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Read Ebook: Martha; or The Fair at Richmond by Flotow Friedrich Von Composer Carle Glen Editor Friedrich W Librettist Baum M Louise Translator
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Ebook has 483 lines and 20573 words, and 10 pages
LIO. And yet even now we do not know who I really am. We shall never know, unless some day my father's ring may serve to clear up the mystery at last.
NO. 5.
LIO. O'er my life from boyhood tender, You have watched with sheltering care, You your all would fain surrender, With the orphan child to share. You fulfilled a father's duty, When he left me to your love, Ah, he heard my mother calling, Heard her call from heaven above.
PLUN. Nor his rank nor name he told us, Nor the secret dar'd unseal , This his ring one day shall tell it, All the mystery yet reveal. On your finger when he placed it, "This may change his fate," he sighed, "This my ring the Queen will honor Should misfortune e'er betide."
LIO. Brother mine, 'mid courtly splendors My vain longings ne'er shall rove, Ah, no light on earth allures me, Save the tender glow of love. No strange joys I'd earn for yonder, Peace and sweet content are here, 'Mid the fields are simple pleasures, Calm affection, tried and dear.
SHERIFF Let the rabble stand back. Room for the majesty of the law. Ahem!
GIRL . My, ain't he the big wig, though!
SHERIFF. Ouch!
GIRL . There, there, old gentleman, don't feel so bad over a bit of our fun!
FARMER . Young hussies, you must do better than this when you get to working for us. Behave yourselves, now!
SHERIFF . I bind you all over to keep the peace on penalty of 10 shillings fine. Does the majesty of the law mean naught to ye? Silence , you low bred populace. But what can one expect from populace? Pah! They are beneath my notice.
NO. 6.
SHERIFF. We, Anne, Queen of England, greet ye! Bonnets off, and mine likewise. I no ceremony spare! We hereby do recognize Ev'ry contract good and sound Made in Richmond market bound; Every lass who here is hired, Dating from this very day, Till the year is full expired, Must with her new master stay. If he pay the money down The bargain cannot be undone. Have you heard?
CHO. We know, sir, it is so, sir.
SHER. Now you stand up in a row.
Tell us, Moll, what you can do.
SHER. . Now, my lass, what can you do?
SHER. Five pounds a year, 'Tis for a song, now!
Sher. Come, it's your turn now to speak.
SHER. Kitty Bell and Johnny Snell, And Nelly Browne and Sally Towne.
CHO. OF SERVANTS. How to care for babes I know, sir, Bless 'em, I do love 'em so, sir, I can take the cows to graze, sir, And of poultry know the ways, sir; I can bake and boil and brew, sir, I can sew on buttons, too.
MEN. I'm accustomed pigs to keep, sir, Also, horses, cows and sheep, sir, Pork and beef in brine I steep, sir, Yes, and do the mowing cheap, sir; I can dig a garden bed And make a cabbage grow a head. Ha, if you pay the cash, We'll work just like a flash. Ho, it's very clear, All settled for a year. Ho, now the deed is done, We'll work like fun!
FARMERS. We are ready to choose, but one at a time, please.
LADY H. Come on, John! Courage man! Nobody's going to hurt you!
NAN. Come, friend John! Don't look so scared. We'll take care of you!
TRIS. John? O, im-pos-si-ble! O, pre-pos-ter-ous! I don't like this one bit. It is most unseemly. Yet--where beauty leads, love fain must follow.
LADY H. How gay they all seem! They at least are happy.
TRIS. I know I am not! I never felt less jolly before in all my life. I feel as if I were going to cry.
PLUN. Jove! There's a brace of darlings!
LIO. Yes, they are very pretty girls.
PLUN. Rather slim built for hard work, though.
LIO. They might do house work?
PLUN. Yes, they might serve indoors. I don't know--
TRIS. See those clodhoppers! How they stare at you. O, do be persuaded to leave this horrid, horrid place.
TRIS. I think those fellows are very suspicious looking characters. A pair of rogues. Let's go .
LADY H. I'm not under your orders, sir. It is my pleasure to stay. I'll do exactly as I choose!
TRIS. Well, I wash my hands of all responsibility. Don't say I didn't warn you.
NAN . Those lads have an eye for a good thing, though. We'll take all the blame. No one shall say that you led us into mischief, poor dear!
LADY H. Yes, cousin, you are exonerated. Whatever happens, be it upon my own rash head. But I will not go!
PLUN. . You hear, sir? She will not go with you. Don't annoy the girls any further. Call on us if he bothers you. But cheer up! There are plenty more maids yonder. Hi, girls . Here's a chap wants a good maid, and he looks as if he could pay well, too.
TRIS. Oh! what a beastly joke! He's taking liberties with me!
ALL . I can mow, I can sew, I can reap, I can sweep, I can bake and make, I can boil and stew, I can churn and brew!
LADY H. He has taken refuge in flight!
NAN. Let's hope he won't forget us.
LADY H. . See those men. They are still looking at us.
NAN. They seem to have taken a fancy to us, that's plain.
PLUN. . One of them would be just what we want, I think--the younger one, now.
LIONEL. It would never do to separate them. See how shy they are.
LADY H. . That one seems quite bashful, doesn't he? I wonder how such peasants talk?
NAN. Bad grammar, for one thing.
PLUN. . What are you afraid of? Go speak to them.
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