 | The Castle of Otranto |  |
SCENE V.
—Subterranean Vault in the Castle; it is open at the top, as if some one had dropped in from above, and a portion of the helmet is protruding through the top.Theodore discovered, R.
SONG AND RECITATIVE—Theodore.
The.
Zooks! what a crash, a pretty decent tumble;
'Neath that great helmet's weight the ground did crumble;
And down I came, no bones broke, though sore pepper'd,
Here doomed to stay—what can I do. Why,
I'll sing a little song, that shall not be very long,
But 'twill serve to soothe my sorrow in this place so drear,
SONG.
Air.—“The merry Swiss Boy.”
For I'm not like the merry, the merry Swiss Boy,
When he hies to his mountain away.
And I feel I could almost sit down here and cry,
But to cheer me that is not the way,
So I'll laugh and I'll sing, and I'll try to be gay,
And I'll make this place ring, in an odd sort of way;
That you'll all feel inclined, when you hear me, to say,
Theodore, my brave boy, sing away.
Ai, ai, ai, ai, &c.
When he hies to his mountain away.
And I feel I could almost sit down here and cry,
But to cheer me that is not the way,
So I'll laugh and I'll sing, and I'll try to be gay,
And I'll make this place ring, in an odd sort of way;
That you'll all feel inclined, when you hear me, to say,
Theodore, my brave boy, sing away.
Ai, ai, ai, ai, &c.
17
'Tis in vain, 'tis in vain, for I can't make them hear,
Though all night I continue to sing;
There's no door, there's no knocker; oh! I feel very queer;
And, oh! there's no bell I can ring;
There's nobody now living over the way,
And I'm sure I don't wonder that they didn't stay:
'Tis the last visit here that I wish to pay,
I'd rather be far, far away.
Ai, ai, ai, ai, &c.
Though all night I continue to sing;
There's no door, there's no knocker; oh! I feel very queer;
And, oh! there's no bell I can ring;
There's nobody now living over the way,
And I'm sure I don't wonder that they didn't stay:
'Tis the last visit here that I wish to pay,
I'd rather be far, far away.
Ai, ai, ai, ai, &c.
The.
What a sad drop. Fortune appears to frown,
And in the world, I fear, I'm going down.
Where am I? Fate, alas! my course controuls;
This vault, does it contain wine, beer, or coals?
Enter from back, Isabella, with a deep sigh, U.E.R.
That sound of low complaint makes me incline
To think I must have got among the wine.
Don't be alarmed (approaching her)
.
Isa.
With fright I'm almost dead—
It is a man! Oh, should it be Man-fred!
The.
Nay, gentle lady, from me do not shrink.
Isa.
Sir, I am standing on destruction's brink.
Save me from falling in.
The.
Oh, do not doubt,
You shan't fall in, but don't let us fall out.
Isa.
Then from the Castle tell me how to fly.
The.
Though in your service I'm prepared to die,
The windings of this place I do not know,
And therefore can't direct you where to go.
Isa.
But you can be of use to me, mayhap;
There should be somewhere here a certain trap.
The.
You mean a rat-trap?
Isa.
No; a kind of door,
Marked by a piece of brass upon the floor.
The.
How shall we find it? If the moon to-night
Would but accommodate us with a light—
[A ray of moonlight streams suddenly with great brilliancy, and shews a brass hook upon the floor, C.
The.
Your wish could not have been accomplished sooner,
This is exceedingly polite of Lunar.
The object that you sought I can descry;
We shall be saved—the hook has caught my eye.
Isa.
Now raise the trap-door.
The.
(pulls up trap-door).
What a fearful height!
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Upon that ground so dark we must alight.
But perhaps you'd rather where you are remain,
If so, farewell, until we meet again.
The.
Think'st thou I would desert thee, madam? No!
Though fifty tons of coals were shot below,
I'd stand beside thee, till I chanced to drop,
Our lives brought by the coal—on to full stop.
Isa.
When to despair our situation reaches
One can't stand listening to heroic speeches.
I must away—you'd better follow straight;
You're lost if to philosophise you wait.
DUET.
The.
Oh! what a hole! 'tis as black as any nigger!
Isa.
Psha! never mind! let's be off like a trigger!
The.
Manfred is small, Miss—I'm very much bigger!
Isa.
Yes, to be sure, with a very pretty figure!
The.
Oh, no, Miss!
