按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
A simple sailor； lowly born；
Unlettered and unknown；
Who toils for bread from early mom
Till half the night has flown！
No golden rank can he impart
No wealth of house or land
No fortune save his trusty heart
And honest brown right hand！
And yet he is so wondrous fair
That love for one so passing rare；
So peerless in his manly beauty；
Were little else than solemn duty！
Oh； god of love； and god of reason； say；
Which of you twain shall my poor heart obey！
SIR JOSEPH and CAPTAIN enter
SIR JOSEPH。 Madam； it has been represented to me that you are
appalled
by my exalted rank。 I desire to convey to you officially my
assurance；
that if your hesitation is attributable to that circumstance； it
is
uncalled for。
JOS。 Oh！ then your lordship is of opinion that married
happiness is not
inconsistent with discrepancy in rank？
SIR JOSEPH。 I am officially of that opinion。
JOS。 That the high and the lowly may be truly happy together；
provided
that they truly love one another？
SIR JOSEPH。 Madam； I desire to convey to you officially my
opinion that
love is a platform upon which all ranks meet。
JOS。 I thank you； Sir Joseph。 I did hesitate； but I will
hesitate no
longer。 （Aside。） He little thinks how eloquently he has pleaded
his
rival's cause！
TRIO
FIRST LORD； CAPTAIN； and JOSEPHINE
CAPT。 Never mind the why and wherefore；
Love can level ranks； and therefore；
Though his lordship's station's mighty；
Though stupendous be his brain；
Though your tastes are mean and flighty
And your fortune poor and plain；
CAPT。 and Ring the merry bells on board…ship；
SIR JOSEPH。 Rend the air with warbling wild；
For the union of ｛ his ｝ lordship
my
With a humble captain's child！
CAPT。 For a humble captain's daughter
JOS。 For a gallant captain's daughter
SIR JOSEPH。 And a lord who rules the water
JOS。 （aside）。 And a tar who ploughs the water！
ALL。 Let the air with joy be laden；
Rend with songs the air above；
For the union of a maiden
With the man who owns her love！
SIR JOSEPH。 Never mind the why and wherefore；
Love can level ranks； and therefore；
Though your nautical relation （alluding to CAPT。）
In my set could scarcely pass
Though you occupy a station
In the lower middle class
CAPT。 and Ring the merry bells on board…ship；
SIR JOSEPH Rend the air with warbling wild；
For the union of ｛ my ｝ lordship
your
With a humble captain's child！
CAPT。 For a humble captain's daughter
JOS。 For a gallant captain's daughter
SIR JOSEPH。 And a lord who rules the water
JOS。 （aside）。 And a tar who ploughs the water！
ALL。 Let the air with joy be laden；
Rend with songs the air above；
For the union of a maiden
With the man who owns her love！
JOS。 Never mind the why and wherefore；
Love can level ranks； and therefore
I admit the jurisdiction；
Ably have you played your part；
You have carried firm conviction
To my hesitating heart。
CAPT。 and Ring the merry bells on board…ship；
SIR JOSEPH。 Rend the air with warbling wild；
For the union of ｛ my ｝ lordship
his
With a humble captain's child！
CAPT。 For a humble captain's daughter
JOS。 For a gallant captain's daughter
SIR JOSEPH。 And a lord who rules the water
JOS。 （aside）。 And a tar who ploughs the water！
（Aloud。） Let the air with joy be laden。
CAPT。 and SIR JOSEPH。 Ring the merry bells on board…ship
JOS。 For the union of a maiden
CAPT。 and SIR JOSEPH。 For her union with his lordship。
ALL。 Rend with songs the air above
For the man who owns her love！
＇Exit JOS。
CAPT。 Sir Joseph； I cannot express to you my delight at the
happy
result of your eloquence。 Your argument was unanswerable。
SIR JOSEPH。 Captain Corcoran； it is one of the happiest
characteristics
of this glorious country that official utterances are invariably
regarded
as unanswerable。 ＇Exit SIR
JOSEPH。
CAPT。 At last my fond hopes are to be crowned。 My only daughter
is to
be the bride of a Cabinet Minister。 The prospect is Elysian。
（During this
speech DICK DEADEYE has entered。）
DICK。 Captain。
CAPT。 Deadeye！ You here？ Don't！ （Recoiling from him。）
DICK。 Ah； don't shrink from me； Captain。 I'm unpleasant to look
at； and
my name's agin me； but I ain't as bad as I seem。
CAPT。 What would you with me？
DICK （mysteriously）。 I'm come to give you warning。
CAPT。 Indeed！ do you propose to leave the Navy then？
DICK。 No； no； you misunderstand me； listen！
DUET
CAPTAIN and DICK DEADEYE
DICK。 Kind Captain； I've important information；
Sing hey； the kind commander that you are；
About a certain intimate relation；
Sing hey； the merry maiden and the tar。
BOTH。 The merry maiden and the tar。
CAPT。 Good fellow； in conundrums you are speaking；
Sing hey； the mystic sailor that you are；
The answer to them vainly I am seeking；
Sing hey； the merry maiden and the tar。
BOTH The merry maiden and the tar。
DICK。 Kind Captain； your young lady is a…sighing；
Sing hey； the simple captain that you are；
This very might with Rackstraw to be flying；
Sing hey； the merry maiden and the tar。
BOTH。 The merry maiden and the tar。
CAPT。 Good fellow； you have given timely warning；
Sing hey； the thoughtful sailor that you are；
I'll talk to Master Rackstraw in the morning：
Sing hey； the cat…o'…nine…tails and the tar。
（Producing a
〃cat〃。）
BOTH。 The merry cat…o'…nine…tails an