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SONGS IN THE HIGHLAND REEL. A COMIC OPERA. In Three Acts.
BY JOHN O'KEEFE, ESQ.
AS SUNG AT THE NEW THEATRE, PHILADELPHIA.
Corrected and revised by MR. ROWSON, Prompter.
PRINTED FOR M. CAREY. April 4th, 1794.
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- Laird of Col.
- Mr. GREEN,
- Laird of Rausey,
- Mr. WARRELL,
- M'Gilpin,
- Mr. FINCH,
- Sandy, or young Donald,
- Mr. MARSHALL,
- Charley,
- Mr. FRANCIS,
- Shelty,
- Mr. BATES,
- Croudy,
- Mr. HARWOOD,
- Captain Dash,
- Mr. MORETON,
- Serjeant Jack,
- Mr. DARLEY,
- Apie,
- Mr. BLISSETT,
- Benin, a Black,
- Mr. WARRELL,
Highlanders, Countrymen, &c.
- Moggy,
- Mrs. MARSHALL,
- Jenny,
- Mr. WARRELL,
Several Country Girls.
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SONGS, ET CETERA.
ACT I.
I. DUETT.— Moggy and Charley.
THE lamb and the heifer are taking their rest,
The lark and the sparrow lye snug in their nest,
Pussey doses, and so does my doggy,
All are sleeping but Charley and Moggy.
We wake to love before its day,
Come, my dearest, we must be tripping away
No portion, dear Charley, if I marry thee,
My little old dad will give unto me;
Will love cool, if you take me so barely?
Moggy in her smicket is welcome to Charley.
We wake to love, &c.
[Page 6]
II. AIR.— Shelty.
When I've money I am merry,
When I've none I'm very sad;
When I'm sober I am civil,
When I'm drunk I'm roaring mad.
With my titol teedle tum,
Likewise fol lol feedle fum,
Not forgetting diderum hi,
And also teedle, tweedle dum.
When disputing with a puppy,
I convince him with a rap;
When I'm romping with a girl,
By accident I tear her cap.
Gadzooks, I'll never marry.
I'm a lad that's bold and free;
Yet I love a pretty girl,
A pretty girl is fond of me,
With my, &c.
There's a maiden in a corner,
Round and sound, and plump and fat;
She and I drank tea together,
But no matter, sir, for that.
If this maiden be wi' bairn,
As I do suppose she'll be;
[Page 7]Like good pappy, I must learn
To dandle Jackey on my knee,
With my, &c.
III. DUET.— M' Gilpin and Charley.
M'Gil.
Thy secrets to thy kind master tell.
Char.
I love a maid—
M'Gil.
— Is she full of play?
Char.
No kid more gamesome—
M'Gil.
— Where does she dwell?
Char.
Twang lango tillo, lang twango dillo day.
M'Gil.
If you're in love, boy, you're not to blame;
Char.
As much, kind sir, I've heard you say,
I love my charming—
M'Gil.
— Ah—what's her name?
Char.
Twang lango tillo, lang twango dillo day.
My Christmas-box,
M'Gil.
— Oh, I understand,
Thy faithful services I'll repay;
Here's five bright shillings.
Char.
— And here's my hand.
M'Gil.
Twang lango tillo, &c.
IV. AIR.— Sandy.
Oh, had I Allen Ramsey's art
To sing my passion tender,
[Page 8]In every verse shall read my heart,
Such soothing strains I'll send her;
Nor his, nor gentle Rizzio's aid
To shew is all a folly,
How much I love the charming maid,
Sweet Jane of Griffipoly.
She makes me know what all desire,
So roguish are her glances,
Her modest air then checks my fire,
And stops my bold advances.
Meek as the lamb, on yonder lawn,
Yet by her conquered wholly;
For sprightly as the bounding fawn,
Sweet Jane of Grissipoly.
My senses she's bewildered quite,
I seem an amorous ninny;
A letter to a friend I write,
For Sandy I sign Jenny.
Last Sunday, when from church I came,
With looks demure and holy,
I cri'd, when ask'd the text to name,
'Twas Jenny of Grissipoly.
My Jenny is no fortune great,
And I am poor and lowly;
A straw for pow'r and grand estate,
Her person I love solely.
From every sordid selfish view,
So free my heart is wholly,
And she is kind, and I am true,
Sweet Jane of Grissipoly.
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V. SONG.— Jenny.
Such pure delight my bosom knows,
My thanks are due to heaven and thee,
With gratitude my heart o'erflows,
Kind agent of his clemency.
Humanity, thou good, supreme,
To chase an orphan's tear away,
Like the bright all chearing beam,
Brings comfort from the god of day.
VI. AIR.—TRIO.— Sandy, Jenny, and Shelty.
Jen.
Excuse a fond maden's confession,
Shel.
Her blushes exhibit her bliss,
San
My joy is too great for expression,
Shel.
