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We'll murmur forth decorous joy；
In dreamy roundelay。
CAPT。 For he's the Captain of the Pinafore。
ALL。 And a right good captain too！
CAPT。 And though before my fall
I was captain of you all；
I'm a member of the crew。
ALL。 Although before his fall； etc。
CAPT。 I shall marry with a wife；
In my humble rank of life！ （turning to BUT。）
And you； my own； are she
I must wander to and fro；
But wherever I may go；
I shall never be untrue to thee！
ALL。 What； never？
CAPT。 No； never！
ALL。 What； never！
CAPT。 Hardly ever！
ALL。 Hardly ever be untrue to thee。
Then give three cheers； and one cheer more
For the former Captain of the Pinafore。
BUT。 For he loves Little Buttercup； dear Little
Buttercup；
Though I could never tell why；
But still he loves Buttercup； poor Little
Buttercup；
Sweet Little Buttercup； aye！
ALL。 For he loves； etc。
SIR JOSEPH。 I'm the monarch of the sea；
And when I've married thee （to HEBE）；
I'll be true to the devotion that my love
implants；
HEBE。 Then good…bye to his sisters； and his
cousins；
and his aunts；
Especially his cousins；
Whom he reckons up by dozens；
His sisters； and his cousins； and his aunts！
ALL。 For he is an Englishman；
And he himself hath said it；
And it's greatly to his credit
That he is an Englishman！
CURTAIN
Iolanthe
or
The Peer and the Peri
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
THE LORD CHANCELLOR
EARL OF MOUNTARARAT
EARL TOLLOLLER
PRIVATE WILLIS （of the Grenadier Guards）
STREPHON （an Arcadian Shepherd）
QUEEN OF THE FAIRIES
IOLANTHE （a Fairy； Strephon's Mother）
FAIRIES：
CELIA
LEILA
FLETA
PHYLLIS （an Arcadian Shepherdess and Ward of Chancery）
ACT I
An Arcadian Landscape
ACT II
Palace Yard； Westminster
ACT I
SCENE。An Arcadian Landscape。 A river runs around the back of the
stage。 A rustic bridge crosses the river。
Enter Fairies； led by Leila； Celia； and Fleta。 They trip around
the stage； singing as they dance。
CHORUS。
Tripping hither； tripping thither；
Nobody knows why or whither；
We must dance and we must sing
Round about our fairy ring！
SOLOCELIA。
We are dainty little fairies；
Ever singing； ever dancing；
We indulge in our vagaries
In a fashion most entrancing。
If you ask the special function
Of our never…ceasing motion；
We reply； without compunction；
That we haven't any notion！
CHORUS。
No； we haven't any notion！
Tripping hither； etc。
SOLOLEILA。
If you ask us how we live；
Lovers all essentials give
We can ride on lovers' sighs；
Warm ourselves in lovers' eyes；
Bathe ourselves in lovers' tears；
Clothe ourselves with lovers' fears；
Arm ourselves with lovers' darts；
Hide ourselves in lovers' hearts。
When you know us； you'll discover
That we almost live on lover！
CHORUS。
Yes； we live on lover！
Tripping hither； etc。
（At the end of Chorus； all sigh wearily。）
CELIA。 Ah； it's all very well； but since our Queen banished
Iolanthe； fairy revels have not been what they were！
LEILA。 Iolanthe was the life and soul of Fairyland。 Why； she
wrote all our songs and arranged all our dances！ We sing her songs
and we trip her measures； but we don't enjoy ourselves！
FLETA。 To think that five…and…twenty years have elapsed since
she was banished！ What could she have done to have deserved so
terrible a punishment？
LEILA。 Something awful！ She married a mortal！
FLETA。 Oh！ Is it injudicious to marry a mortal？
LEILA。 Injudicious？ It strikes at the root of the whole
fairy system！ By our laws； the fairy who marries a mortal dies！
CELIA。 But Iolanthe didn't die！
（Enter Fairy Queen。）
QUEEN。 No； because your Queen； who loved her with a
surpassing love； commuted her sentence to penal servitude for life；
on condition that she left her husband and never communicated with
him again！
LEILA。 That sentence of penal servitude she is now working
out； on her head； at the bottom of that stream！
QUEEN。 Yes； but when I banished her； I gave her all the
pleasant places of the earth to dwell in。 I'm sure I never
intended that she should go and live at the bottom of a stream！ It
makes me perfectly wretched to think of the discomfort she must
have undergone！
LEILA。 Think of the damp！ And her chest was always delicate。
QUEEN。 And the frogs！ Ugh！ I never shall enjoy any peace of
mind until I know why Iolanthe went to live among the frogs！
FLETA。 Then why not summon her and ask her？
QUEEN。 Why？ Because if I set eyes on her I should forgive
her at once！
CELIA。 Then why not forgive her？ Twenty…five yearsit's a
long time！
LEILA。 Think how we loved her！
QUEEN。 Loved her？ What was your love to mine？ Why； she was
invaluable to me！ Who taught me to curl myself inside a buttercup？
Iolanthe！ Who taught me to swing upon a cobweb？ Iolanthe！ Who
taught me to dive into a dewdropto nestle in a nutshellto
gambol upon gossamer？ Iolanthe！
LEILA。 She certainly did surprising things！
FLETA。 Oh； give her back to us； great Queen； for your sake if
not for ours！ （All kneel in supplication。）
QUEEN （irresolute）。 Oh； I should be strong； but I am weak！
I should be marble； but I am clay！ Her punishment has been heavier
than I intended。 I did not mean that she should live among the
frogsandwell； well； it shall be as you wishit shall be as you
wish！
INVOCATIONQUEEN。
Iolanthe！
From thy dark exile thou art summoned！
Come to our call
Come； come； Iolanthe！
CELIA。 Iolanthe！
LEILA。 Iolanthe！
ALL。 Come to our call； Iolanthe！
Iolanthe； come！
（Iolanthe rises from the water。 She is clad in water…weeds。 She
approaches the Queen with head bent and arms crossed。）
IOLANTHE。 With humbled breast
And every hope laid low；
To thy behest；
Offended