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You are here: > Princess Ida >> Act II
ACT II
No. 8: CHORUS & SOLOS (Lady Psyche, Melissa & Chloe)
"Towards the empyrean heights "
SCENE:—
Gardens in Castle Adamant. A river runs across the back of the
stage, crossed by a rustic bridge. Castle Adamant in the
distance.
Girl Graduates discovered seated at the feet of Lady Psyche.
Act II set by James Wade, 1954
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| Chorus. |
Towards the empyrean heights
Of ev'ry kind of lore,
We've taken several easy flights,
And mean to take some more.
In trying to achieve success
No envy racks our heart,
And all the knowledge we possess,
We mutually impart. |
| Melissa. |
Pray, what authors should she read
Who in Classics would succeed? |
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| Psyche. |
If you'd climb the Helicon,
You should read Anacreon,
Ovid's Metamorphoses,
Likewise Aristophanes,
And the works of Juvenal:
These are worth attention, all;
But, if you will be advised,
You will get them Bowdlerized! |
| Chorus. |
| Ah! we will get them Bowdlerized! |
| Sacharissa. |
Pray you, tell us, if you can,
What's the thing that's known as Man? |
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Kate Chard, the original Lady Psyche
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| Psyche. |
Man will swear and man will storm —
Man is not at all good form —
Is of no kind of use —
Man's a donkey — Man's a goose —
Man is coarse and Man is plain —
Man is more or less insane —
Man's a ribald — Man's a rake,
Man is Nature's sole mistake! |
| Chorus. |
We'll a memorandum make —
Man is Nature's sole mistake!
And thus to empyrean height
Of ev'ry kind of lore,
In search of wisdom's pure delight,
Ambitiously we soar.
In trying to achieve success
No envy racks our heart,
For all we know and all we guess
We mutually impart!
And all the knowledge we possess,
We mutually impart,
We mutually impart, impart. |
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Page Created
30 January, 2006
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