THE MINOR DRAMA.
The Acting Edition. No. CXXXI.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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NEW YORK: SAMUEL FRENCH, 122 NASSAU STREET; (UP STAIRS.)
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Cast of Characters.--[THE CORSAIR.]
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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.
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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.