The magic of Orosmanes: or, harlequin slave and sultan: a pantomime, drawn from the Arabian legends.

Table of contents

- [titlepage]

- [dramatispersonae]

- SCENE I. A Market for Slaves—a Number of both Sexes are seen in Chains.

- SCENE II. The Gardens of the Seraglio.

- SCENE III. A Kind of Court-Yard leading to the Women's Apartment, with a Balcony, at which ap pears Zulma with four Female Slaves, who play on lutes to amuse her; she seems me lancholy.

- SCENE IV. A Grove.

- SCENE V. A Gallery in the Seraglio.

- SCENE VI. A Garden.

- SCENE VII. Zulma's Dressing-Room.

- SCENE VIII. An open View and a Caravansera.

- SCENE IX. The Sea-Coast—a Ship in the Offing.

- SCENE X. Covent-Garden.

- SCENE XI. A Landscape.

- SCENE XII. A Street.

- SCENE XIII. The Magician's Apartment.

- SCENE XIV. The Haymarket.

- SCENE XV. A Desert.

- SCENE the last. A magnificent Palace with an Archway, under which are seated on a Throne Harlequin, Zulma, and Orosmanes.

THE MAGIC OF OROSMANES.

The END.

THE MAGIC OF OROSMANES; OR, Harlequin Slave and Sultan: A PANTOMIME, DRAWN FROM THE ARABIAN LEGENDS.

Printed in the Year MDCCLXXXV.

CHARACTERS.

- OROSMANES.

- OCTAR.

- OSMYN.

- HARLEQUIN.

- CLOWN.

- CHIEF EUNUCH.

- TWO JANISSARIES.

- A DERVISE.

- ENGLISH SAILOR.

- ENGLISH CAPTAIN.

- MOB.

- GENII, &c. &c.

- ZULMA.

- Female Slaves and Attendants.

SCENE I. A Market for Slaves—a Number of both Sexes are seen in Chains.

CHORUS.

THO' in indignant chains confin'd,

And lost to liberty,

Yet, spite of these, the noble mind

In slavery dares be free.

Dares suffer dungeons bonds—than death

Less cruel and severe,

Nor against fortune utter breath,

Or shed affliction's tear.

After the chorus the chief Eunuch comes on, and singles out Harlequin and Clown, whom he purchases as mutes for the seraglio; several purchasers also pay for their slaves, and take them away.

SCENE II. The Gardens of the Seraglio.

The Eunuch conducts Harlequin and Clown, and after having described their separate employments, orders them to their work, and leaves them—Harlequin, after deploring his situation, determines to kill himself, and telling the Clown his intention, advises him to do the same—the Clown begs to be excused, but tells Harlequin he'll leave the coast clear rather than be witness to the death of his friend—this he does, after taking leave in a very comic manner. Harlequin, being now alone, considers how he had best dispatch himself—a pistol, a halter, and a phial of poison, appear to him by the hands of three statues, which rise on traps—Harlequin makes an obedience to them, and first resolves to take the pistol, but upon considering it will make his head ach, he rejects it—in like manner he refuses the poison, for fear of a pain in the stomach; and upon putting his hands round his throat to try the effects of strangling, he will have nothing to do with the halter—upon second thought, however, he plucks up resolution, and takes the pistol, when—

Orosmanes appears, attended by two Genii.

RECITATIVE.

OROSMANES.

Banish thy fears—all is not lost that falls.

List—'tis thy father, Orosmanes, calls;

Thou art a prince, and rightfully should'st wed

The Sultan's daughter, Zulma—but instead,

Octar, of virtue and our race the foe,

In th' cradle—sorc'rer—forc'd thee to forego

Thy human form, and shrunk thee to an ape;

Nor could my power procure thy pristine shape

More than thou now art—but his race is run;

To-day he fondly hopes his hideous son

Shall wed fair Zulma;—but I'll raise a storm

That his bright sun of joy shall soon deform;

Root up his hopes, his hot ambition freeze:

Genii, come forward—Harlequin, take these.

AIR.

This magic belt shall fiends disarm;

This sword shall ev'ry thing transform;

These drops on Osmyn's head diffuse,

And thou shalt see their wond'rous use;

Despair not of th' imperial throne,

Go on, and victory's thy own.

SCENE III. A Kind of Court-Yard leading to the Women's Apartment, with a Balcony, at which appears Zulma with four Female Slaves, who play on lutes to amuse her; she seems melancholy.

Harlequin comes on, is struck with her charms, and does every thing in his power to induce her to notice him; she at last sees him, falls in love with him, and they are contriving how to get at each other, when the chief Eunuch comes behind Zulma on the balcony, and forces her away. Harlequin in fear of being seen slips off—The Clown comes on, describing he has searched every where for his friend to no purpose, and concludes he has hanged himself—The chief Eunuch comes on, and, finding the Clown lamenting, a comical explanation takes place; after which the Eunuch gives the Clown a letter to carry to the Sultan, appointing him to come immediately and celebrate the marriage.

SCENE IV. A Grove.