Suppose then you speak in a kiss.
Jen.
Affections most pure now unite us,
San.
Chaste pleasures now wait to delight us;
Shel.
The music and bottle I'll bring,
Jen.
The finch and the linnet invite us,
Shel.
Fond turtles shou'd pair in the spring,
CHO.
Affections most pure, &c.San.
Let las
[...] pursue your example,
Jen.
The youths may take pattern by thee,
Shel.
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You give me of love such a sample,
Oh, married I'll certainly be.
Jen.
Oh, what is the gay blooming flow'r,
San.
The transient sweets of the hour,
Both.
Compared to the charms of the mind—
Shel.
Good humoor to charm has the power,
When time leaves no beauties behind.
CHO.
Oh, what is the gay blooming flow'r, &c.VII. AIR.— Serjeant Jack.
The trumpets hoarse clang, and the double beat drum,
No more fire the soldier with trophies to come;
No deep rattling volley, no dire glancing blade,
Makes valour, when cool, weep the carnage it made.
The war is now o'er, Cupid wipes Mars's head,
And loosing his mail, points to Venus's bed;
While beauty's soft smiles most enchantingly prove,
That victory in war lead to conquests in love.
Let roses and myrtles bloom wantonly now,
Where flowerless laurels have chaf'd the steel'd brow;
Let soft warbling flutes, and the silver ton'd lyre,
Let wit, wine, and mirth, and pleasure conspire;
Let love put to flight ev'ry ease but his own,
And soft yielding beauty our extasies crown:
Till freedom's dread anger her foes dare to move,
We'll love as we've fought, and then fight as we love.
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ACT II.
VIII. AIR.— Jenny.
The lawland lads think they're fine,
But oh they're vain and idly gaudy;
How much unlike the graceful mien
And manly look of my highland laddie.
Oh my bonny highland laddie,
My charming handsome highland laddie;
When I was sick and like to die,
He row'd me in his tartan pladdie.
Nae greater joy I'll e'er pretend,
Than that my love proves true and steady;
Like mine to him which ne'er shall end,
Whilst heav'n preserves my highland laddie.
Oh my bonny, &c.
If I were free at will to choose
To be the wealthiest lawland ladie;
I'd take young Sandy without trews,
With bonnet blue and belted pleddie.
Oh my bonny, &c.
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IX. AIR.— Moggy.
My father's house is neat and nice,
My little garden, Paradise;
My chamber deck'd with trinkums fine,
My window's grac'd with jessamine.
I have a black bird gay,
O he's a pretty fellow,
He whistles sweet and mellow—The live long day.
My playful kid, handsome pets I've many,
My wanton bounding wanton frisking Nanny;
Yet I love none half so well
As Charley's gift, my dear Fidell,
My little Fidell, my pretty Fidell,
Bow wow, bow wow, bow wow, bow wow.
Haste gentle lover now for you;
Papa, kid, dog, and chick adieu.
In town I'll be, my glass can tell,
A monstrous flaming married belle,
The foremost in all gamesome bouts,
At operas, plays, and balls and routs;
All in my plumage fine,
Around the smarts shall flutter,
About me what a clutter—She's all divine.
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They sing, they dance, to please me how they caper.
Whilst rivals challenge, huff and vapour;
As birds all welcome here to woo,
For Charley's sake be gone Cuckoo;
I'll never create my spousey's shame,
To singe my wings about the flame.
X. AIR.— Jenny.
See the kind indulgent gales,
Swelling, fill the spreading sails;
Smoothly gliding with the tide,
O'er the bounding waves we ride.
Gay hope our minds chear,
Presents the welcome shore;
No tempests now we fear,
No dangers threaten more.
XI. AIR— Shelty.
Boys, when I play, cry oh, crimini,
Shelty's chaunteer, squaker imini;
In love tunes I'm so emphatical,
Fingers shaking quivocratical;
With agility,—Grace, gentility,
Girls shake heel and toe, Pipes I tickle so,
[Page 14]My jiggs still a pate, titilate, pretty mate,
My hops love mirth, young blood circulate.
Toodle, roodle, foodle roodle roo, toodle roodle roe.
Oh, ray chaunter sounds so prettily,
Sweeter far than pipes from Italy;
Cross the Tweed I'll bring my tweedle dum,
Striking foreign flute and fiddle dumb;
Modern Rizzios so, Please Ma'am's Misses tho';
Peers can merry strum, Acts plays very rum,
I'll puff at square Hanover, Cast over, man over,
All the puny pipes from Italy. Toodle, &c.
I'm in talk a pedant musical,
In fine terms I lug intrinsical,
Slap Bravura's alt, the rage about,
Haydin, Mara, opera, stage about;
Oratorios, Cramet's Florios;
Things at Jubilee, Neither he nor she,
Die at Syrene's note, Tiny throat petticoat,
This is amateur high musical. Toodle, &c.
XII.
