses blow,
Feels the sharp thorn of care!
Ah me!—what teaches knowledge? but to know
The pains, which man is doom'd to undergo!
Life's a light, and gaudy bubble,
Gilt with hope, and broke by trouble:
Every passion, spite of reason,
Rules us, in—and out of, season.
Man is only born, to know
Variety, of never-ending woe.
A Spirit [one of the four Winds] descends, and whispers Merlin: who seems brisker, upon the intelligence brought him; and, after seeming to give orders to the Spirit, puts him into the hollow tree: and returns, himself, into the cave.
Music, in the air.—The chariot descends, with Harlequin and Columbine; and, after they are alighted, flys up again, and disappears.
They embrace, in high rapture; as, for joy, at their escape; but look round, as wondering what place they are brought to.
Harlequin trips time to her singing.
Col.
'Tis over—'tis over—
And I, and my lover,
In freedom escaping, forget the past pain.
Let us shake off our chain,
And new pleasures obtain;
For life, without loving, is living, in vain.
In the midst of their transport, music is heard, under ground, and the place, upon which they are standing, begins to rise under them.—Harlequin, in a great fright, runs about, as in search of a place, wherein to hide Columbine; and at length, putting her into the hollow tree, stands behind it, himself; and peeps, expressively, at what passes.
Then, arises, slowly, to the sound of the subterranean music, a huge mushroom, covering eight or nine feet of the stage; and, from under it, thro' a little arch'd door, that opens, in the stalk, come out two Fairies, (a lover, and his mistress,) follow'd by a Fairy blackamore page, carrying a scaling ladder, for his Lord and Lady to mount by.
Sung by Children.
[1.]
He Fairy.Gentle Fay!
Pip, the gay!
See! the day
She.
Smiles, like thee;
He.
And, to me,
Cries—kiss her, and play:
She.
Come—trip, trip, away;
'Tis pity to stay,
All day,
In the dusk of our shades, when, above ground, we may
Both.
Dance the sun-shine away.
2.
He.Mushroom!—beneath whose gloom we dwell;
Thou, roof, to our cell!
Continue to swell;—
She.
Let our size
Also rise,
Ten inches nearer to the skies!
He.
That my Fay's enchanting eyes
Alluring the ken
Of giant men,
May the ladies, that live here above-ground, disgrace,
And shame all the race;
Tho' my Pip cou'd scarce furnish a nose for their face.
She.
Hard case!
Both.
That the greatest, in charms, shou'd be smallest, in space!
3.
He.How that smile
Can beguile!
To the page]
Hop, come hither—mark your time;
Set the ladder,—let us climb:
I wou'd be rais'd, and look sublime!
For, who shou'd more exalted be,
She.
Than he,
Who, loving, thus, is, thus, belov'd by, thee!
Than she,
Who, loving, thus, &c.
He.
Than he—
She.
Than she—
Both.
Who, loving &c.
[They strut, in state, round the mushroom, while Hop sets up the ladder, against it; then, climb up, and form a dance, on the top of it. Hop takes away the ladder, and returns, as he came, shutting the door in the stalk, after him.
After the dance, Harlequin, who is advanc'd from behind the tree, with action, expressing a mixture of fear, pleasure, and curiosity, coming near the mushroom, the Fairies discern him, and vanish, thro' the center of the mushroom; the woman, first; and, then, the man-fairy.—The mushroom sinking down, as at first.
Harlequin, after looking on the place, with signs of great wonder and delight, attempts to enter the hollow of the tree, in search of Columbine: but, starts back in great fright, at appearance of an overgrown bear, that fills up the trunk, like a centinel.
After many fearful windings, twistings, and reverted looks, at distance, he bethinks himself of his wand; and, gathering courage to return, strikes the bear, on the nose.
At touch of the wand, the bear falls down, in form of a path, from the hollow tree, cover'd neatly with a carpet: at the upper part of which, appears Columbine, in act of descending.
Harlequin embraces her, in extasy; and, after mutual expression of rapture, discerning the mouth of the cave, points to it, as a place of safety, and repose.
Air XII.
Col.
Let us go, with the man, that we love,
Where-ever ill-fortune can carry:
All the dangers on earth, she may venture to prove,
Who dares be so bold as to marry.
Step first: and I'll follow unfearing;
When hopes are endearing,
And fancy looks chearing,
The worst stroke of Fortune, 'tis easy to parry:
When the call is from love, none but cowards will tarry.
[Harlequin leads her down into the cave: and the scene closes upon them.
| Merlin in Love | |