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CHORUS。 Of what avail art thou； etc。
RECITATIVEPHYLLIS。
My Lords； it may not be。
With grief my heart is riven！
You waste your time on me；
For ah！ my heart is given！
ALL。 Given！
PHYL。 Yes； given！
ALL。 Oh； horror！！！
RECITATIVELORD CHANCELLOR。
And who has dared to brave our high displeasure；
And thus defy our definite command？
（Enter Strephon。）
STREPH。 'Tis Iyoung Strephon！ mine this priceless treasure！
Against the world I claim my darling's hand！
（Phyllis rushes to his arms。）
A shepherd I
ALL。 A shepherd he！
STREPH。 Of Arcady…
ALL。 Of Arcadee！
STREPH。 Betrothed are we！
ALL。 Betrothed are they
STREPH。 And mean to be…
ALL。 Espoused to…day！
ENSEMBLE。
STREPH。 THE OTHERS。
A shepherd I A shepherd he
Of Arcady； Of Arcadee；
Betrothed are we； Betrothed is he；
And mean to be And means to be
Espoused to…day！ Espoused to…day！
DUETLORD MOUNTARARAT and LORD TOLLOLLER
（aside to each other）。
'Neath this blow；
Worse than stab of dagger
Though we mo…
Mentarily stagger；
In each heart
Proud are we innately
Let's depart；
Dignified and stately！
ALL。 Let's depart；
Dignified and stately！
CHORUS OF PEERS。
Though our hearts she's badly bruising；
In another suitor choosing；
Let's pretend it's most amusing。
Ha！ ha！ ha！ Tan…ta…ra！
（Exeunt all the Peers； marching round stage with much dignity。
Lord Chancellor separates Phyllis from Strephon and orders her off。
She follows Peers。 Manent Lord Chancellor and Strephon。）
LORD CH。 Now； sir； what excuse have you to offer for having
disobeyed an order of the Court of Chancery？
STREPH。 My Lord； I know no Courts of Chancery； I go by
Nature's Acts of Parliament。 The beesthe breezethe seasthe
rooksthe brooksthe galesthe valesthe fountains and the
mountains cry； 〃You love this maidentake her； we command you！〃
'Tis writ in heaven by the bright barbed dart that leaps forth into
lurid light from each grim thundercloud。 The very rain pours forth
her sad and sodden sympathy！ When chorused Nature bids me take my
love； shall I reply； 〃Nay； but a certain Chancellor forbids it〃？
Sir； you are England's Lord High Chancellor； but are you Chancellor
of birds and trees； King of the winds and Prince of thunderclouds？
LORD CH。 No。 It's a nice point。 I don't know that I ever
met it before。 But my difficulty is that at present there's no
evidence before the Court that chorused Nature has interested
herself in the matter。
STREPH。 No evidence！ You have my word for it。 I tell you
that she bade me take my love。
LORD CH。 Ah！ but； my good sir； you mustn't tell us what she
told youit's not evidence。 Now an affidavit from a thunderstorm；
or a few words on oath from a heavy shower； would meet with all the
attention they deserve。
STREPH。 And have you the heart to apply the prosaic rules of
evidence to a case which bubbles over with poetical emotion？
LORD CH。 Distinctly。 I have always kept my duty strictly
before my eyes； and it is to that fact that I owe my advancement to
my present distinguished position。
SONGLORD CHANCELLOR。
When I went to the Bar as a very young man；
（Said I to myselfsaid I）；
I'll work on a new and original plan；
（Said I to myselfsaid I）；
I'll never assume that a rogue or a thief
Is a gentleman worthy implicit belief；
Because his attorney has sent me a brief；
（Said I to myselfsaid I！）。
Ere I go into court I will read my brief through
（Said I to myselfsaid I）；
And I'll never take work I'm unable to do
（Said I to myself…said I）；
My learned profession I'll never disgrace
By taking a fee with a grin on my face；
When I haven't been there to attend to the case
（Said I to myselfsaid I！）。
I'll never throw dust in a juryman's eyes
（Said I to myselfsaid I）；
Or hoodwink a judge who is not over…wise
（Said I to myselfsaid I）；
Or assume that the witnesses summoned in force
In Exchequer； Queen's Bench； Common Pleas； or Divorce；
Have perjured themselves as a matter of course
（Said I to myselfsaid I！）。
In other professions in which men engage
（Said I to myself said I）；
The Army； the Navy； the Church； and the Stage
（Said I to myselfsaid I）；
Professional licence； if carried too far；
Your chance of promotion will certainly mar
And I fancy the rule might apply to the Bar
（Said I to myselfsaid I！）。
（Exit Lord
Chancellor。）
（Enter Iolanthe）
STREPH。 Oh； Phyllis； Phyllis！ To be taken from you just as
I was on the point of making you my own！ Oh； it's too muchit's
too much！
IOL。 （to Strephon； who is in tears）。 My son in tearsand on
his wedding day！
STREPH。 My wedding day！ Oh； mother； weep with me； for the
Law has interposed between us； and the Lord Chancellor has
separated us for ever！
IOL。 The Lord Chancellor！ （Aside。） Oh； if he did but know！
STREPH。 （overhearing her）。 If he did but know what？
IOL。 No matter！ The Lord Chancellor has no power over you。
Remember you are half a fairy。 You can defy himdown to the
waist。
STREPH。 Yes； but from the waist downwards he can commit me to
prison for years！ Of what avail is it that my body is free； if my
legs are working out seven years' penal servitude？
IOL。 True。 But take heartour Queen has promised you her
special protection。 I'll go to her and lay your peculiar case
before her。
STREPH。 My beloved mother！ how can I repay the debt I owe
you？
FINALEQUARTET。
（As it commences； the Peers appear at the back； advancing unseen
and on tiptoe。 Lord Mountararat and Lord Tolloller lead Phyllis
between them； who listens in horror to what she hears。）
STREPH。 （to Iolanthe）。 When darkly looms the day；
And all is dull and grey；
To chase the gloom away；
On thee I'll call！
PHYL。 （speaking aside to Lord Mountararat）。 What was that？
LORD MOUNT。 （aside to Phyllis）。
I think I heard him say；
That on a rainy day；
To while the time away；
On her he'd call！
CHORUS。 We think we heard him say； etc。
（Phyllis much agitated at her lover's supposed faithlessness。）
IOL。 （to Strephon）。 When tempests wreck thy bark；
And all is drear and dark；
If thou shouldst need an Ark；
I'll give thee one！
PHYL。 （speaking aside to Lord Tolloller）。 What was that？
LORD TOLL。 （aside to Phyllis）。
I heard the minx remark；
She'd meet him after dark；
Inside St James's Park；
And give him one！
CHORUS。 We heard the minx remark； etc。
PHYL。 The prospect's very bad。
My heart so sore and sad
Will never more be glad
As summer's sun。
PHYL。； IOL。； LORD TOLL。； STREPH。
The prospect's not so bad；
My/Thy heart so sore and sad
May very soon be glad
As summer's sun；
PHYL。； IOL。； LORD TOLL。； STEPH。； LORD MOUNT。
For when the sky is dark
And tempests wreck his/thy/my bark；
he should
If thou shouldst need an Ark；
I should
She'll him
I'll give thee one！
me
PHYL。 （revealing herself）。 Ah！