Harlequin comes, and considers what he shall do to get at Zulma; he touches the stump of a tree, which turns into a writing desk; he writes a letter, and shuts it up again—His next idea is how to send it; this he effects by turning a cypress into a pigeon-house, calling down one of the pigeons, and tying the letter about his neck—He describes that he has appointed Zulma to meet him at a mosque, sends the pigeon away, and goes off himself rejoicing at his project.

SCENE V. A Gallery in the Seraglio.

The Clown comes on, still lamenting the loss of Hariequin, and yet intent upon the letter, which he holds in his hand—As he spells out the address, he hears a noise over his head, and upon looking up sees the pigeon within his reach with Harlequin's letter about his neck—He takes hold of him, and laughs at the idea of the pigeon's being a letter-carrier, as well as himself—upon reflection he thinks he may as well make the pigeon carry both letters, and for that purpose ties the other round his neck; but after considering that the pigeon may not know the direction of the letter he ought himself to carry, he is determined to take it back again—Here a new difficulty occurs, upon a recollection that he cannot read; he however, upon comparing the two letters, seems pretty well satisfied, though it is apparent he has changed the letters—He now wishes the pigeon a good journey, who immediately flies away, and the Clown goes off.

SCENE VI. A Garden.

Harlequin comes on in anxious expectation of seeing Zulma. After waiting with impatience, Octar and Osmyn drag on the Clown, demanding of him with threats where he got Harlequin's letter, which Osmyn holds in his hand: the Clown comically describes his getting it from the pigeon; and Harlequin coming to see what's the matter, discovers his old friend in jeopardy—The Clown spying Harlequin, tells Osmyn that he is the cause of all the mischief, but at the same time cannot refrain from catching him round the neck at seeing him alive. Harlequin disengages himself from the Clown just at the time they are about to seize him, and by a jump through a vase escapes—They all go off to find him, and Harlequin coming on, and finding himself alone, immediately changes the scene to

SCENE VII. Zulma's Dressing-Room.

Zulma is sitting on a sopha—Harlequin apprizes her that their enemies are at hand, and if she would save herself she must fly with him— They go off; soon after which come on Octar, Osmyn, the Clown, and Slaves, but first the Dwarf, who sees Harlequin and Zulma make their escape—They are determined to go in pursuit of them, but first Octar orders the Clown to be strangled: two mutes bring on a sort of stake, to which they fasten the Clown, and put the cord of the bow-string about his neck, but cannot pull it tight enough to strangle him—The Clown makes a hideous noise; and finding the mutes do no good, declares he'll strangle him himself: at this moment Harlequin comes on, and, touching the Clown, he sinks under the stage, and Octar appears playing upon a double-bass, the bow-string serving for the bow, and the stake for the finger board; the remaining part having slipt up behind Pierrot when he was surrounded by the mutes—Octar finds his mistake, vows vengeance against Harlequin, and goes off, followed by the rest, being first apprized by the Dwarf which way the fugitives were gone.

SCENE VIII. An open View and a Caravansera.

Harlequin, Zulma, and Clown come on: the Clown is full of extravagant gratitude to Harlequin for having saved his life—they consider by what expedient they can escape from their pursures—An English Sailor comes on; Harlequin accosts him, and asks whither he is bound—he answers to England, and that his Captain is within the caravansera. They all go in—Two Turks come on with great precaution, each carrying a jug of wine; upon seeing two Jannissaries they sneak into a corner; the Janissaries, however, see them, severely threaten them, and take away the wine, sending them off, after they have begged their lives upon their knees—As the Janissaries hold each of them a jug, and are hugging themselves at their expedient to get at the wine, Harlequin, Zulma, the Clown, and the English Captain come on, describing that they could get no wine at the caravansera. Harlequin remedies this, by taking two vases, which are ornaments to one of the houses, and drawing off into them all the wine from the jugs held by the two Janissaries. After this Harlequin, Zulma, the Captain, and Clown go off.—The Janissaries, who had been eating while the above trick was playing them, now begin to think of drinking; but before they can get the jugs to their mouths, a Dervise comes on, and stops their hands—he represents to them the wickedness of drinking wine; they, however, not only coax him to forgive them, but to drink with them, and at last he consents—They drink his health, and hastily take the jugs from their mouths, when, finding they have tasted nothing but water, they enquire what is the matter, and, in order to convince him, they pour water from one jug to the other; he visibly expresses surprize for a moment, but recollecting himself, he tells them he performed the miracle to convince them of their impiety. At last they go off in astonishment, while he laughs at their credulity, and goes off, drinking wine out of a bottle which had been concealed under his cloak.

SCENE IX. The Sea-Coast—a Ship in the Offing.

Harlequin, Captain, Zulma, and Clown come on—Harlequin presses him to set sail, but the Captain tells him the wind is not fair—Harlequin appears hurt at this delay, and fearful lest he should be pursued by his enemies—the Clown tells him they are at hand, and immediately the Dwarf comes on, and goes off to tell his master. Harlequin, finding he has no time to lose, changes the scene to

SCENE X. Covent-Garden.

