The corsair; or, the little fairy at the bottom of the sea A new Christmas burlesque and pantomime, founded upon the ballet of "Le corsair"

THE MINOR DRAMA. The Acting Edition. No. CXXXI. ------------------------------------ THE CORSAIR; OR, THE LITTLE FAIRY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. A New Christmas Burlesque and Pantomime, Founded upon the Ballet of “Le Corsaire.” -------------- BY WILLIAM BROUGH, ESQ., Author of Perdita, or the Royal Milkmaid, Prince Prettypet and the Butterfly, Trying It On, Phenomenon in a Smock-frock, A Comical Countess, &c., &c. -------------- TO WHICH ARE ADDED A description of the Costume--Cast of the Characters--Entrances and Exits--Relative Positions of the Performers on the Stage, and the whole of the Stage Business. AS PERFORMED AT THE PRINCIPAL ENGLISH AND AMERICAN THEATRES. ------------------------------------ NEW YORK: SAMUEL FRENCH, 122 NASSAU STREET; (UP STAIRS.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cast of Characters.--[THE CORSAIR.] ------------------------------------ Royal Wallack’s Lyceum, Theatre London, 1857. Dec. 26, 1856. _Conrad, the Corsair_, (“a notable Pirate and Mrs. A. Mrs. John salt water Thief,” gloomy, misanthropical, Melion, Wood. ironical and Byronical,) LATE Miss Woolgar. _Birbanto_, (his Lieutenant--an Officer, but not a Mr. J. L. Mr. John Gentleman,) Toole. Wood. _Seyd (or Seedy) Pasha_, (a terrible Turk,) Mr. Mr. H. B. Barrett. Phillips. _Syng Smaul_, (a General Officer--Major-domo, Head Mr. Mr. Cook and Bottle-washer to the Pasha,) Holston. Holmes. _Yussuf_, (in his own country Joseph--or Mr. S. Mr. familiarly, Old Joe--a renegade Slave Merchant,) Calharm. Peters. _Hassan_, (a Boatswain,) Miss Goward. _Medora_, (a Grecian Maiden, Niece and Ward to Mrs. C. Miss J. Yussuf--a sacred pledge intrusted to her uncle,) Dillon. Manners. _Gulnare_, (the reigning Beauty of the Pasha’s Mrs. B. Mrs. Harem, his favorite, and most other people’s, White. Vernon. it is hoped--including the audience,) _Zuliema_, (a “light of other days” a little Mrs. C. Mrs. Cook. “faded,”) Melville. _Submarina_, (the Fairy guardian of the Deep, Miss J. Mrs. H. B. Deep Sea, Chief Inspector of the Ocean Police, Ryder. Phillips. and Deputy Ruler of the Waves,) _Serena_, (the Little Fairy at the bottom of the Mrs. M. Miss Emily Sea,) Wilton. Milton. _Corsairs, Slaves, Odalisques, Almas, Water Nymphs, Fairies, Guards, Attendants, &c._ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE CORSAIR. SCENE I.--_Marine Aquarium, or Naiad’s Coralline Temple--WATER SPIRITS discovered sleeping in shells; TRITONS come in and arouse them, by sounding their conches; SPIRITS rise and dance; a coral grotto rises, having in it SUBMARINA, CORALIA, AZURINA, TEMPESTIA, &c._ _Sub._ Friends, mermaids, sprites and guardians of the sea, Leave off your dancing and attend to me; This is a public meeting, not a ball; Here come, I’ll take the chair--now silence, all. _All._ Hear! hear! _Sub._ [C.] Do let me speak, I say, once more-- Friends, sprites and guardians, _Cor._ That you said before. _Sub._ Another interruption of this sort, And I’ll-- _Cor._ [R. C.] Well, well, go on--but cut it short; _Sub._ Friends, sprites, _et cetera_--We’ve assembled thus, The state of our dominions to discuss; Each day we read, in the _Subaqueous Times_, Of murders, robberies, and other crimes, Daily committed with impunity, In open day--upon the open sea-- Till none are safe who roam the ocean o’er. _Cor._ They’re just as safe as if they stayed on shore; There, too, I’m told, you’ll find on the increase-- Burglaries--robberies--but _not_ police. _Sub._ Pray, what’s the shore to you-- _Cor._ I but to tell ye meant. _Sub._ Pooh! pooh! on land we’re quite out of our element; What we’ve to do, is to find out some plan To rid the ocean of that bad young man, Conrad the Corsair.