Oh, Mercy, Oh, Mercy!
[Enter FAIRFAX and TWO YEOMEN from Tower in great excitement.
FAIRFAX My lord! I know not how to tell The news I bear!
I and my comrades sought the pris'ner's cell--He is not there!
ALL He is not there!
They sought the pris'ner's cell--
he is not there!
FAIRFAX AND
TWO YEOMENAs escort for the prisoner We sought his cell, in duty bound;The double gratings open were, No prisoner at all we found!
We hunted high, we hunted low, We hunted here, we hunted there--The man we sought with anxious care Had vanished into empty air!
The man we sought with anxious care Had vanished into empty air!
[Exit LIEUTENANT
WOMEN Now, by my troth, the news is fair, The man has vanished into air!
ALLAs escort for the prisoner We/they sought his cell in duty bound;The double gratings open were, No prisoner at all we/they found, We/they hunted high, we/they hunted low, We/they hunted here, we/they hunted there, The man we/they sought with anxious care Had vanished into empty air!
The man we/they sought with anxious care Had vanished into empty air!
[Enter WILFRED, followed by LIEUTENANT
LIEUT.Astounding news! The pris'ner fled!
[To WILFRED] Thy life shall forfeit be instead!
[WILFRED is arrestedWILFRED My lord, I did not set him free, I hate the man-- my rival he!
MERYLL The pris'ner gone-- I'm all agape!
LIEUT.Thy life shall forfeit be instead!
MERYLL Who could have helped him to escape?
WILFRED My lord, I did not set him free!
PHOEBE Indeed I can't imagine who!
I've no idea at all, have you?
[Enter JACK POINT
DAME Of his escape no traces lurk, Enchantment must have been at work!
ELSIE [aside to POINT]
What have I done? Oh, woe is me!
PHOEBE & DAME Indeed I can't imagine who!
I've no idea at all, have you?
ELSIE I am his wife, and he is free!
POINT Oh, woe is you? Your anguish sink!
Oh, woe is me, I rather think!
Oh, woe is me, I rather think!
Yes, woe is me, I rather think!
Whate'er betide You are his bride, And I am left Alone-- bereft!
Yes, woe is me, I rather think!
Yes, woe is me, I rather think!
Yes, woe is me, Yes, woe is me, Yes, woe is me, Yes, woe is me, I rather think!
ENSEMBLEAll frenzied with despair I/they rave, The grave is cheated of its due.
Who is, who is the misbegotten knave Who hath contrived this deed to do?
Let search, let search Be made throughout the land, Or his/my vindictive anger dread--A thousand marks, a thousand marks he'll/I'll hand Who brings him here, alive or dead, Who brings him here, alive or dead!
A thousand marks, a thousand marks, Alive, alive or dead Alive, alive or dead Who brings him here, alive, alive, or dead.
[At the end, ELSIE faints in FAIRFAX's arms; all the YEOMENand CROWD rush off the stage in different directions, to hunt for the fugitive, leaving only the HEADSMAN on the stage, and ELSIE insensible in FAIRFAX's arms.
END OF ACT I
ACT II
[SCENE.-- The same-- Moonlight.]
[Two days have elapsed.]
[WOMEN and YEOMEN of the Guard discovered.
No.13.Night has spread her pall once more (CHORUS AND SOLO)People, Yeomen, and Dame CarruthersCHORUS Night has spread her pall once more, And the pris'ner still is free:
Open is his dungeon door, Useless now his dungeon key.
He has shaken off his yoke--
How, no mortal man can tell!
Shame on loutish jailor-folk--
Shame on sleepy sentinel!
[Enter DAME CARRUTHERS and KATE
DAME Warders are ye?
Whom do ye ward?
Warders are ye?
Whom do ye ward?
Bolt, bar, and key, Shackle and cord, Fetter and chain, Dungeon and stone, All are in vain--Prisoner's flown!
Spite of ye all, he is free-- he is free!
Whom do ye ward? Pretty warders are ye!
WOMEN Pretty warders are ye!
Whom do ye ward?
Spite of ye all, he is free-- he is free!
Whom do ye ward?
Pretty warders are ye!
MENUp and down, and in and out, Here and there, and round about;Ev'ry chamber, ev'ry house, Ev'ry chink that holds a mouse, Ev'ry crevice in the keep, Where a beetle black could creep, Ev'ry outlet, ev'ry drain, Have we searched, but all in vain, all in vain.
WOMEN Warders are ye?
Whom do ye ward?
MENEv'ry house, ev'ry chink, ev'ry drain,WOMEN Warders are ye?
Whom do ye ward?
MENEv'ry chamber, ev'ry outlet, Have we searched, but all in vain.
WOMEN Night has spread her pall once more, And the pris'ner still is free:
MENWarders are we? Whom do we ward?
Whom do we ward?
Warders are we? Whom do we ward?
Whom do we ward?
WOMEN Open is his dungeon door, Useless his dungeon key!
ALLSpite of us all, he is free, he is free!
MENPretty warders are we, he is free!
Spite of us all, he is free, he is free!
WOMEN Open is his dungeon door,MENSpite of us all, he is free, he is free!
Pretty warders are we, he is free! He is free!
WOMEN He is free! He is free!
Pretty warders are ye,ALLHe is free! He is free!
Pretty warders are ye/we!
[Exeunt all.
[Enter JACK POINT, in low spirits, reading from a huge volumePOINT [reads] "The Merrie Jestes of Hugh Ambrose, No.
7863.The Poor Wit and the Rich Councillor.A certayne poor wit, being an-hungered, did meet a well-fed councillor.'Marry, fool,' quothe the councillor, 'whither away?' 'In truth,' said the poor wag, 'in that I have eaten naught these two dayes, I do wither away, and that right rapidly!' The Councillor laughed hugely, and gave him a sausage." Humph! the councillor was easier to please than my new master the Lieutenant.I would like to take post under that councillor.Ah! 'tis but melancholy mumming when poor heart-broken, jilted Jack Point must needs turn to Hugh Ambrose for original light humour!
[Enter WILFRED, also in low spirits.
WILFRED [sighing] Ah, Master Point!
POINT [changing his manner] Ha! friend jailer! Jailer that wast-- jailer that never shalt be more! Jailer that jailed not, or that jailed, if jail he did, so unjailery that 'twas but jerry-jailing, or jailing in joke-- though no joke to him who, by unjailerlike jailing, did so jeopardise his jailership.Come, take heart, smile, laugh, wink, twinkle, thou tormentor that tormentest none-- thou racker that rackest not--thou pincher out of place-- come, take heart, and be merry, as I am!-- [aside, dolefully]-- as I am!