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I'll give thee one！
me
PHYL。 （revealing herself）。 Ah！
（Iolanthe and Strephon much confused。）
PHYL。 Oh； shameless one； tremble！
Nay； do not endeavour
Thy fault to dissemble；
We partand for ever！
I worshipped him blindly；
He worships another
STREPH。 Attend to me kindly；
This lady's my mother！
TOLL。 This lady's his what？
STREPH。 This lady's my mother！
TENORS。 This lady's his what？
BASSES。 He says she's his mother！
（They point derisively to Iolanthe； laughing heartily at her。 She
goes for protection to Strephon。）
（Enter Lord Chancellor。 Iolanthe veils herself。）
LORD CH。 What means this mirth unseemly；
That shakes the listening earth？
LORD TOLL。 The joke is good extremely；
And justifies our mirth。
LORD MOUNT。 This gentleman is seen；
With a maid of seventeen；
A…taking of his dolce far niente；
And wonders he'd achieve；
For he asks us to believe
She's his motherand he's nearly five…and…twenty！
LORD CH。 （sternly）。 Recollect yourself； I pray；
And be careful what you say
As the ancient Romans said； festina lente。
For I really do not see
How so young a girl could be
The mother of a man of five…and…twenty。
ALL。 Ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！
STREPH。 My Lord； of evidence I have no dearth
She ishas beenmy mother from my birth！
BALLAD。
In babyhood
Upon her lap I lay；
With infant food
She moistened my clay；
Had she withheld
The succour she supplied；
By hunger quelled；
Your Strephon might have died！
LORD CH。 （much moved）。
Had that refreshment been denied；
Indeed our Strephon might have died！
ALL （much affected）。
Had that refreshment been denied；
Indeed our Strephon might have died！
LORD MOUNT。 But as she's not
His mother； it appears；
Why weep these hot
Unnecessary tears？
And by what laws
Should we so joyously
Rejoice； because
Our Strephon did not die？
Oh rather let us pipe our eye
Because our Strephon did not die！
ALL。 That's very truelet's pipe our eye
Because our Strephon did not die！
（All weep。 Iolanthe； who has succeeded in hiding her face from
Lord Chancellor； escapes unnoticed。）
PHYL。 Go； traitorous onefor ever we must part：
To one of you； my Lords； I give my heart！
ALL。 Oh； rapture！
STREPH。 Hear me； Phyllis； ere you leave me。
PHYL。 Not a wordyou did deceive me。
ALL。 Not a wordyou did deceive her。
（Exit
Strephon。）
BALLADPHYLLIS。
For riches and rank I do not long
Their pleasures are false and vain；
I gave up the love of a lordly throng
For the love of a simple swain。
But now that simple swain's untrue；
With sorrowful heart I turn to you
A heart that's aching；
Quaking； breaking；
As sorrowful hearts are wont to do！
The riches and rank that you befall
Are the only baits you use；
So the richest and rankiest of you all
My sorrowful heart shall choose。
As none are so noblenone so rich
As this couple of lords； I'll find a niche
In my heart that's aching；
Quaking； breaking；
For one of you two…and I don't care which！
ENSEMBLE。
PHYL。 （to Lord Mountararat and Lord Tolloller）。
To you I give my heart so rich！
ALL （puzzled）。 To which？
PHYL。 I do not care！
To you I yieldit is my doom！
ALL。 To whom？
PHYL。 I'm not aware！
I'm yours for life if you but choose。
ALL。 She's whose？
PHYL。 That's your affair！
I'll be a countess； shall I not？
ALL。 Of what？
PHYL。 I do not care！
ALL。 Lucky little lady！
Strephon's lot is shady；
Rank； it seems； is vital；
〃Countess〃 is the title；
But of what I'm not aware！
（Enter Strephon。）
STREPH。 Can I inactive see my fortune fade？
No； no！
PEERS。 Ho； ho！
STREPH。 Mighty protectress； hasten to my aid！
（Enter Fairies； tripping； headed by Celia； Leila； and Fleta； and
followed by Queen。）
CHORUS Tripping hither； tripping thither。
OF Nobody knows why or whither；
FAIRIES Why you want us we don't know；
But you've summoned us； and so
Enter all the little fairies
To their usual tripping measure！
To oblige you all our care is
Tell us； pray； what is your pleasure！
STREPH。 The lady of my love has caught me talking to another
PEERS。 Oh； fie！ young Strephon is a rogue！
STREPH。 I tell her very plainly that the lady is my mother
PEERS。 Taradiddle； taradiddle； tol lol lay！
STREPH。 She won't believe my statement； and declares we must be
parted；
Because on a career of double…dealing I have started；
Then gives her hand to one of these； and leaves me
broken…hearted
PEERS。 Taradiddle； taradiddle； tol lol lay！
QUEEN。 Ah； cruel ones； to separate two lovers from each other！
FAIRIES。 Oh； fie！ our Strephon's not a rogue！
QUEEN。 You've done him an injustice； for the lady is his mother！
FAIRIES。 Taradiddle； taradiddle； tol lol lay！
LORD CH。 That fable perhaps may serve his turn as well as any
other。
（Aside。） I didn't see her face； but if they fondled one
another；
And she's but seventeenI don't believe it was his
mother！
Taradiddle； taradiddle。
ALL。 Tol lol lay！
LORD TOLL。 I have often had a use
For a thorough…bred excuse
Of a sudden （which is English for 〃repente〃）；
But of all I ever heard
This is much the most absurd；
For she's seventeen； and he is five…and…twenty！
ALL。 Though she is seventeen； and he is four or
five…and…twenty！
Oh； fie！ our Strephon is a rogue！
LORD MOUNT。 Now； listen； pray to me；
For this paradox will be
Carried； nobody at all contradicente。
Her age； upon the date
Of his birth； was minus eight；
If she's seventeen； and he is five…and…twenty！
PEERS and FAIRIES。 If she is seventeen； and he is only
five…and…twenty。
ALL。 To say she is his mother is an utter bit of folly！
Oh； fie！ our Strephon is a rogue！
Perhaps his brain is addled； and it's very melancholy！
Taradiddle； taradiddle； tol lol lay！
I wouldn't say a word that could be reckoned as
injurious；
But to find a mother younger than her son is very
curious；
And that's a kind of mother that is usually spurious。
Taradiddle； taradiddle； tol lol lay！
LORD CH。 Go away； madam；
I should say； madam；
You display； madam；
Shocking taste。
It is rude； madam；
To intrude； madam；
With your brood； madam；
Brazen…faced！
You come here； madam；
Interfere； madam；
With a peer； madam。
（I am one。）
You're aware； madam；
What you dare； madam；
So take care； madam；
And begone！
ENSEMBLE
FAIRIES （to QUEEN）。 PEERS
Let us stay； madam； Go away； madam；
I should say； madam； I should