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to us to be the agents whereby our erring fellow…
creatures are deprived of that liberty which is so dear
to us all but we should have thought of that before
we joined the force。
POLICE： We should！
SERGEANT： It is too late now！
POLICE： It is！
SOLO AND CHORUS
SERGEANT： When a felon's not engaged in his employment
POLICE： His employment
SERGEANT： Or maturing his felonious little plans；
POLICE： Little plans；
SERGEANT： His capacity for innocent enjoyment
POLICE： 'Cent enjoyment
SERGEANT： Is just as great as any honest man's。
POLICE： Honest man's。
SERGEANT： Our feelings we with difficulty smother
POLICE： 'Culty smother
SERGEANT： When constabulary duty's to be done。
POLICE： To be done。
SERGEANT： Ah； take one consideration with another；
POLICE： With another；
SERGEANT： A policeman's lot is not a happy one。
ALL： Ah； when constabulary duty's to be done； to be
done；
A policeman's lot is not a happy one； happy one。
SERGEANT： When the enterprising burglar's not a…burgling
POLICE： Not a…burgling
SERGEANT： When the cut…throat isn't occupied in crime；
POLICE： 'Pied in crime；
SERGEANT： He loves to hear the little brook a…gurgling
POLICE： Brook a…gurgling
SERGEANT： And listen to the merry village chime。
POLICE： Village chime。
SERGEANT： When the coster's finished jumping on his mother；
POLICE： On his mother；
SERGEANT： He loves to lie a…basking in the sun。
POLICE： In the sun。
SERGEANT： Ah； take one consideration with another；
POLICE： With another；
SERGEANT： A policeman's lot is not a happy one。
ALL： Ah； when constabulary duty's to be done； to be
done；
A policeman's lot is not a happy one； happy one。
（Chorus of Pirates without； in the distance）
A rollicking band of pirates we；
Who； tired of tossing on the sea；
Are trying their hand at a burglaree；
With weapons grim and gory。
SERGEANT： Hush； hush！ I hear them on the manor poaching；
With stealthy step the pirates are approaching。
（Chorus of Pirates； resumed nearer。）
We are not coming for plate or gold；
A story General Stanley's told；
We seek a penalty fifty…fold；
For General Stanley's story。
POLICE： They seek a penalty
PIRATES： Fifty…fold！
We seek a penalty
POLICE： Fifty…fold！
ALL： They （We） seek a penalty fifty…fold；
For General Stanley's story。
SERGEANT： They come in force； with stealthy stride；
Our obvious course is nowto hide。
POLICE： Tarantara！ Tarantara！ etc。
（Police conceal themselves in aisle。 As they do so； the Pirates；
with RUTH and FREDERIC； are seen appearing at ruined window。
They enter cautiously； and come down stage on tiptoe。
SAMUEL is laden with burglarious tools and pistols； etc。）
CHORUSPIRATES （very loud）
With cat…like tread；
Upon our prey we steal；
In silence dread；
Our cautious way we feel。
No sound at all！
We never speak a word；
A fly's foot…fall
Would be distinctly heard
POLICE： （softly） Tarantara； tarantara！
PIRATES： So stealthily the pirate creeps；
While all the household soundly sleeps。
Come； friends； who plough the sea；
Truce to navigation；
Take another station；
Let's vary piracee
With a little burglaree！
POLICE： （softly） Tarantara； tarantara！
SAMUEL： （distributing implements to various members of the
gang）
Here's your crowbar and your centrebit；
Your life…preserveryou may want to hit！
Your silent matches； your dark lantern seize；
Take your file and your skeletonic keys。
POLICE： Tarantara！
PIRATES： With cat…like tread
POLICE： Tarantara！
PIRATES： in silence dread；
（Enter KING； FREDERIC and RUTH）
ALL （fortissimo）。 With cat…like tread； etc。
RECIT
FREDERIC： Hush； hush！ not a word； I see a light inside！
The Major…Gen'ral comes； so quickly hide！
PIRATES： Yes； yes； the Major…General comes！
（Exeunt KING； FREDERIC； SAMUEL； and RUTH）
POLICE： Yes； yes； the Major…General comes！
GENERAL： （entering in dressing…gown； carrying a light）
Yes； yes； the Major…General comes！
SOLOGENERAL
Tormented with the anguish dread
Of falsehood unatoned；
I lay upon my sleepless bed；
And tossed and turned and groaned。
The man who finds his conscience ache
No peace at all enjoys；
And as I lay in bed awake；
I thought I heard a noise。
MEN： He thought he heard a noise ha！ ha！
GENERAL： No； all is still
In dale； on hill；
My mind is set at ease
So still the scene；
It must have been
The sighing of the breeze。
BALLADGENERAL
Sighing softly to the river
Comes the loving breeze；
Setting nature all a…quiver；
Rustling through the trees。
MEN： Through the trees。
GENERAL： And the brook； in rippling measure；
Laughs for very love；
While the poplars； in their pleasure；
Wave their arms above。
MEN： Yes； the trees； for very love；
Wave their leafy arms above。
ALL： River； river； little river；
May thy loving prosper ever！
Heaven speed thee； poplar tree；
May thy wooing happy be。
GENERAL： Yet； the breeze is but a rover；
When he wings away；
Brook and poplar mourn a lover
Sighing ；〃Well…a…day！〃
MEN： Well…a…day！
GENERAL： Ah！ the doing and undoing；
That the rogue could tell！
When the breeze is out a…wooing；
Who can woo so well？
MEN： Shocking tales the rogue could tell；
Nobody can woo so well。
ALL： Pretty brook； thy dream is over；
For thy love is but a rover；
Sad the lot of poplar trees；
Courted by a fickle breeze！
（Enter the MAJOR…GENERAL's daughters； led by MABEL； all in white
peignoirs and night…caps； and carrying lighted candles。）
GIRLS： Now what is this； and what is that； and why does father
leave his rest
At such a time of night as this； so very incompletely
dressed？
Dear father is； and always was； the most methodical of
men！
It's his invariable rule to go to bed at half…past ten。
What strange occurrence can it be that calls dear
father from his rest
At such a time of night as this； so very incompletely
dressed？
（Enter KING； SAMUEL； and FREDERIC）
KING： Forward； my men； and seize that General there！ His
life is over。 （They seize the GENERAL）
GIRLS： The pirates！ the pirates！ Oh； despair！
PIRATES： （springing up） Yes； we're the pirates； so despair！
GENER