--None can safety gain Until, like gas, he’s turned off from the main; At all attempts to do so, he has laughed, While his great cunning saves his little craft; All commerce doth he from the waters sweep-- Cleans out the simple ones and scours the deep; None cross the seas thro’ fear of this vile rover-- Their spirits fail, ere they get half seas over-- In short, unless mankind from him we save, There’ll soon be _no_ life on the ocean wave. _Cor._ What shall we do, in his career to check him-- _Azurina._ Hang him! _Sub._ Can’t catch him. _Tempestia._ Raise a storm and wreck him. _Sub._ A good idea, most reckless of all men; His ship destroyed, he’ll not be wreckless then. About it straight. _Music._--_SERENA rises through trap, L. C._ _Serena._ One moment hear me, pray. _Sub._ A motion, an arrest of judgment, eh! _Serena._ Not only that, but one for a new trial. _Sub._ Nay--his guilt’s plain. _Serena._ Too plain for my denial. But ’stead of punishing, could we reclaim him-- _Sub._ Can you reclaim a tiger? _Serena._ You can tame him! Let me attempt the task. _Cor._ Nay, have a care, We don’t want Conrad made a tame affair. _Sub._ Say by what potent magic will you try? _Serena._ One which the rudest breast can purify-- Lifting the soul all meaner thoughts above-- The magic influence of woman’s love. _Cor._ Ho! ho! I see--the Corsair’s handsome face And figure, eh? _Azurina._ A most decided case. _Cor._ You’re smitten, miss. _Serena._ I scorn the imputation; I am a fairy, and I know my station! _Sub._ No quarreling--I own your plan seems strange; Think you that love can work this mighty change? _Serena._ Madam, I’ve heard of fast young men on town, Desperate dogs, by marriage settled down-- Men, who for years would not go home till morning, Found the domestic tea-table adorning; Smokers, I’ve heard, have put their pipes out--nay I’ve even heard of latch-keys thrown away. Can love do this, and yet be unavailing, To cure a paltry pirate’s little failing? Let Conrad only get a loving wife, And, on my word, he’ll lead another life. _Sub._ Enough--we’ll try your plan. _Serena._ I ask no more, Than leave of absence for a month on shore-- If, ere that time be passed, I don’t succeed, Then wreck him, or whate’er you please-- _Sub._ Agreed! [_Music._--_The SPIRITS form a group, and SERENA is seen darting up towards the earth as the scene closes._ SCENE II.--_Market Place in Stamboul, and Oriental Slave Bazaar._ _Cheering outside._--_Enter CORSAIRS, L._ _1st Cors._ Come lads, our Captain’s given us a holiday On shore to-day, and so let’s have a jolly day-- We’ve been of late so close to business sticking, We want some change. _2d Cors._ Let’s try some pocket-picking-- _1st Cors._ You’d find small change in that-- _2d Cors._ Yes, ’twould be strange, In people’s pockets not to find _small change_. _3d Cors._ But see, our noble Captain comes this way-- _1st Cors._ Three cheers for Conrad--Hip, hip, hip, hurray! _Enter CONRAD, L._ _Conrad._ There, that’ll do--Hip, hip, indeed--what stuff-- As if I’m not already hipped enough. [_Crosses R._ _1st Cors._ Cheer up, my hearty-- _Conrad._ Man! I’m not your hearty, And to cheer up, I’m not at all the party. _1st Cors._ Why is great Conrad ever sad? _Conrad._ Ah, why? Who can explain this secret grief; not I-- That secret kept so dark, none e’er saw through it-- I don’t believe that even Byron knew it. [_Crosses, L._ Go, go, poor giddy things, employ your leisure, In seeking what the thoughtless world calls pleasure. _1st Cors._ Say, is there aught you’d like, that we can bring, To soothe your grief-- _Conrad._ [L.] I don’t like anything; The gloomy spirit in this aching breast, Despises most things, and can’t bear the rest; Deems happiness an empty sound, no more; The world a humbug--life itself a bore-- There’s nothing in it! Leave me. [_They are going._ Tell me, though, Hast seen Birbanto our lieutenant? _1st Cors._ No. [_Exeunt, R._ _Enter BIRBANTO, L._ _Birb._ Behold him, here! What would great Conrad--Eh? Anything wanted in my little way? [_Drawing his dagger._ If so, just give your orders and it’s done-- From pitch and toss to manslaughter, all’s one. _Conrad._ Thou art the best o’ the cut-throats-- _Birb._ I’m no bragger, But, I must say, I’m not bad at a dagger, I’ve one to serve you with in any way, [_Aside._] And serve you out with, too, I hope, some day. _Conrad._ You’re very kind. _Birb._ But pardon the suggestion-- My dagger’s point was not the point in question. You asked for me--