[]
THE ROYAL GARLAND.
PRICE SIX-PENCE.
[]
THE ROYAL GARLAND, A NEW OCCASIONAL INTERLUDE, IN HONOUR OF HIS DANISH MAJESTY. Set to Muſic by Mr. ARNOLD, AND PERFORMED AT THE THEATRE ROYAL, COVENT-GARDEN.
LONDON: PRINTED FOR T. BECKET AND P. A. DE HONDT IN THE STRAND. MDCCLXVIII.
CHARACTERS.
[]- Genius of England,
- Mr. MAHOON.
- Old Shepherd,
- Mr. BARNSHAW.
- Young Shepherd,
- Mr. DU-BELLAMY.
- Chorus of Shepherds.
- Calliope,
- Mrs. BAKER.
- Young Shepherdeſs,
- Mrs. MATTOCKS.
- Chorus of Shepherdeſſes.
- DANCERS.
[]THE ROYAL GARLAND.
SCENE a romantic Country.
CALLIOPE diſcovered in a con⯑templative Attitude.
CHORUS of SHEPHERDS.
CHORUS.
CHief of the nine! awake! awake!
Oh! ſnatch thy heav'nly lyre:
The poet's ſullen ſilence break,
And all his ſoul inſpire!
With numbers charm th' attentive ear,
That kings may condeſcend to hear.
[10]GENIUS of ENGLAND enters.
RECITATIVO.
GENIUS.
Hear'ſt thou not, goddeſs, how the mingled cries
Of Britain's ſons invoke thee?
CALLIOPE.
—What incites
Their eager ſtrain? and wherefore gleam theſe ſhades
With that ſurrounding glow of holy luſtre,
Shed from thy radiant form?
GENIUS.
What?—ſhall the royal ſtranger,
Who graces with his ſteps thy fav'rite iſle,
Shall he depart, unhonour'd of the muſe?
[11]His birth, and near alliance to the throne,
And fond affection for thy plains, alike
Neglected and unſung?
SONG.
Him a nation's ſhouts approve,
Nobles praiſe, and monarchs love:
His the grace of Courts, and ſtate,
Regal honours round him wait.
Commerce, lo! unlocks her ſtores,
At his feet her treaſure pours,
Opens all her ample breaſt,
To thank, and hail the royal gueſt.
None the grateful debt refuſe,
Save alone the ſlumb'ring muſe.
Awake! awake! thy heav'nly lyre,
All the poet's ſoul inſpire!
[12]RECITATIVE.
CALLIOPE.
It needs not, awful pow'r, in ſimple phraſe
Plain as their honeſt ſouls, Britannia's ſons
Can ſpeak their gratitude.
CHORUS heard behind.
CHORUS.
Duly we our tributes bring,
To grace the youth, to praiſe the king.
CALLIOPE.
And hark! their notes—
Spontaneous fill the air*.—So thy good influence
[13]Reigns in their boſoms, and directs their minds;
They want no aid from me.
SONG.
Round the Briton's gen'rous heart
Sincerity inſtinctive flows,
Strong and clear, as round his iſle
Ocean's ample torrent ſhews;
Labor'd ſtrains of artful praiſe
Flatt'ring tongues beſeem alone;
Manly ſenſe, and genuine truth
Have a language of their own.
Exeunt ſeparately.
SCENE a Wood.
[14]Young SHEPHERD and SHEPHERDESS ſeated on a Bank.
SONG.
YOUNG SHEPHERD.
Since my Delia's plighted vow,
Softly-ſweet the hours have flown;
Many ſuch may fate allow,
Ere our loves and days are done!
SHEPHERDESS.
Since Palemon's plighted vow,
Softly-ſweet the hours have flown;
Many ſuch may fate allow,
Ere our loves and days are done!
SONG.
[15]SHEPHERDESS.
Oh! what bliſs the nuptial vow
On their lives muſt ſhow'r,
Who, like us, with joy look back,
And bleſs th' auſpicious hour!
When content approves the wiſh,
By young deſire inflam'd,
And reaſon juſtifies the choice,
Which early paſſion fram'd!
