A Book of Burlesque: Sketches of English Stage Travestie and Parody. Adams William Davenport

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      Friends, countrymen, lovers, first listen to me:

      I'm the Chorus; whatever you hear or you see

      That you don't understand, I shall rise to explain —

      It's a famous old fashion that's come up again,

      And will be of great service to many fine plays

      That nobody can understand nowadays;

      And think what a blessing if found intervening,

      When the author himself scarcely knows his own meaning.

      You may reap from it, too, an advantage still further:

      When an actor is bent upon marriage or murther,

      To the Chorus his scheme he in confidence mentions,

      'Stead of telling the pit all his secret intentions;

      A wondrous improvement you all will admit,

      And the secret is just as well heard by the pit.

      Verbum sat.– To the wise I'll not put one more word in,

      Or instead of a Chorus, they'll think me a burden.

      Æetes comes, looking as black as thunder,

      And when you hear the cause you'll say "No wonder";

      For Jason, aided by Medea's spell,

      Has done the trick, and done the King as well.

      You'll think, perhaps, you should have seen him do it,

      But 't isn't classical – you'll hear, not view it.

      Whatever taxed their talents or their means,

      These sly old Grecians did behind the scenes;

      So, fired with their example, boldly we

      Beg you'll suppose whate'er you wish to see.

      Chorus. Be calm, great King – 'tis destiny's decree.

      Æetes. How dare you talk of destiny to me!

      What right have you with such advice to bore us?

      Chorus. Sir, I'm the Chorus.

      Æetes.Sir, you're indecorous.

      'Twas very ungrateful, you'll say, sir,

      But, alas! of the world it's the way, sir,

      When all a friend can, you have done for a man,

      He'll cut you quite dead the next day, sir.

      I'll tell you a sad tale of the life I've been led of late,

      By the false Bœotian Boatswain, of whom I am the mate:

      Who quite forgets the time when I pitied his hard fate

      And he swore eternal constancy by all his gods so great;

      Like a fine young Grecian gentleman,

      One of the classic time!

      Now he lives in a fine lodging, in the palace over there,

      Whilst I and his poor children are poked in a back two-pair;

      And though he knows I've scarcely got a second gown to wear,

      He squanders on another woman every farthing he's got to spare,

      Like a false young Grecian gentleman,

      One of the classic time.

      He leaves me to darn his stockings, and mope in the house all day,

      Whilst he treats her to see "Antigone," with a box at the Grecian play,

      Then goes off to sup with Corinthian Tom, or whoever he meets by the way,

      And staggers home in a state of beer, like (I'm quite ashamed to say)

      A fine young Grecian gentleman,

      One of the classic time.

      Then his head aches all the next day, and he calls the children a plague and a curse,

      And makes a jest of my misery, and says, "I took him for better or worse";

      And if I venture to grumble, he talks, as a matter of course,

      Of going to Modern Athens, and getting a Scotch divorce!

      Like a base young Grecian gentleman,

      One of the classic time.

      Medea. I have done for this man

      All that tenderness can,

      I have followed him half the world through, sir;

      I've not seen him this year,

      And the first thing I hear

      Is "he's going to marry Creusa."

      Going to marry Creusa,

      Going to marry Creusa,

      Ting a ting ting!

      Ting a ting ting!

      All I can say, sir, is, do, sir.

      Jason. If you'll take my advice,

      You'll pack up in a trice,

      Nor of time to pack off be a loser;

      For the popular wrath

      Will be likely to froth

      'Gainst a foe to myself or Creusa.

      I am going to marry Creusa,

      And, believe me, the best thing for you's a

      Fast ship to bespeak,

      And СКАЧАТЬ