Scene I

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.]Hear! hear!Do let me speak, I say, once more—

 
Friends, sprites and guardians,

Cor.Friends, sprites and guardians,That you said before.

Sub.Another interruption of this sort,

 
And I’ll—

Cor. [R. C.]And I’ll—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.Pray, what’s the shore to you—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.Hang him!Can’t catch him.

Tempestia.Hang him!Can’t catch him.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.About it straight.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.Nay—his guilt’s plain.Too plain for my denial.

 
But ’stead of punishing, could we reclaim him—

Sub.Can you reclaim a tiger?

Serena.Can you reclaim a tiger?You can tame him!

 
Let me attempt the task.

Cor.Let me attempt the task.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.And figure, eh?A most decided case.

Cor.You’re smitten, miss.

Serena.You’re smitten, miss.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.Enough—we’ll try your plan.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.Then wreck him, or whate’er you please—Agreed!

[Music.—The Spirits form a group, and Serena is seen darting up towards the earth as the scene closes.