University of Virginia Library

Scene Fourth.

—A Rum-antic Dell—The Mouth of a Cavern—a large Hollow Tree—between them a torrent.
Enter Graceful.
Grace.
“In these sad solitudes and awful cells,
Where heavenly pensive contemplation dwells,
And ever musing melancholy reigns,”
I come to cudgel my unhappy brains!
To use a phrase of Mr. Samuel Slick's—
I'm in a most tarnation ugly fix!
If I don't win the fair one, in his fury
The King will hang me without judge and jury.
And if I stay to win her, as she wishes,
My mildest fate will be to feed the fishes;
Fancy me looking for a lady's ring
Dropped in the river one fine day last spring;
To fobb me off this is a mere pretence,
And ring-dropping's a criminal offence!
Fate has determined all my hopes to dish!

(going)
Voice.
Stop, Graceful!

Grace.
(turning)
Ah! who calls?

Carp.
A grateful fish.

The Carp rises from the water, with a ring in its mouth.
Grace.
My friend the carp! and in its mouth I see
A golden ring!—yes—no—it cannot be!

Carp.
It can—it is the one you're sent to find.

Grace.
Was ever anything so very kind?

Carp.
Take it. You threw me back into the brook,
When others would have helped me with a hook!
To help you in return I've hastened gaily—
Although a fish, my conduct ne'er was scaly.
Farewell, we're quits. I hope, and all my fry do,
That you'll go on as swimmingly as I do.

(disappears)
Grace.
I'm so o'erjoyed, I scarce know what I'm at!
Who'll call a fish cold-blooded after that?
How wrong it was in me to carp at fate.
Here's the first task performed, at any rate!
And “well begun's half ended,” runs the saying.
But the next job on hand is giant slaying!
In that no carp can help me, for alack!
To kill a giant it should be a Jack.
At the bare thought I tremble, for I've read
That giants grind one's bones to make their bread.
Well, if on me he tries such baker's tricks,
The only way's to stick to him like bricks!
This way, they tell me, he is sure to come;
I think I hear him now cry—

Gali.
(without)
Fee—fo—fum

Enter Galifron.
Grace.
Oh, murder! here he is!

Gali.
Who's that below?

Grace.
(aside)
It's no use flinching. (aloud)
One, if you must know,
Who's sent to fetch your head.

Gali.
A strange direction!
When you can reach it, I have no objection.

Grace.
Come on!

Gali.
Come up! I'll make short work with you!

(makes a blow at him with his club)
Grace.
(avoiding the blow)
Hit one of your own size, you coward, do.

Music—TheCrow appears in the tree just above Giant's head.
Crow.
Hit Massa Graceful! Den me do just so. (pecks the Giant's eyes out)


Gali.
Oh, oh, oh!
He's pecked my eyes out! the vile carrion crow.

Music—Strikes about blindly—Graceful hacks his legs, till he falls, then cuts off his head.
Grace.
I'm conqueror! Yet still with fear I shudder!

Crow.
Me tell you one good turn deserb anoder.

Grace.
By Jove, you came just in the nick, old fellow;
And I may say of you, as of Othello—
If virtue no delighted beauty lack,
My friend Jim Crow is far more fair than black.

Crow.
We tink we both may now crow ober him.
Ta, ta!

(disappears)
Grace.
Farewell, my old acquaintance, Jim.
That honest crow's an honour to his State;
He pays his debts and don't repudiate.
There's number two; but now for number three.
Where shall I find this wondrous eau-de-vie?
The Fair One vowed 'twas in a cavern drear
Not far from hence—I rather think 'tis here.
Music—Approaches cavern—Serpents and Monsters of different descriptions shew themselves—He retreats alarmed.
Oh lud, yes, that's the cave without a doubt,
By all those horrid monsters rushing out.
That Black-gang-chine alarms me, I must own,
If there's the well—I'll just let well alone.
But then I lose the lady, and that's ill!
Is there no bottle imp, who mine will fill?

Music—The Owl appears in the hollow of the tree.
Owl.
May be an owl could manage that to do;
If you've forgotten me, I haven't you.

Grace.
Forgotten thee! “While memory holds a seat
In this distempered brain—”

Owl.
There, don't complete
The passage. I'm contint, and faith, I'll fill
Your whiskey-bottle from that private still.

Music—Graceful hangs the bottle round the Owl's neck—he flies into the cavern.
Grace.
Kind bird, I hope no mischief will befall him.
Should some terrific monster meet and maul him—
But no, my heart with hope is gaily beating,
An Irish owl don't mind a “monster meeting.”
And all has gone so well with me as yet—

Music—The Owl returns, with bottle filled.
Owl.
There, sir, you freed me from the fowler's net—
There's the net profit of your kind behaviour.

Grace.
You've struck a balance greatly in my favour.
Who comes this way? the Fair with all her train!

Music—Enter Queen Lucidora and Train.
Queen.
Can it be possible? the giant slain!

Grace.
Yes, madam, there's his head—and there's your ring—
And here's the water from the magic spring.

Queen.
I'm thunderstruck! our confidence has lost us!
Are you the devil, sir, or Dr. Faustus?

Grace.
Neither, sweet saint, if either thee displease.

Queen.
Nonsense! you couldn't do such things with ease,
If you were a mere mortal—and alone.

Grace.
The only charms I know of were your own;
They have more power than imp, or fairy elf.

Queen.
(aside)
I vow, I'm quite in love with him myself.

Grace.
And now I claim thee for my royal master.

Queen.
(aside)
O, fatal promise! Unforeseen disaster!
(aloud)
My word's my bond, sir—I admit your claim—
But is there no one else that you could name?

Grace.
The service and the loyalty I owe
Compel me, gracious Queen, to answer “no.”

Glee—“The Chough and Crow.”
Grace.
(aside)

Queen.
(aside)

Giant's Head.
(voce de teste)

Chorus.

(Exeunt—the Head descends trap)