Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-08

Messrs Gilbert and Sullivan's new comic
opera, "Iolanthe" or, the Peer and the
Peri" presented for the first time in this
country last Saturday night, opens with an
"Arcadan" landscape" The curtain rises
on IN empty stage, when Leila, Fleta and
Celia, three fairies enter. They look about
TO see that they are not observed, and then
reckoning to the others, who follow, they
all trip across the stage, unsteady and
terpsichorallY explaining their desirable
attributes. Celia declares that it is all very
well to be tripping it in this style, but that
fairy revels have not been what they were
since Iolanthe, 'the life and soul of Fairy
land" was banishcd FIVE and twenty years
ago. Doomed to die for having married a
mortal the Queen, Glowing her with sur
passing love, had been good enough to COM
mute the sentence to penal servitudc for life
on condition that she left her husband with
out word of explanation aud never COM
muncatcd with him,again. 1t distresses the
Queen to think that 1olanthc given her
choice of places to work out her servitude,
has chosen to live at the bottom of stream.
"Think of the deep" she adds, with alice
Tomato soctude, land her chest always so
delicate" Overcome by affection and fairy
pleadings for the banished 1olanthc the
Queen summons her. She rises from the
water clad in tattcred and sombre garments,
is pardoned her rags fall from her, she ap.
pears clothed us a fairy, Ia aiTectionately
kissed and welcomed back to fairy realm.
The fairies with feminine curiosity, ask
questions which show that lolanthe chose
that stream to he near her son who was born
soon after she left her husband by the Queens
command. BLESS my heart | didn't know
you had a son. says the Queen. GLOW old
is hcI Twenty-four No one to look at
you would think YOU had son twenty-four.
But that's one of the advantages Of being a
fairy. We never grow old Strephon, To-
lanthe's son, is half fairy and half mortal,
being Il fairy to the waist but possessed of
mortal legs, and though having mortal
brain, from the waist downward is glib
boring IDIOT" He is an "Arcadian shepherd"
AMI IN love with Phyllis ward in chancery.
The Lord Chancellor Las refused his consent
to the marriage Of Phyllis and StrephDu, but
the latter has determined to defy the Court
and marry the pretty ward Strephon comes
comes upon the scene, singing and dancing
and playing a iagcolct The fairies leave as
as Phyllis enters and grCets her lover. She
fears that she and Strephon will get into
trouble by marrying without the Lord
Chancelloi's consent, but Strephon urges her
to consent, reminding her that delays are
dangerous; that the Lord Chancellor is him
self very attentive, and, indeed, that half the
House Of Lords are sighi1g at her feet.
They sing some pretty verses, and alter the
exit the procession Of Peers Is seen coming,
headed by the Earl of Mount Ararat Ger
tainly venerable title us suggesting one of
the most ancient of holdings and the Earl
of TolOller.
They are very much impressed by their
own importance and rs they Sumter down
the stage or march around in solemn pio-
Ccssion, bDwng 10 each other in succession
or posing in sltcsmanhkc atillldcs right
hand in breast, left hand on hip they
sing
loualy let the trumpet bray
TantautarI,
Gaily bang the sounding brassr',
As upon TIA 'ordy way
THIS unique procession passes,
Tan,ara Tzmg! Boom!
Bow We lower middle classes,
Bow ye tralesmen, bow ye masses,
Blow We ilunpcis bang the brassr',
We are peers o. highest station,
Paragois OF legislation,
Pillars OF the British nation.
Tantara Tang Boom!
After this "uniquc procession has proper
" disposed itself, the Lord Chancellor en-
tiers, and in M amusing song explains that
the law isthc embodiment of Everything that
is excellent, and that he Is the embodiment
of the law. AS such he is the constitutional
guardian of pretty young wards IN Chanccry,
pleasant occupation, though it has its in
convenient side for rather susceptible Chan.
cellor.
The peers now proceed to the business OF
the day" which is to hear the decision Of the
Lord Chancellor as to which one OF them
hall wi M tl.v "a al
in love. The Lord Chancellor will not deny
that he would award her to himself if sucl
an award would not be open to misconstruc
ton. PHYLLIS is sent for, ard the Peers eX
press their admiration for her, Lord Tollollel
declaring
OF all the young ladies' know,
This pretty young lady's the fairest;
Her lips have the ruslrst show,
Her eyes are the Richest and rarcst.
Her Orisins lowly, MS true,
But OF birth and position I've plenty;
I've grammar and spelling for Two
And blood and behavior for twenty.
Phyllis declines the offer, however, aver
ring,
lin very much pa!utd to refuse,
But I'll STICK TO my pipes aud my tabOrs,
! can spell all the words that use
And my granmar's good as my ncghbors,
As for BIRTH was born like the rest
My behavior is rustic but hearty
Aud know where to turn for the best
When want Il particular party.
They beg her not to spurn the noble born
assuring her that though they are well con
nected she must remember that
May beat IN Belgravc Square
As IN the lowly air
VI Seven Dias.
She admits that she has thrown them owe
for the sake of the shepherd boy of Arcadee
which greatly shocks and wounds the Peers
They Immediately resume til, ir eXaggcrate
dignity, slap their chests proudly, assumin
u statesmanlke position, their right hand
thrJst into their brcsts, their feet in the fift
position, and making formal bow march Of
the stage.
The Lord Chancellor remains and d,
mauds from Strcphon his excuse for havin
disobcyed un order of the Court Of ChanccrJ
Strephon pleads. that he knows no court
of chanccry, ila, he cannot see why, ''whe
chorused Nature bids him take his love Il
should say Nay, n certain Chancellor 70
bids it," The Court thinks il is nit
legal point which it has never met with b
fore, but the legal difficulty is that at prcscl
there is no evidence before the Court thi
Chorused Nature has interested herself in Il
matter. "Nou have my word for it, say
Strephon, quickly. 81 tell you thai she bat
me take my love-
"Ah, but my good sir" said the Lor
Chancellor lcarncdly, you mustn't tell I
what she told you--it's not evidence. No,
an affidavit from II thunder storm or fe
words on oath from heavy shower woul
meet with all the attention they deserve"
'IIave you the heart" asks the lover, pit
ously ito apply the prosaic rules Of eviden
to case which bubbles over with poetic
emotion ~
Distinctly" he replies. 81 have alwa
kept duty strictly before my eyes, and it
to that fact that owe my advancement
my present distinguished position" viii