Several fruit women go across the stage with baskets, the Clown watching his opportunity steals some of the fruit; the women set down their baskets and want to make him pay, this he refuses: some chimney-sweepers come on, and also steal fruit out of those baskets which are on the stage; the fruit women first attack the Clown, then the chimney-sweepers, and a battle royal is begun, when Octar, Osmyn, and the Dwarf come on, who attack Harlequin and his party; Harlequin summon some chairmen to his assistance, and obtains the victory over Octar's party.

SCENE XI. A Landscape.

Harlequin, the Clown, and Zulma come on; the clown describes the bustle—they then see Octar, &c. coming, and go off. Octar and his party make their appearance, very much disfigured by having been hustled among the mob. Octar has lost his turban, and picked up an old round hat in its stead; the Dwarf, in place of his robe, has a chimney-sweeper's foot-bag; they at first separately bewail their misfortunes, but upon seeing each other burst out a laughing—they then look at themselves and groan, then at each other and laugh, and so go off the stage, alternately groaning and laughing.

SCENE XII. A Street.

Harlequin, Zulma, and the Clown come on; they appear perfectly satisfied at having tricked their enemies.—Bill-Stickers come on, and the Clown reads in one of the bills—"The Gigantic Magician;" begs Harlequin will treat him to see his performances. They all go in; after which Octar, Osmyn, &c. come on; the Dwarf, excited by the curiosity, also intreats his master to treat him to see the Gigantic Magician; they however go off, and the Dwarf follows reluctantly.

SCENE XIII. The Magician's Apartment.

The Magician shews his different deceptions, at which the spectators testify surprize; at last Harlequin, to convince him of his superior power, the Dwarf having first discovered Harlequin, &c. changes the scene to

SCENE XIV. The Haymarket.

The Magician is turned into an old woman, people come about them, and among the rest a puppet is brought on, which converts to a sort of awning, under which is discovered a pig; the pig comes forward, and Harlequin scatters a number of letters on the stage, and asks the name of the Conjuror; he spells the word FOOL. The Dwarf discovers Harlequin, &c. and afterwards Octar and Osmyn come on, who in the scuffle seize Zulma and the Clown; Harlequin follows slowly in despair.

SCENE XV. A Desert.

Harlequin comes on in the greatest wretchedness at having lost Zulma; he runs about on all sides to watch which way they are gone with her; but on despairing of finding them, he then bethinks himself of the phial, and, taking it out, recollects the injunction of Orosmanes. At this time he sees at a distance Octar, the Dwarf, and Osmyn, conducting Zulma and the Clown; he watches his opportunity as they pass, and pours the contents of the phial on Osmyn's head, when a Dragon comes on; and while Octar and the Dwarf are expressing their astonishment at this monster, Harlequin, Zulma, and Clown make their escape, and are followed by Octar, the Dwarf, and Osmyn.

SCENE the last. A magnificent Palace with an Archway, under which are seated on a Throne Harlequin, Zulma, and Orosmanes.

They come forward.

OROSMANES.

Welcome, my son; thy toil and danger's o'er;

Octar's subdu'd, and Amurath's no more;

No longer Harlequin, that mimic elf,

The chains of magic loos'd, thy noble self

Thou now appear'st.—Thus may all treach'ry fail:

Shout, friends!—exult!—the Sultan Achmet hail!

CHORUS.

Let the tinkling lyre and lute,

The minstrel, and the dulcet flute,

With music fill the air around,

Alternate with the trumpet's sound.

The softer strains shall pleasure sing,

Till loyal acclamations ring,

And, while to heav'n our voices raise,

Drown private mirth—in public praise.

Information about this book

Title statement

The magic of Orosmanes: or, harlequin slave and sultan: a pantomime, drawn from the Arabian legends.

Dibdin, Charles, 1745-1814.

Publication

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University of Oxford Text Archive
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ota@oucs.ox.ac.uk

ID [ota]

http://ota.ox.ac.uk/id/3356

ID [isbn10]

1106003551

ID [isbn13]

9781106003553

ID [TCP]

K002765.000

ID [BIBNO]

CW3309777548

ID [ECLL]

0100000800

Availability

Distributed by the University of Oxford under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Source

— The magic of Orosmanes: or, harlequin slave and sultan: a pantomime, drawn from the Arabian legends., Dibdin, Charles, 1745-1814.. 15,[1]p. ; 8⁰. [London?] :: Printed in the year,. 1785.. [Anonymous. By Charles Dibdin.] [The catchword "Song" appears on p.[16], but the work is complete according to E. R. Dibdin, 'A Charles Dibdin bibliography', Liverpool, 1937, p.54.] [Without the music.] [Reproduction of original from the Harvard University Houghton Library.] [English Short Title Catalog, ESTCN4285.] [Electronic data. Farmington Hills, Mich. : Thomson Gale, 2003. Page image (PNG). Digitized image of the microfilm version produced in Woodbridge, CT by Research Publications, 1982-2002 (later known as Primary Source Microfilm, an imprint of the Gale Group).]

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