∗ The following transcription preserves the original spelling and syntax of Source D; however, various aspects of format and layout (particularly line breaks) have not been retained. Where stage directions have omitted the closing bracket, this has been supplied editorially, without comment.
PART I.
A wild country; the whole Scene dark, ‘till at one corner, the Moon rising, a Satyr is seen (by her light) to come forth and call.
RECITATIVE
FIRST SATYR
CHROMIS! Mnasil! none appear?
See you not who riseth here?
You were carousing late, I fear:
I’ll prove if this can reach your ear.
[He winds his Cornet, and thinks himself answer’d, but is deceiv’d by the Echo.]
AIR
O, you wake, then: come away;
Times be short, are made for play!
The hum’rous Moon too will not stay.
RECITATIVE
What doth make you thus delay?
Hath the tankard touch’d your brain?
Sure, they’re fall’n asleep, again!
Or I doubt it was the vain
Echo, did me entertain.
Prove again. [Winds a second time.]
I thought ’twas she.
AIR
Idle Nymph, I pray thee be
Modest, and not follow me;
I not love myself, nor thee.
[Winds the third time, and is answer’d by another Satyr.]
RECITATIVE
Ay, this sound I better know:
Wou’d their faces they might shew!
[At this, other Satyrs come forth severally, and amongst them a Silenus.]
SECOND SATYR Thank us, and we shall do so.
THIRD SATYR Ay, our number soon will grow.
SECOND SATYR See Silenus!
THIRD SATYR Cercops too!
FOURTH SATYR Yes; what is there now to do?
FIFTH SATYR Are there any Nymphs to woo?
FOURTH SATYR If there be, let me have two.
SILENUS Chaster language! These are nights
Solemn to the shining rites
Of the Fairy Prince, and Knights;
While the Moon their orgies lights.
SECOND SATYR Will they come abroad, anon?
THIRD SATYR Shall we see Young Oberon?
FOURTH SATYR Is he such a princely one
As you spake him long agone?
AIR and CHORUS
SILENUS Satyrs, he doth fill with grace
Every season, every place;
Beauty dwells but in his face:
He’s the height of all our race!
Our Pan’s father, God of tongue,
Bacchus, though he still be young,
Phœbus, when he crowned sung,
Nor Mars, when first his armour rung,
Might with him be nam’d that day:
Lovelier than the Spring in May.
CHORUS
O! that he would come away!
RECITATIVE
THIRD SATYR Farewel, Bacchus! we will serve
Young Oberon.
SILENUS And he’ll deserve
All you can, and more, my Boys.
FOURTH SATYR Will he give us pretty toys,
To beguile the girls withal?
THIRD SATYR And to make ’em quickly fall!
SILENUS Peace, my Wantons! he will do
More than you can aim unto.
FIRST SATYR Will he gild our cloven feet?
THIRD SATYR Strew our heads with powders sweet?
FIRST SATYR Bind our crooked legs in hoops,
Made of shells, with silver loops?
SECOND SATYR Tie about our tawny wrists
Bracelets of the Fairy twists?
FOURTH SATYR And, to spite the coy Nymphs scorns,
Hang upon our stubbed horns
Garlands, ribbands, and fine posies;
THIRD SATYR Fresh as when the Flower discloses?
AIR and CHORUS
SECOND SATYR And to answer all things else,
Trap our shaggy thighs with bells;
FOURTH SATYR That as we do strike a time,
In our dance, shall make a chime,
THIRD SATYR Louder than the rattling pipes
Of the Wood-Gods;
FIRST SATYR Or the stripes
Of the timbrel; when we carry
Bacchus up, his pomp to vary.
CHORUS O, that he so long doth tarry!
RECITATIVE
SILENUS Peace! the Rock will quickly ope:
Soon you shall enjoy your hope.
[Rock opens, and discovers the West Front of St. George’s Chapel, at Windsor, with brilliant decorations; before the Gates two Sylvans, armed with their Clubs, and drest in leaves, asleep. At this the Satyrs wondering, Silenus proceeds.
Mark, my Satyrs, what a show!
Look! does not this Temple glow
Like another sky of lights?
Yonder sit the crested Knights,
Once the noblest of the earth,
Quicken’d by a second birth;
Who, for Prowess, and for Truth,
There are crown’d with lasting youth;
And now hold, by Fate’s command,
Seats of Bliss in Fairy Land.
