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！
That they are only uncompounded pills？
Is it； and can it be；
Nature hath this decree；
Nothing poetic in the world shall dwell？
Or that in all her works
Something poetic lurks；
Even in colocynth and calomel？
I cannot tell。
＇He goes off； L。U。E。 All turn and watch him； not speaking until
he has gone。＇
ANGELA How purely fragrant！
SAPHIR How earnestly precious！
PATIENCE Well； it seems to me to be nonsense。
SAPHIR Nonsense； yes； perhaps but oh； what precious nonsense！
COLONEL This is all very well； but you seem to forget that you
are engaged to us。
SAPHIR It can never be。 You are not Empyrean。 You are not
Della Cruscan。 You are not even Early English。 Oh； be Early
English ere it is too late！
＇Officers look at each other in astonishment。＇
JANE ＇looking at uniform＇ Red and Yellow！ Primary colors！ Oh；
South Kensington！
DUKE We didn't design our uniforms； but we don't see how they
could be improved！
JANE No； you wouldn't。 Still； there is a cobwebby grey velvet；
with a tender bloom like cold gravy； which； made Florentine
fourteenth century； trimmed with Venetian leather and Spanish
altar lace； and surmounted with something Japanese it matters
not what would at least be Early English！ Come； maidens。
＇Exeunt Maidens； L。U。E。； two and two； singing refrain of 〃Twenty
love…sick maidens we〃。 PATIENCE goes off L。 The Officers
watch the Ladies go off in astonishment。＇
No。 4a。 Twenty love…sick maidens we
（Chorus）
Maidens
＇As the MAIDENS depart； the DRAGOONS spread across the stage。＇
MAIDENS Twenty love…sick maidens we；
Love…sick all against our will。
Twenty years hence we shall be
Twenty love…sick maidens still！
Ah； miserie！
DUKE Gentlemen； this is an insult to the British uniform。
COLONEL A uniform that has been as successful in the courts of
Venus as on the field of Mars！
No。 5。 When I first put this uniform on
（Solo and Chorus）
Colonel and Dragoons
＇The DRAGOONS form their original line。＇
Song COLONEL
When I first put this uniform on；
I said； as I looked in the glass；
〃It's one to a million
That any civilian
My figure and form will surpass。
Gold lace has a charm for the fair；
And I've plenty of that； and to spare；
While a lover's professions；
When uttered in Hessians；
Are eloquent ev'rywhere！〃
A fact that I counted upon；
When I first put this uniform on！
Chorus of DRAGOONS
By a simple coincidence； few
Could ever have counted upon；
The same thing occurred to me；
When I first put this uniform on！
COL。 I said； when I first put it on；
〃It is plain to the veriest dunce；
That every beauty
Will feel it her duty
To yield to its glamour at once。
They will see that I'm freely gold…laced
In a uniform handsome and chaste〃
But the peripatetics
Of long…haired aesthetics
Are very much more to their taste
Which I never counted upon；
When I first put this uniform on！
CHORUS By a simple coincidence； few
Could ever have reckoned upon；
I didn't anticipate that；
When I first put this uniform on！
＇The DRAGOONS go off angrily； R。＇
＇Enter BUNTHORNE； L。U。E。； who changes his manner and becomes
intensely melodramatic。＇
No。 6。 Am I alone and unobserved？
（Recitative and Solo）
Bunthorne
BUN。 ＇Up…stage； he looks off L。 and R。＇
Am I alone；
And unobserved？ I am！
＇comes down＇
Then let me own
I'm an aesthetic sham！
＇and walks tragically to down…stage； C。＇
This air severe
Is but a mere
Veneer！
This cynic smile
Is but a wile
Of guile！
This costume chaste
Is but good taste
Misplaced！
Let me confess！
A languid love for Lilies does not blight me！
Lank limbs and haggard cheeks do not delight me！
I do not care for dirty greens
By any means。
I do not long for all one sees
That's Japanese。
I am not fond of uttering platitudes
In stained…glass attitudes。
In short； my mediaevalism's affectation；
Born of a morbid love of admiration！
＇Tiptoes up…stage； looking L。 and R。； and comes back down； C。＇
If you're anxious for to shine in the high aesthetic line as a
man of culture rare；
You must get up all the germs of the transcendental terms； and
plant them ev'rywhere。
You must lie upon the daisies and discourse in novel phrases of
your complicated state of mind；
The meaning doesn't matter if it's only idle chatter of a
transcendental kind。
And ev'ry one will say；
As you walk your mystic way；
〃If this young man expresses himself in terms too deep for me；
Why； what a very singularly deep young man this deep young man
must be！〃
Be eloquent in praise of the very dull old days which have long
since passed away；
And convince 'em； if you can； that the reign of good Queen Anne
was Culture's palmiest day。
Of course you will pooh…pooh whatever's fresh and new； and
declare it's crude and mean；
For Art stopped short in the cultivated court of the Empress
Josephine。
And ev'ryone will say；
As you walk your mystic way；
〃If that's not good enough for him which is good enough for me；
Why； what a very cultivated kind of youth this kind of youth must
be！〃
Then a sentimental passion of a vegetable fashion must excite
your languid spleen；
An attachment a la Plato for a bashful young potato； or a not…
too…French French bean！
Though the Philistines may jostle； you will rank as an apostle in
the high aesthetic band；
If you walk down Piccadilly with a poppy or a lily in your
medieval hand。
And ev'ryone will say；
As you walk your flow'ry way；
〃If he's content with a vegetable love which would certainly not
suit me；
Why； what a most particularly pure young man this pure young man
must be！〃
＇At the end of his song； PATIENCE enters； L。 He sees her。＇
BUN。 Ah！ Patience； come hither。 ＇She comes to him timidly。＇ I
am pleased with thee。 The bitter…hearted one； who finds all else
hollow； is pleased with thee。 For you are not hollow。 Are you？
PATIENCE No； thanks； I have dined； but I beg your pardon I
interrupt you。 ＇Turns to go； he stops her。＇
BUN。 Life is made up of interruptions。 The tortured soul；
yearning for solitude； writhes under them。 Oh； but my heart is
a…weary！ Oh； I am a cursed thing！ ＇She attempts to escape。＇
Don't go。
PATIENCE Really； I'm very sorry。
BUN。 Tell me； girl； do you ever yearn？
PATIENCE I earn my living。
BUN。 ＇impatiently＇ No； no！ Do you know what it is to be heart…
hungry？ Do you know what it