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lady！ cy！
Hilarion： No word of thine no stern command
Can teach my heart to rove；
Then rather perish by thy hand；
Than live without they love！
A loveless life apart from thee
Were hopeless slavery；
Were hopeless slavery；
If kindly death will set me free；
Why should I fear to die？
Girls： Have mercy！
Hilarion： If kindly death
Girls： Have mercy！
Hilarion： will set me free；
If kindly death will set me free；
Why should I fear；
Why should I fear to die？
（He is bound by two of the attendants； the three gentlemen are
marched off。）
（Enter Melissa）
Melissa： Madam； without the castle walls
An armed band
Demand admittance to our halls
For Hildebrand！
All： Oh； horror！
Princess： Defy them！
We will defy them！
All： Too late too late！
The castle gate
Is battered by them！
（The gate yields。 Soldiers rush in。 Arac； Guron； and Scynthius are
with them； but with their hands handcuffed。
Men： Walls and fences scaling；
Promptly we appear；
Walls are unavailing；
We have enter'd here。
Female exaceration。
Stifle if you're wise。
Stop your lamentations；
Dry your pretty； pretty
Girls： Rend the air with wailing。 Men： eyes！
Shed the shameful tear！
Man has enter'd here。
Walls are unavailing。
Girls： Rend the Men： Walls and
air fences
with scaling；
wail Promptly we appear；
Walls are unavailing。
ing。 We have enter'd here。
Shed Female exe…
the cration。
shame… Stifle if
ful tear！ you're wise。
Man Stop your lament…
has ation；
en… Dry your pret…
ter'd ty
here！ eyes。 O
Walls are stop your
un… lament…
a… ation；
vail… Dry your pretty pretty
ing。 eyes！ Female exe…
Man cration。 Stifle
has if you're
en… wise。 Stop your lament…
ter'd ation； Dry your pretty
here！ eyes。
（Enter Hildebrand）
RECITATIVE
Princess： Audacious tyrant； do you dare
To beard a maiden in her lair？
Hildebd： Since you inquire；
We've no desire
To beard a maiden here； or anywhere！
Soldiers： No； no。 We've no desire
To beard a maiden here or anywhere！
SOLO Hildebrand
Hildebd： Some years ago；
No doubt you know
（And if you don't I'll tell you so）
You gave your troth
Upon your oath
To Hilarion my son。
A vow you make
You must not break；
（If you think you may； it's a great mistake）；
For a bride's a bride
Though the knot were tied
At the early age of one！
And I'm a peppery kind of King；
Whose indisposed for parleying
To fit the wit of a bit of chit；
And that's the long and the short of
it！
Soldiers： For he's a peppery kind of King；
Whose indisposed for parleying
To fit the wit of a bit of chit；
And that's the long and the short of it！
Hildebd： If you decide
To pocket your pride
And let Hilarion claim his bride；
Why； well and good；
It's understood
We'll let bygones go by
But if you choose
To sulk in the blues
I'll make the whole of you shake in your shoes。
I'll storm your walls；
And level your halls；
In the winking of an eye！
For I'm a peppery Potentate；
Who's little inclined his claim to
bate；
To fit the wit of a bit of a chit；
And thats the long and the short of
it！
Soldiers： For he's a peppery Potentate；
Whose indisposed for parleying；
To fit the wit of a bit of chit；
And that's the long and the short of it！
TRIO Arac； Guron & Scynthius
All 3： We may remark； though nothing can
Dismay us；
That if you thwart this gentleman；
He'll slay us。
We don't fear death； of course we're taught
To shame it；
But still upon the whole we thought
We'd name it。
（To each other）
Scynthius： Yes！
Guron： Yes！
Arac： Yes！
All 3： Better p'r'aps to name it。
Our interests we would not press
With chatter；
Three hulking brothers more or less
Don't matter；
If you'd pooh…pooh this monarch's plan
Pooh…pooh it；
But when he says he'll hang a man；
He'll do it。
（To each other）
Scynthius： Yes！
Guron： Yes！
Arac： Yes！
All 3： Devil doubt he'll do it。
Princess： Be reassured； nor fear his anger blind；
His menaces are idle as the wind。
He dares not kill you vengeance lurks behind！
3 Knights： We rather think he dares； but never mind！
Hildebd： I 3 Knights：
rather No！
think I No！
dare； but No！
never； never mind！ never never mind！
Enough of
No；
parley no；
never nev…
as a er
spe… mind！
cial
No！
boon。 no！ never； never mind！
We give you till tomorrow
afternoon；
Hildebd： Release Hilarion； then；
And be his bride
Or you'll incur the guilt of fratricide！
Princess： To yield at once to such a foe
With shame we're rife；
So quick！ away with him； although
He sav'd my life！
That he is fair； and strong； and tall
Is very evident to all；
Yet I will die；
Yet I will die； before I call myself his
Princess： All Others：
wife！ … … Oh； yield at once； 'twere better
so；
… … … … Than risk a strife！