But their Guards! strange watch they keep!
Rouze ’em, Satyrs, from their sleep!
THIRD SATYR Holla, Sylvans! Sure they’re caves
Which Sleep inhabits ——
FIRST SATYR Else they’re graves.
SECOND SATYR Shall we cramp ’em?
SILENUS Satyrs, no.
THIRD SATYR Would we had Boreas here, to blow!
FOURTH SATYR Shall we steal away their beards ——
THIRD SATYR For Pan’s Goat, that leads the Herds?
FIRST SATYR Let’s try, whether is more dead,
One Sylvan’s Club — or t’other’s head.
SECOND SATYR Let us to some river take them;
Plump — and see if that will wake them.
FIRST SATYR Let them down the Hill be roll’d!
SILENUS Wags, no more! you grow too bold.
SECOND SATYR There’s no mention yet appears.
SILENUS Strike a charm into their ears.
CATCH, by the SATYRS
Buz, quoth the blue flie,
Hum, quoth the bee:
Buz and hum they cry,
And so do we.
In his ear, in his nose,
Thus do you see?
He eat the Dormouse,
Else it was he!
[The two Sylvans start up amazed, and betake themselves to their Arms.]
RECITATIVE
SILENUS How now, Sylvans! can you wake?
I commend the care you take.
FOURTH SATYR Who is yonder up aloof?
FIRST SATYR Be your eyes as yet moon-proof?
SATYRS Satyrs, leave your petulance,
And go frisk about, and dance;
Or else rail upon the Moon;
Your expectance is too soon.
For before the second cock,
Know, the gates will not unlock.
FIRST SATYR Say you so? Then let us fall
To a Song, or to a brawl!
Shall we, Grandsire? Let us sport,
And make expectation short.
Do, my Wantons, what you please;
I’ll lie down, and take my ease.
[Exit.]
FIRST SATYR Brothers, sing then and upbraid
(As we use) yond’ seeming maid. ——
But hold! The Woodland Nymphs, my Boys,
Appear, and promise greater joys!
Enter WOOD-NYMPHS.
FIRST NYMPH Sylvans, Fauns, and Satyrs rude,
Pan’s Train, and all that multitude,
Now dance in wilder rounds about,
And cleave the air with many a shout!
AIR
See, see, O see, who here is come a maying;
The master of the Ocean
With his darling Orian:
Why left we our playing?
To gaze, to gaze,
On them that all amaze,
Whose like were never seen.
Up, Nightingale, and sing
Jug, jug, jug, jug, &c.
Raise, Lark, thy note and wing;
All birds their Musick bring;
Sweet Robin, Linnet, Thrush,
Record from every bush
The welcome of the King,
The King and Queen!
RECITATIVE
SECOND NYMPH Now, now, prepare to set;
And when your hands are met,
Begin with nimble feet
The happy ground to beat.
[A Dance till they are interrupted by Silenus.]
SILENUS Stay! the cheerful Chanticleer
Tells you that the time is near;
See, the Gates already spread!
Nymphs and Satyrs, bow the head!
See St. George’s Fane! where now
Lives Knighthood with crowned brow.
Scene opens, and discovers a Vision of the inside of St. George’s Chapel, at Windsor, with the original Knights in their several Stalls.
CHORUS
Hail, fair Knighthood; let our Lays
Vindicate thy ancient Praise!
Thou too, Windsor, shalt be sung;
Mansion of Princes, haunt of Gods,
Who shall quit their abodes,
To view thy walls with trophies hung;
To view thy walls with trophies hung;
Walls by Arthur, first renown’d,
Seat of Chivalry and Fame!
By Edward with new Honours crown’d;
His BIRTH, his GARTER and his
NAME.
RECITATIVE
SECOND NYMPH Let our shews be new as strange,
Ever hast’ning to their change;
Let them oft and sweetly vary,
That beholders may not tarry!
Long to wait the pleasing sight,
Takes away from the delight.
AIR
Let us play, and dance, and sing!
Let us frolick, let us sport,
Turning the delights of Spring
To the graces of a Court.
From air, from cloud, from dreams and toys,
To sound, to sense, to love, and joys!
DUET and CHORUS
Whilst all the air shall ring,
And every trembling string,
With every varied voice,
In unison sweet rejoice,
To sound and sing,
LONG LIVE THE KING!
Curtain drops, and closes the First Part.
