You are here: > > > Act I
No. 12: FINALE - ACT I
"Oh, Sergeant Meryll, is it true"
 |
Enter Yeomen of the Guard
|  |
| Meryll. |
| Ye Tower Warders, nursed in war's alarms, Suckled on gunpowder, and weaned on glory, Behold my son, whose all-subduing arms Have formed the theme of many a song and story! Forgive his aged father's pride; nor jeer His aged father's sympathetic tear! |
| (Pretending to weep.) |
| Yeomen. |
| Leonard Meryll! Leonard Meryll! Dauntless he in time of peril! Man of power, Knighthood's flower, Welcome to the grim old Tower, To the Tower, welcome thou! |
|
 |
| 1st Yeoman. |
| Didst thou not, oh, Leonard Meryll!
Standard lost in last campaign, Rescue it at deadly peril — Bear it safely back again? |
| Yeomen. |
| Leonard Meryll, at his peril, Bore it safely back again! |
| 2nd Yeoman. |
| Didst thou not, when prisoner taken, And debarred from all escape, Face, with gallant heart unshaken, Death in most appalling shape? |
| Yeomen. |
| Leonard Meryll, faced his peril, Death in most appalling shape! |
| Fairfax. (aside) | |
| Truly I was to be pitied, Having but an hour to live, I reluctantly submitted, I had no alternative! |
|
| (aloud) | |
| Oh! the tales that are narrated Of my deeds of derring-do Have been much exaggerated, Very much exaggerated, Scarce a word of them is true! Scarce a word of them is true! |
|
| Yeomen. |
| They are not exaggerated, Not at all exaggerated, Could not be exaggerated, Ev'ry word of them is true! |
Enter Phœbe. She rushes to Fairfax. Enter Wilfred.
|
 |
| Fairfax. (pretending to recognise her) |
| Sister Phœbe! |
| Phœbe. |
| Oh, my brother! |
| Fairfax. |
| Why, how you've grown! I did not recognize you! |
| Phœbe. |
| So many years! Oh, my brother! |
| Fairfax. |
| Oh, my sister! |
| Phœbe. | Fairfax. |
| Oh, brother! Oh, brother! |
Oh, sister! Oh, sister! |
| Wilfred. |
| Aye, hug him, girl! There are three thou mayst hug — Thy father and thy brother and — myself! |
| Fairfax. |
| Thyself, forsooth? And who art thou thyself? |
| Wilfred. |
| Good sir, we are betrothed. |
Fairfax turns inquiringly to Phœbe.
| Phœbe. |
| Or more or less — But rather less than more! |
 |
|
| Wilfred. |
| To thy fraternal care Thy sister I commend; From every lurking snare Thy lovely charge defend; And to achieve this end, Oh! grant, I pray, this boon — Oh! grant this boon She shall not quit thy sight; From morn to afternoon — From afternoon to night — From seven o'clock to two — From two to eventide — From dim twilight to 'lev'n at night, From dim twilight to 'lev'n at night She shall not quit thy side! |
| Yeomen. |
From morn to afternoon — |
| Phœbe. |
|
So amiable I've grown,
So innocent as well, That if I'm left alone The consequences fell No mortal can foretell. So grant, I pray, this boon — Oh! grant this boon I shall not quit thy sight: From morn to afternoon — From afternoon to night — From sev'n o'clock to two — From two to eventide — From dim twilight to 'lev'n at night From dim twilight to 'lev'n at night I shall not quit thy side! |
| Yeomen. |
| From morn to afternoon — From afternoon to 'lev'n at night She shall not quit thy side! |
| Fairfax. |
| With brotherly readiness,
For my fair sister's sake, At once I answer — Yes — That task I undertake — My word I never break. I freely grant that boon, And I'll repeat my plight. From morn to afternoon — (kiss) From afternoon to night — (kiss) From sev'n o'clock to two — (kiss) From two to evening meal — (kiss) From dim twilight to 'lev'n at night, From dim twilight to 'lev'n at night, That compact I will seal. (kiss) |
| Yeomen. |
| From morn to afternoon, From afternoon to 'lev'n at night He freely grants that boon. |
The bell of St. Peter's begins to toll. The Crowd enters; the block is brought on to the stage, and the Headsman takes his place. The Yeomen of the Guard form up. The Lieutenant enters and takes his place, and tells off Fairfax and two others to bring the prisoner to execution. Wilfred, Fairfax, and Two Yeomen exeunt to Tower.
