 | King Charming ; or, The Blue Bird of Paradise |  |
Scene Fourth.
—The King's Cabinet.Enter King, Queen, Troutina, and Attendants, hastily.
Queen.
For Doctor Hocus Pocus send with speed!
(Attendants exeunt)
Trout.
The King's much worse!
King.
He's very queer, indeed!
Queen.
Woke from his nap in a high state of fever.
King.
Thinks he's a bird again, as blue as ever.
Queen.
Screamed out at sight of me, “a cat, a cat!”
Trout.
Call'd me a scarecrow—
King.
(aside)
There's some sense in that.
Queen.
Flung out of window the fine blackbird pie.
King.
And threatened after it to make me fly.
Charm.
(without)
Traitors!
Trout.
He's coming!
123
(to King)
Stand before me!
King.
No!
I couldn't think of it!
(bowing and going)
Queen.
Where shall we go?
King.
The nearest way downstairs—if you permit,
I'll run before.
(going)
Queen.
(crossing him)
You wouldn't think of it!
Exit Queen, followed by King and Troutina.
Enter Charming, followed by Lord and Valet de Chambre.
Charm.
Don't talk to me of “pockets full of rye,”
And “songs of sixpence!” Who dared make a pie
Of black, or any coloured birds? 'Tis treason
To kill, or catch a bird in any season!
The feathered race, throughout my whole dominions,
Shall live in perfect liberty of pinions.
I'll have no bird-cage walks in any parks!
Whilst I reign there shall be no end of larks!
Turkeys at Christmas but themselves shall stuff;
To cook his goose, no cook be goose enough!
No chicken hazard foul play for its life,
No pigeon pout for his encrusted wife!
Grouse shall the moors skim safe as gulls the ocean,
And ducks behold green peas without emotion!
Val.
He's very flighty! vows he's beaked and clawed!
Lord.
These are but wild and whirring words, my lord.
Charm.
Throughout the poultry go, the will proclaim
Of Charming, King, defender of all game,
Lord Paramount of every Fan-sea Isle,
Cock of the walk, and supréme de volaille!
Val.
(aside to Lord)
Humour his fancy; meanwhile I'll repeat
The dose, which takes out of him the conceit.
(Exit Lord)
Charm.
Corncrakes and fieldfares shall have double crops.
Honour all bills! take off the tax on hops!
Val.
Now then, in lieu of his old soporific,
I'll test the value of this new specific.
(takes out bracelets)
124
Come to my perch! I'm moulting fast! somehow
I've little left to plume myself on now;
My wings are bare, in vain I would them spread;
I've lost my tail—no, here 'tis, on my head!
Of course my head was turned by my mishap,
And here's the only feather in my cap.
Val.
These emeralds seem those in your cap to match.
(shewing them)
Charm.
(starting)
Ha! how came you those jewels up to scratch?
They were mine once! I gave them to a dove,
That turned into a vulture!—cruel love!
She set on me a hundred blades to fall—
Ah! that was the unkindest cut of all!
Air—Charming—“Go away, black man.”
They were mine once! I gave them to a dove,
That turned into a vulture!—cruel love!
She set on me a hundred blades to fall—
Ah! that was the unkindest cut of all!
As I stole out, one very dark night,
To see a fair maid, whose eyes shone bright,
The sky was so black I was sadly misled,
And I ran away with an ugly one instead.
Her godmother vowed that married we should be,
And when I said “No,” what d'ye think she said to me?—
Get along, base man, don't you come a-nigh me,
And turned into a bird of a bright blue dye me.
To see a fair maid, whose eyes shone bright,
The sky was so black I was sadly misled,
And I ran away with an ugly one instead.
Her godmother vowed that married we should be,
And when I said “No,” what d'ye think she said to me?—
Get along, base man, don't you come a-nigh me,
And turned into a bird of a bright blue dye me.
The back I flew that very same night,
To my own fair maid with her eyes so bright,
And took a neat nest in a cypress tall,
And meant every day on her to call.
I thought her as true as true could be,
But what do you think was the way she served me?
Set a lot of sharp blades to stick upon the sly me,
And cut me to the core, if she didn't blue die me!
To my own fair maid with her eyes so bright,
And took a neat nest in a cypress tall,
And meant every day on her to call.
I thought her as true as true could be,
But what do you think was the way she served me?
Set a lot of sharp blades to stick upon the sly me,
And cut me to the core, if she didn't blue die me!
Val.
The sight of them has only made him sadder,
I'll give him his black drops before he's madder.
Charm.
Methinks again that fatal tree I'd fly by!
Val.
It's time to take your drops and go to by-bye!
Charm.
Throw physic to the dogs, and go to Bath!
I'm for the air! the Blue Bird's own blue path!
Florina is heard singing “Pretty bird, pretty bird,” &c.
125
Is that the air, sir, that you said you were for?
Charm.
The only one that once I used to care for!
That strain again! oh! it comes o'er my ears,
Like the sweet south—or music of the spheres;
Or the drum polka, or the Berlin choir,
Or anything that judges most admire!
Val.
(aside)
Put that air to these here, (shewing bracelets)
I think I know,
Who's in the Whispering Gallery below.
Charm.
Is it some piping bullfinch they have bought,
For an old coat, and that tune to it taught?
Or does some nightingale, in corner snug,
Pour out that luscious strain from his own jug?
Or—oh! I never thought of that before—
Is it Florina, underneath the floor?
It is—it must be! and these jewels—speak!
Varlet! remember you're before a beak!
How came you by them?
Val.
Sire, I didn't buy them!
A sort of gipsy girl begged I would try them
Upon your Majesty, and if they fitted,
She vowed your flightiness would soon have flitted!
Charm.
Where is the gipsy?
Val.
In the Whispering Gallery!
Charm.
Open my cage, and I'll double your salary!
Val.
Follow me, sire, your wishes you shall crown them,
I'll kick the page of the back stairs all down them!
Air—Valet—“Come down the back stairs.”
I'll kick the page of the back stairs all down them!
Come down the back stairs, sir, if you'll follow me,
Come down the back stairs, of the door I've the key.
Come down the back stairs, and let nobody see,
And come as you were not coming to she.
Just whistle and she'll come to you below,
Just whistle and she'll come to you below.
Though father and stepmother both should say no,
Just whistle and she'll come to you below.
Come down the back stairs, &c.
Come down the back stairs, of the door I've the key.
Come down the back stairs, and let nobody see,
And come as you were not coming to she.
Just whistle and she'll come to you below,
Just whistle and she'll come to you below.
Though father and stepmother both should say no,
Just whistle and she'll come to you below.
Come down the back stairs, &c.
(Exeunt Charming and Valet)
| King Charming ; or, The Blue Bird of Paradise | |