[16]OLD SHEPHERD enters.
RECITATIVO.
OLD SHEPHERD.
Fye, loit'ring boy!—why ſit you idle here,
Loſt to the higheſt duty of the year?
YOUNG SHEPHERD.
Our harveſt done, ſay how ſhould we im⯑prove
The moments better than in tales of love?
[17]
SONG.
SHEPHERDESS.
By your own good example, dear father, we're taught,
That love muſt be cheriſh'd, when once he is caught:
YOUNG SHEPHERD.
That time for our pleaſure too haſtily flies,
And the ſummer of life is the ſeaſon of joys.
OLD SHEPHERD.
'Tis true; yet awhile lay your raptures apart,
Let another enjoyment take place in your heart,
The ſtranger whoſe preſence has honour'd your lands,
Your gratitude merits, your tribute demands.
[18]
In ſtrains of pure nature our ſhepherds unite,
To open their boſoms, and ſhew their delight;
To gaze on his glories tumultuous they throng,
And the ſenſe of his virtue enriches the ſong.
Then away to the grove, where the rites they prepare,
Let's ſhare their employment, their pleaſure let's ſhare,
What taſk to the boſom ſo grateful can prove,
As the tribute of duty, ſweet offspring of love?
ALL.
No taſk to the boſom ſo grateful can prove,
As the tribute of duty, ſweet offspring of love.
Exeunt.
SCENE Opens to an extenſive rural Proſpect. Shep⯑herds and Shepherdeſſes variouſly em⯑ployed, in culling Flowers, finiſhing wreaths, &c. A large coronet of Flowers in the Center.
[19]GENIUS of ENGLAND enters.
SONG.
GENIUS.
Is the myſtic garland wave,
Token beſt of rural love?
All arrang'd in order neat?
OLD SHEPHERD.
[20]All is finiſh'd,—all compleat.
GENIUS.
Has the myrtle with the roſe
Vy'd in ſweetneſs, to compoſe
A ſymbol for the noble youth,
Of early love and mutual truth?
Has the oak his branch entwin'd,
Of Britiſh ſtrength and truth combin'd,
Emblem firm, memorial meet?
OLD SHEPHERD.
All is finiſh'd,—all compleat.
[21]RECITATIVO.
GENIUS.
'Tis well,—
Yet 'ere the veſſel from the crouded ſhore
Tear your imperial gueſt, reſume the ſong;
And let it teem with wiſhes, ſuch as ſuit
The grateful, kind, and hoſpitable heart.
That done, in blytheſome meaſures ſeek the Youth,
And lay your duties at his royal feet.
[22]
SONG.
GENIUS.
Gentle ſeas, propitious gales,
Waft his veſſel, ſwell his ſails!
So ſecure on Dania's plain,
Long and happy may he reign!
CHORUS.
So ſecure on Dania's plain,
Long and happy may he reign!
GENIUS.
No hoſtile arm his realms annoy,
Impair his ſtate, or damp his joy!
So may all his moments prove,
Rich in grandeur, rich in love!
CHORUS.
[23]So may all his moments prove,
Rich in grandeur, rich in love!
SHEPHERDESS.
In ſmiles of health and rapture dreſt,
His blooming conſort charm his breaſt!
And favour'd ſubjects ever ſing,
The wife and ſiſter of a king!
CHORUS.
And favour'd ſubjects ever ſing,
The wife and ſiſter of a king!
GENIUS.
To our much-lov'd lord ally'd,
Nearer by their virtues ty'd,
[24]May nought deſtroy the friendly band,
That links our ſhores to Danian land.
CHORUS.
May nought deſtroy the friendly band,
That links our ſhores to Danian land.
TO CONCLUDE WITH A GARLAND DANCE.
Notes
*
Exeunt Shepherds.
- Zitationsvorschlag für dieses Objekt
- TextGrid Repository (2020). TEI. 4133 The royal garland a new occasional interlude in honour of his Danish Majesty Set to music by Mr Arnold and performed at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden. University of Oxford Text Archive. . https://hdl.handle.net/21.T11991/0000-001A-5C5C-7