|
 |
| Elsie. | Chorus. |
| Of all immured | Of all im- |
| within these walls, | mured with- |
| The wor- | in these walls, The very |
| thiest, worthiest falls! | worthiest falls! |
| Oh, Mercy, | |
| Oh, Mercy! | Oh, Mercy! |
Enter Fairfax and Two Yeomen from Tower in great excitement.
| Fairfax. |
| My lord! my lord! I know not how to tell The news I bear! I and my comrades sought the pris'ner's cell — He is not there! |
| All. |
| He is not there! They sought the pris'ner's cell — He is not there! |
| Fairfax & two Yeomen. |
| As escort for the prisoner We sought his cell in duty bound; The double gratings open were, No prisoner at all we found! |
| Fairfax & 1st Yeoman. | 2nd Yeoman. |
| We hunted high | |
| We hunted low, | |
| We hunted here, | |
| We hunted there — |
| Fairfax & two Yeomen. |
| The man we sought with anxious care Had vanished into empty air! The man we sought with anxious care Had vanished into empty air! |
Exit Lieutenant.
| Women. |
| Now, by my troth, the news is fair, The man has vanished into air! |
| Fairfax & 1st Yeoman. | 2nd Yeoman. | Women. | Men. |
| As escort for the prisoner | As escort for the prisoner | As escort for the prisoner | As escort for the prisoner |
| We sought his cell in duty bound; | We sought his cell in duty bound; | They sought his cell in duty bound; | They sought his cell in duty bound; |
| The double gratings open were, | The double gratings open were, | The double gratings open were, | The double gratings open were, |
| No prisoner at all we found, | No prisoner at all we found, | No prisoner at all they found, | No prisoner at all they found, |
| We hunted high, | They hunted high, | ||
| We hunted low, | They hunted low, | ||
| We hunted here, | They hunted here, | ||
| We hunted there, | They hunted there, |
| Fairfax & two Yeomen. | Chorus. | |
| The man we sought we anxious care | The man they sought with anxious care | |
| Had vanished into empty air! | Had vanished into empty air! | |
| The man we sought we anxious care | The man they sought with anxious care | |
| Had vanished into empty air! | Had vanished into empty air! |
Enter Wilfred, followed by Lieutenant.
 |
Wilfred is arrested.
|
Wilfred is taken away.
| Phœbe. |
| Indeed I can't imagine who! I've no idea at all, have you? |
Enter Jack Point.
| Dame Carruthers. |
| Of his escape no traces lurk, Enchantment must have been at work! |
| Elsie. (aside to Point) | Phœbe& Dame Carruthers. |
| What have I done? Oh, woe is me! |
|
| I am his wife, | Indeed I can't imagine who! |
| and he is free! | I've no ideal at all, have you? |
|
 |
| All. |
| All frenzied, frenzied with despair I/they rave, The grave is cheated of its due. Who is, who is the misbegotten knave Who hath contrived this deed to do? Let search, let search Be made throughout the land, Or his/my vindictive anger dread — A thousand marks, a thousand marks he'll/I'll hand Who brings him here, alive or dead, Who brings him here, alive or dead! |
| Women | Men |
| A thou- | A thousand, thou- |
| sand marks, a thou- | — |
| sand marks, | sand marks, |
|
Alive, alive or dead Alive, alive or dead Who brings him here, alive, alive, or dead! |
Alive, alive or dead Alive, alive or dead Who brings him here, alive, alive, or dead! |
At the end, Elsie faints in Fairfax's arms; all the Yeomen and Crowd rush off the stage in different directions, to hunt for the fugitive, leaving only the Headsman on the stage, and Elsie insensible in Fairfax's arms.
(Derek Oldham)
END OF ACT I
|
Page Created 17 January, 2006