the complete plays-第123章
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（It's shady； but it's sanctified by custom）；
Bank； Railway； Loan； or Panama Canal。
You can't embark on trading too tremendous
It's strictly fair； and based on common sense
If you succeed； your profits are stupendous
And if you fail； pop goes your eighteenpence。
Make the money…spinner spin！
For you only stand to win；
And you'll never with dishonesty be twitted。
For nobody can know；
To a million or so；
To what extent your capital's committed！
Chorus： No； nobody can know； etc。
If you come to grief； and creditors are craving
（For nothing that is planned by mortal head
Is certain in this Vale of Sorrowsaving
That one's Liability is Limited）；
Do you suppose that signifies perdition？
If so； you're but a monetary dunce
You merely file a Winding…Up Petition；
And start another Company at once！
Though a Rothschild you may be
In your own capacity；
As a Company you've come to utter sorrow
But the Liquidators say；
〃Never mindyou needn't pay；〃
So you start another company to…morrow！
Chorus： But the liquidators say； etc。
King： Well； at first sight it strikes us as dishonest；
But if its's good enough for virtuous England
The first commercial country in the world
It's good enough for us。
Sca。； Phan。； Tar。 （aside to the King）
You'd best take care
Please recollect we have not been consulted。
King： And do I understand that Great Britain
Upon this Joint Stock principle is governed？
Mr。 G。： We haven't come to that； exactlybut
We're tending rapidly in that direction。
The date's not distant。
King： （enthusiastically） We will be before you！
We'll go down in posterity renowned
As the First Sovereign in Christendom
Who registered his Crown and Country under
The Joint Stock Company's Act of Sixty…Two。
All： Ulahlica！
SOLO King
Henceforward； of a verity；
With Fame ourselves we link
We'll go down to Posterity
Of sovereigns all the pink！
Sca。； Phan。； Tar。： （aside to King）
If you've the mad temerity
Our wishes thus to blink；
You'll go down to Posterity；
Much earlier than you think！
Tar。： （correcting them）
He'll go up to Posterity；
If I inflict the blow！
Sca。； Phan。： （angrily）
He'll go down to Posterity
We think we ought to know！
Tar。： （explaining） He'll go up to Posterity；
Blown up with dynamite！
Sca。； Phan。： （apologetically）
He'll go up to Posterity；
Of course he will； you're right！
ENSEMBLE
King； Lady Sophy； Nek。； Sca。； Phan； and Tar Fitz。 and
Zara （aside）
Kal。； Calynx and Chorus （aside）
Henceforward of a verity； If he has the temerity Who love
with all sincerity；
With fame ourselves we Our wishes thus to blink Their
lives may safely link。
link
And go down to Posterity； He'll go up to Posterity And as for
our posterity
Of sovereigns all pink！ Much earlier than they We don't
care what they think！
think！
CHORUS
Let's seal this mercantile pact
The step we ne'er shall rue
It gives whatever we lacked
The statement's strictly true。
All hail； astonishing Fact！
All hail； Invention new
The Joint Stock Company's Act
The Act of Sixty…Two！
END OF ACT I
ACT II
Scene Throne Room in the Palace。 Night。 Fitzbattleaxe
discovered；
singing to Zara。
RECITATIVE Fitzbattleaxe。
Oh； Zara； my beloved one； bear with me！
Ah； do not laugh at my attempted C！
Repent not； mocking maid； thy girlhood's choice
The fervour of my love affects my voice！
SONG Fitzbattleaxe。
A tenor； all singers above
（This doesn't admit of a question）；
Should keep himself quiet；
Attend to his diet
And carefully nurse his digestion；
But when he is madly in love
It's certain to tell on his singing
You can't do the proper chromatics
With proper emphatics
When anguish your bosom is wringing！
When distracted with worries in plenty；
And his pulse is a hundred and twenty；
And his fluttering bosom the slave of mistrust is；
A tenor can't do himself justice；
Now observe（sings a high note）；
You see； I can't do myself justice！
I could sing if my fervour were mock；
It's easy enough if you're acting
But when one's emotion
Is born of devotion
You mustn't be over…exacting。
One ought to be firm as a rock
To venture a shake in vibrato；
When fervour's expected
Keep cool and collected
Or never attempt agitato。
But； of course； when his tongue is of leather；
And his lips appear pasted together；
And his sensitive palate as dry as a crust is；
A tenor can't do himself justice。
Now observe（sings a high note）；
It's no useI can't do myself justice！
Zara： Why； Arthur； what does it matter？ When the higher
qualities
of the heart are all that can be desired； the higher
notes
of the voice are matters of comparative insignificance。
Who
thinks slightingly of the cocoanut because it is husky？
Be…
sides （demurely）； you are not singing for an engagement
（putting her hand in his）； you have that already！
Fitz。： How good and wise you are！ How unerringly your practiced
brain winnows the wheat from the chaffthe material from
the merely incidental！
Zara： My Girton training； Arthur。 At Girton all is wheat； and
idle chaff is never heard within its walls！ But tell me；
is
not all working marvelously well？ Have not our Flowers
of
Progress more than justified their name？
Fitz。： We have indeed done our best。 Captain Corcoran and I
have；
in concert； thoroughly remodeled the sister…servicesand
upon so sound a basis that the South Pacific trembles at
the
name of Utopia！
Zara： How clever of you！
Fitz。： Clever？ Not a bit。 It's easy as possible when the
Admiral…
ty and Horse Guards are not there to interfere。 And so
with
the others。 Freed from the trammels imposed upon them by
idle Acts of Parliament； all have given their natural
tal…
ents full play and introduced reforms which； even in Eng…
land； were never dreamt of！
Zara： But perhaps the most beneficent changes of all has been
ef…
fe