Isa.
Oh, yes, sir.
The.
Oh, no, miss!—mind what I say;
We shall meet again some very fine day.
I'm very much in love, and I've a great mind to tell her.
Isa.
Yes, 'pon my word, he's a very pretty feller.
The.
They say agitation soon cools in a cellar.
Isa.
The sight of this youth to my grief's a dispeller.
The.
Good-bye, Miss.
Isa.
Good-bye, sir, &c., &c., &c.
[She descends trap, which closes after her.
The.
She's saved! but to myself I now must look;
[Tries to find the door.
The door I cannot find by hook or crook.
Of voices I begin to hear the humming,
As Clown or Pantaloon says—“Somebody coming.”
Manfred without, U.E.R.
Man.
I tell you she is here—and in this cellar;
Where's Isabella—Bella—Florrida—bella?
Enter Manfred, with a number of Servants.
I'll punish her, since I have fail'd to please her
My orders are—The first that sees her seize her.
(Sees Theodore.)
How cam'st thou here?
The.
What right hast thou to ask?
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I left thee bottled up in yonder casque.
My guards thou hast corrupted—and he dies
Who's base enough with thee to fraternise.
The.
My lord, your charges are as false as rash.
As to corruption, have I got the cash?
Man.
I know not that;—but tell me, wretched youth,
How cam'st thou here!—Come, sir, let's have the truth.
The.
You shall my lord—your highness is aware
The pavement frequently requires repair;
The gas or waterworks can ne'er refrain
From pulling up with all their might their main.
Man.
Keep to the point.
The.
I wish, my lord, to do it.
[Points to a hole above.
Thou seest that hole; kind fortune saw me through it.
Man.
I know not if to credit thee, young slave;
Your life depends on how you may behave:
I'm undecided quite, whether or not
To spare thee, or to kill thee on the spot.
Enter Odonto, U.E.R. running, in great trepidation.
How now; what means this trepidation? speak:
Pale fear has spread its whitewash o'er thy cheek—
Unto one spot terror will often root us,
Throwing our hair on end—into a Brutus;
And so it is with thee. What does it mean?
Odo.
My lord, you can't imagine what I've seen.
Man.
Was it a ghost? To hear thee I'm compliant.
Odo.
It was a compound of the ghost and giant.
Man.
A giant!
Odo.
True; and yet I know not whether
It could be called a giant altogether—
It was a leg and foot in armour clad.
Man.
A leg and foot! The fellow must be mad:
I never heard a more preposterous talker.
A leg and foot! excuse my saying—walker.
Odo.
They match'd the coal black casque.
Man.
I'd bet upon it
They are a pair—the black leg and the bonnet;
But I will trace them out, so come with me,
If mischief is a-foot I soon shall see.
Odo.
My lord, there's not a servant who engages
To hunt a ghost, included in his wages.
The.
Your lordship's enterprise I'd gladly aid;
Of ghost or ghostess I was ne'er afraid:
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To fear a stocking I should be a pump.
Man.
I'll trust no eyes except my own: but stay,
If you're disposed to follow me you may.
[A gigantic leg makes its appearance, U.E.R.
Odo.
Look there! look there!
The.
Surprise I can't controul,
That wandering foot must have a troubled soul.
Man.
I'll follow till the mystery is revealed,
That boot may be a spirit unannealed.
[The Boot retreats. Manfred and Theodore follow, U.E.R.
The.
Whate'er thou art, pump, highlow, ankle jack,
Courageously I'll onwards in thy track;
Or if a Clarence, in a dream I view thee,
False, fleeting, perjured Clarence I pursue thee.
TRIO AND CHORUS.
Air—“The Cork Leg.”
Odo.
I wonder who can be the scamp
That keeps his leg upon the tramp,
He must be of the common stamp.
Right too ra loo ra loo ra loo, right too ra loo ra loo ra loo, right too loo ra lay.
Cho.
Right too ra loo, &c.
Man.
Had I a vassal worth a dump,
He'd make that most unworthy pump
To a conclusion quickly jump.
Right too ra loo, &c.
The,
That highlow did Alfonso use,
But Manfred's Lord it now pursues,
Like quite another pair of shoes.
Right sho too ra loo, &c.
[The gigantic leg retreats; Manfred and Theodore following, while Odonto and Domestics steal off in an opposite direction, L.
| The Castle of Otranto | |