PART II.
The Lower Court of Windsor Castle, with a View of the Round Tower, the outside of St. George’s Chapel, &c.
A TROOP of FAIRIES
RECITATIVE, accompanied.
FIRST FAIRY WELL were the solemn rites begun;
And tho’ but lighted by the Moon,
They shew’d as rich as if the Sun
Had made the Night his Noon.
Wonder none they were so bright!
The Moon then borrow’d from a greater light.
Then, Princely Oberon,
Go on!
Such is not every Night.
AIR.
Tho’ the Moon be gone to bed,
Fairies must not hide the head;
But sing, dance, and revel on,
In honour of Young Oberon,
RECITATIVE
SECOND FAIRY And sweet Osnaphil his Brother,
Arthur hails him such another;
Edward too enjoins the rites,
To rank him with the lifted Knights:
Worthy each alike to spring
From the Fairy Queen and King.
FIRST FAIRY Now then, blythe Elves, in tunes express
The Sovereign and his Emperess,
While all confess the proper Heir
Assign’d to Arthur’s Crowns and Chair.
DUET
Seek you Majesty to strike?
Bid the World produce their like.
Seek you Glory to amaze?
Here let Nations stand at gaze!
Seek you Wisdom to inspire?
Touch them at no other Fire!
Seek you Piety to lead?
In their footsteps only tread.
Every grace of Queen and King,
And of all, in them, we sing.
RECITATIVE
FIRST FAIRY Now, Faies and Elves, your talks about;
The Castle search within and out:
SECOND FAIRY Strew good luck on every room,
Fix’d till the perpetual doom;
FIRST FAIRY The several chairs of Order scour,
With juice of ev’ry precious flower;
SECOND FAIRY Each fair instalment-coat, and crest,
With loyal blazon still be blest;
AIR
And ever, ever, in a ring,
Like to the Garter’s circle, sing.
RECITATIVE.
"In em’rald tufts the motto write,
"Of flow’rs purple, blue, and white;
"Like sapphire, pearl, embroidery,
∗ The lines within inverted commas are omitted in the representation.
Away, disperse; the white plum’d Train
Begin their march along the plain,
In solemn Pomp from yonder Hall;
Vanish, and attend my call! [Exeunt Fairies.]
Manent the Two principal Fairies.
AIR.
SECOND FAIRY. Melt earth to sea, sea flow to air,
And air fly into fire,
While we in songs to Arthur’s chair
Bear Oberon’s desire!
[Exeunt.]
THE
PROCESSION
TO
St. George’s Chapel,
OF THE
SOVEREIGN,
KNIGHTS COMPANIONS,
KNIGHTS ELECT,
&c. &c. &c.
Which closes the Second Part.
PART III.
Windsor Park, with a View of the Castle.
RECITATIVE
Enter FAIRIES
FIRST FAIRY. NOR yet, my Faies, in this day blest,
Must you think or hope to rest.
SECOND FAIRY. Let the course and Country Fairy,
That doth haunt the hearth or dairy;
Let Ghosts, wand’ring here and there,
Shun Aurora’s harbinger;
FIRST FAIRY. And banish’d from the cheerful light.
Hold company with black-brow’d Night!
SECOND FAIRY We’re Spirits of another sort,
And with the jolly, jolly day make sport.
DUET
Nay, nay,
You must not stay,
Nor be weary yet:
This is no time to cast away;
Nor for Fairies to forget
Their nimble, nimble, feet.
Knotty joints, and limbs of clay
Seek for ease, or love delay.
Merrily, merrily, we should fare,
Whose being’s a shadow, whose bodies are
air.
A DANCE of FAIRIES
After the Fairies are vanish’d, the Scene changes to the inside of St. George’s Hall, with the Throne, Tables, &c. as at the Installation. The Knights-Companions enter in Procession, and range themselves on the outside of their Table; they uncover and bow as the Sovereign passes. Ceremony of the Dinner, &c. with proper Musick. The whole to conclude with this
GRAND CHORUS
Renown, assume thy Trumpet,
From Pole to Pole resounding
Great GEORGE’s name!
Great GEORGE’s name
Shall be the Theme of Fame.
Record the GARTER’s Glory!
A badge for Heroes, and for Kings to bear;
For Kings to bear!
And swell th’immortal story
With Songs of Gods, and fit for Gods to hear;
For Gods to hear!
FINIS.