HURLY-BURLY; OR, The FAIRY of the WELL.
SCENE I. Magic Cavern, &c.
[]Be not diſmay'd!—The Fairy of the Well ſalutes thee!—The water which I bring will not only be a preſent gratifica⯑tion; for it contains a fortifying quality, and will be no ſmall aſſiſtance in counter⯑acting or reſiſting the plans and intrigues of your motley Rival.
Rival!—What do you mean?—I thought I had been the only aerial merry Andrew.
O, you are miſtaken.—But the Rival I mean is no Ballooniſt; but has been bred chiefly under ground by a rival of mine, a great Magician.
Oh, ho! I underſtand you.—I find, then, we are to be, as the Scotchman ſays in the play, Twa to twa.—I doubt I ſhall make but a ſorry ſecond; for, in my laſt flight, I loſt a weapon, with which I could have done wonders.
What, your magical weapon of wood!—The Magician Nordin has ſtolen it from your ſide, and preſented it to his ſon, your rival, Mr. Orator Mum.
Mr. Mum?
Yes.—The tongue of this his fav'rite offspring is ſpell bound.—No one can free it but Hymen.—In plain Engliſh, he'll never be able to ſpeak till he's marry'd.
If he's wiſe he'll remain dumb all his life.—But, plague on him—tongue or no tongue—he has my ſword.
Fear not!—We ſhall be too hard for Maſter Nimble-heels and his grim-viſag'd Papa.—To his activity you muſt oppoſe your wit; and tho' he, by a flouriſh of his ſword, may be able to change places, perſons, times, and ſeaſons, I have a wand here by no means its inferior, and, in the moment of need, will be always at hand to relieve you.
Always at hand!—Why can't you as well give it me, and let me relieve myſelf?
It has no virtue in any hand but mine.—But, in lieu of it, take this ring.—When⯑ever you touch it, you may appear to any [12] beholder whatever, or whomſoever you ſhall wiſh to be thought: nay, to different ſpectators at once, as many different beings.—By removing it from one finger to ano⯑ther, it ſhall render your opponents deaf, dumb, or blind, as occaſion ſhall require.—It will alſo enable you to imitate any voice, as well as aſſume whatever character you pleaſe.
Aſſume whatever character I pleaſe!—I am told London ſwarms with people who can do that without a magic ring.—One part of its virtue I can eaſily conceive to be ineſtimable; for I am not to learn that great things may be done there by having what they call the command of a few voices.
Yes, yes;—You won't find liberty of ſpeech the leaſt of my favours.
O! I know the firſt men in the king⯑dom are ſpeech-makers, and practiſe their trade not only all day, but ſometimes all night too. But, however fond I may be of the ſpeaking Harlequins, my ſtrong at⯑tachment is to my brethren of the ſword!
I perceive you have been in London be⯑fore.—Then you admire the Engliſh?
Admire them!—Who does not?—An Engliſhman takes to fighting as a New⯑foundland [14] dog takes to the water.—Your true Britiſh Harlequin leaps at a breach made by a cannon ball as eagerly as a hun⯑ter leaps at a hedge.—Liberty is his Co⯑lombine! the goddeſs of his idolatry!—For her he dares the moſt imminent dan⯑ger; and Courage is the magic ſword with which he is endow'd to conquer every diffi⯑culty.—So, my dear, dear little Fairy, take t'other dip in the well, and follow me—for, I ſay—Hey, for London.
Behold me here.—Accompanied by ſome of my inviſible agents, you ſhall repair to the ſpot where you firſt ſaw me, which [17] may, perhaps, ere this, by the ſpells of the wicked Nordin, be rendered a mere deſert. You will, at worſt, find ſome veſtiges which may lead to the well and its neighbourhood; there I'll meet you. In the mean time, Mr. Dumb▪ and his Intended will find work for their and your purſuers, who ſhall, for a time, be as dumb as themſelves.—They approach—begone.
Ye plighted pair be happy.—Your faith and conſtancy deſerve it.—Now to my pa⯑lace.
[18] Oh! are you there?—You are, as I take it, the ſon of my mortal foe, but, I find, do not inherit his malignity.—Come, Nannette, repentance is next in rank to in⯑nocence.—Deſcend with me, and be happy.
My curſes follow thee! perverted boy! who, ſpite of admonition and entreaty, canſt prefer love to duty, and pleaſure to revenge. May thy joys be tranſient as my ſpells have been feeble! May the ſpeech thou'rt about to acquire, be ever employed in re⯑proaches and revilings; and trebly unpro⯑pitious be thoſe revels, which I muſt nei⯑ther partake of nor behold.