At down I rose with jocund glee,
Far joyful was the day,
That cou'd this blessing give to me,
Now joy is fled away, Jenny.
No flocks, nor herds, nor store of gold,
Nor house nor home have I,
[Page 15]If beauty must be bought or sold,
Alas, I cannot buy, Jenny.
Yet I am rich, if thou art kind,
So priz'd a smile from thee;
True love alone our hearts shall bind,
Thou'rt all the world to me, Jenny.
Sweet gentle maid, tho' patient meek,
My lily drops a tear,
Ah! raise thy drooping head, and seek
Soft peace and comfort here, Jenny.
XIII. AIR.— Jenny.
Dearest youth this heart will break,
If cruel soldiers take thee far;
Why peaceful home and me forsake,
To tempt the dangers of the war;
But all is home where thou resort,
My Sandy's smiles such comfort bring;
The humble village is a court,
Grac'd by the presence of a king.
My silken geer I'll leave behind,
Prepare to face the rain and wind,
With him I'll meet the blast so keen,
And smile while on the billows tost;
The heart where love is warm within,
Enjoys a May in winter's frost.
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XIV. AIR.— Serjeant Jack.
A soldier is the noblest name
Enroll'd upon the lists of fame,
His country's pride and boast;
Honour the glorious bright reward,
[...] which the hero draws his sword,
Should ne'er be stain'd or lost.
To guard our rights and liberty,
Our duty and our care;
The brave and worthy to respect,
And to the verge of life protect
The innocent and fair.
When glory led her squadrons forth,
Her influence spread from south to north,
There freedom soon appear'd;
'Twas there she found her fav'rite son,
Through all the world his name is known,
Through all the world rever'd.
And smiling thus the goddess spoke,
Columbia's sons draw near;
A soldier's duty ne'er forget,
Behold the great example set,
The school of honour's here.
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XIV. SONG.— Moggy.
Tho' I'm a very little lad,
If fighting men cannot be had,
For want of better I may do,
To follow the boy with rat tat too;
I may seem tender, yet I'm tough,
And tho' not much o' me, right good stuff.
Of this I'll boast, say more who can,
I never was afraid to meet my man;
I'm a chickabiddy, see take me now now now,
I'm a little merry He for your row dow dow;
Brown Bess I'll knock about, oh there's my joy,
At my back a knapsack like a roving boy.
In my Tartan plaid a young soldier view,
My phillibeg, and dirk, and my bonnet blue,
Give the word, and I'll march where you command
Noble serjeant with a shilling strike my hand.
My captain as he takes his glass
May wish to toy with a pretty lass,
For such a one I've a roguish eye,
He'll never want a girl when I am by.
I'm a chickabiddy, &c.
Tho' a barber never yet has mow'd my chin,
With my great broad sword I long to begin,
[Page 18]Cut, slash, ram dam—oh glorious fun,
For a gun, pip pop, change my little pop gun.
My foes shall fly like geese in flocks,
Ev'n Turks I'll drive like turkey cocks;
And wherever quarter'd I shall be,
Oh, Zounds! how I'll kiss my landlady.
I'm a chickabiddy, &c.
XV. FINALE.
San.
Come sprightly lawland lass,
Shel.
And highland lad, trip here is jovial glee;
San.
Gentle winds from every island,
Waft hearts merry, blithe and free;
Shel.
At Shelty's house in gay carouse your hours employ.
M'Gil.
O well said boy;
Serj.
Lay supper down and bring the booze,
To wish the young folks love and joy.
Chorus.
Whisky, frisky, prancing, dancing,Sorrow send to nick the de'el,
Care or trouble who can feel,
Lifting up the highland reel.
Mog.
Mind dearest lad I tell you fairly,
Married I must have my way;
Cha.
I'm sure dear lass you'll govern rarely,
Love and honour I'll obey.
San.
Nor marriage chain,
Shel.
Nor bit, nor rein;
Mog.
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The duce a
[...].
M'Gil.
A gamesome tit.
Shel.
Cross looks, poor hen-peck'd Charley,
M'Gil.
A wise man my child's a wit, Whisky, &c.
Sun.
The torch of love by Cupid lighted,
Never shall extinguished
[...];
Mog.
The vows at Hymen's altar plighted,
Rosy hours the knot shall tie.
San.
Earnest this,
Jen.
Of heavenly bliss;
Both.
My only love,
M'Gil.
Well said by Jove,
San.
Sweet blossoms ne'er be blighted.
M'Gil.
She'll cooe like any turtle dove. Whisky, &c.
Serj.
Old Neptune's arms the globe embracing,
In his grasp can kingdoms hem;
Great Jove upon his finger's placing,
Columbia, as a radiant gem▪
There, ever shine, with rays divine,
Shed lustre round, and thus enthron'd,
Freedom's joys shall spread increasing,
With each blessing ever crown'd.
[...]ky, &c.