The Patriot
A Tragic Opera in One Act
Words by Stanislaus Stangé
Music by Julian Edwards
Cast:
Manheim, A Tory farmer, Baritone
Marian, His daughter, Soprano
General George Washington, Baritone
Enoch Crosby, An English spy, Tenor
Lajuenesse, a peasant, Bass
Corey, a peasant, Bass
Time:
A night in September, during the Revolutionary War.
Place:
Interior of a farmhouse, near Valley Forge.
CROSBY, MANHEIM, LAJEUNESSE & COREY
Fortune, fickle-jade, sime on me I pray.
Oft you have betrayed,
Turn not your face away,
CROSBY
I shall win I know.
Would that the life of Washington depended on my throw.
(They throw dice.)
I win.
If it had been just as I said,
That rebel chief would now be dead.
MANHEIM
Five thousand pounds have offered been
To him who shall the traitor slay.
Should fate throw him across my path
He should not live another day.
CROSBY, LEJEUNESSE & COREY
We wish that Manheim had his way.
MANHEIM
To our King!
ALL FOUR
To our King!
A health to him,
Tho' death be near
What should they dread who feel not fear,
What dread who feel, who feel not fear,
A health to him, his praises sing.
Down with his foes,/
Down with his foes!
Long live the King!
Long live the King!
Long live the King!
(Enter Marion.)
MARION
Hush! hush!
the soldiers swarm around the place.
Your words mean ruin, death, disgrace.
Ruin, death, disgrace.
CROSBY
The muskets of our King,
Their ardor soon will damp,
Even now their fate is sealed.
MARION
My countrymen will never yield.
MANHEIM
Thou hast been again unto the rebel camp.
MARION
To see my brother.
MANHEIM
Aye, your brother!
Would that when your mother died
I had lain him by her side.
These rebels me a ruined man have made.
My only son his father has betrayed,
My daughter false to me! lost all that once was my own,
My wretched fate, to live and die alone.
MARION
Dear father,…
CROSBY, LAJEUNESSE & COREY
We have suffered too, and share your cruet fate.
These traitors to our King have earned our everlasting hate.
MARION
Dear father, this land is the land of your birth.
No fairer or sweeter e'er graced mother earth
The men now in arms fighting, weary and worn,
Fight for their country, a new world is born.
The voice of America cries in each heart,
Come, bid now the tyrant for ever depart.
Sweet liberty sings,
She is singing to thee,
And the song that she sings
Is the song, the song of the free.
MANHEIM
A tooth for a tooth,
An eye for an eye.
MARION
Who liveth by the sword by the sword shall die.
MANHEIM
Enough! I'll hear no more.
CROSBY
Hush!
Some one at the door.
LEJEUNESSE
Who is it?
COREY
Who can it be?
MANHEIM
You have betrayed me.
MARION
No, no, I'd give my life yours to save.
Now falls on me the shadow of the grave.
CROSBY, LAJEUNESSE & COREY
'Tis some spy,
He shall die.
MANHEIM
Let him enter
MARION
Death is nigh.
(Enter Washington.)
MARION, CROSBY, MANHEIM,
LAJEUNESSE & COREY
'Tis Washington.
MARION
He a frightful risk doth run.
WASHINGTON
Friends, I would with the Monk Manheim speak.
MANHEIM
My brother is no more, if him you seek.
WASHINGTON
Dead?
MANHEIM
Aye, gone to join the saints above,
The war left little here below to love.
WASHINGTON
Gone, not knowing his prophecy fulfilled would be.
MANHEIM
What you would have said to him, pray say to me.
WASHINGTON
Ere the people made a common cause
Against unjust and cruel laws,
One night when thought had banished sleep,
I near here alone did vigil keep.
Thinking of my country, her sad plight,
Oppressed by King and crushed by coward might,
Is it lawful that we draw the sword
And free our land now from the foreign lord?
I spoke aloud, your brother passing
by overheard and made me this reply,
He said: "I dreamt I heard tonight
A voice from out the sky,
Thy people shall delivered be,
Thy land from bondage free,
The Lord doth prophecy,
Go forth, he whom thou shalt meet,
As thy country's deliverer greet,"
Thus spoke the voice.
Then to me thy brother said,
"Thou art the man, thee I consecrate,
Thou shalt victorious be
Honored, great, thou shalt deliver
thy people from the oppressor's hand
Fear not, gird on thy sword, it is thy God's command."
Then to this house we came.
And by this sacred book, I swore,
by the God we all adore,
That while the breath of life I draw
I forever would be true.
Set my country's flag on high,
And for my country live and die.
ENSEMBLE
MARION
My country thou shalt be
Sweet land of liberty,
I'd die for thee.
None to thee censorious
Thy flag victorious
Thy future great and glorious,
Ever shall be.
MANHEIM
Strangely my heart doth ache.
New tho 'tis my mind awake.
Shall I my vow forsake?
Shall I my vow forsake?
Shall I my vow forsake?
That may not be.
CROSBY, LAJEUNESSE & COREY
We feel his potent spell,
Who shall his fate foretell?
Who ring his fun'ral knell?
Who shall his fate foretell?
Who shall it be?
WASHINGTON
None to thee censorious
Thy flag victorious
Thy future great and glorious
Ever shall be.
Gentle Priest, may thy soul rejoicing,
Rest within the mansions of the blest.
Good night.
MANHEIM
(Thunder and lightning.)
A storm doth threaten,
Will you not remain his brother's guest?
Your entertainment shall be the best
My poor house affords today.
WASHINGTON
My met would think me lost.
They know not that I came this way.
(Storm continues.)
CROSBY
You have ridden far,
And wearied are.
The storm king proves his might.
LAJEUNESSE
His fury grows.
COREY
The wild wind blows.
MANHEIM
Pray pass with us the night.
WASHINGTON
Until this storm hath reach'd its end
I will remain with you,
My friend.
MARION
General, on you depends
the fate of all to us most dear,
I pray you stay not here.
WASHINGTON
What mean you, child,
Your reasons state.
MANHEIM
Peace! Marion.
Heed not he childish fear,
No harm shall you befall.
CROSBY, LAJEUNNESE & COREY
To this we swear,
Aye one and all.
MANHEIM
Aye one and all.
Lead our General to my brother's room,
To his mem'ry consecrated.
When the tempest has abated,
And the rising sun hath banished gloom,
I will call you,
Till then, adieu.
MARION
(aside)
My father I cannot betray.
(to Washington)
Pray follow me,
I'll lead the way.
ALL
Good night! Good night!
(Storm.)
ENSEMBLE
CROSBY, LAJEUNNESE & COREY
While he is lost in slumber,
One from out our number
Shall for our King unsheath his knife,
And end this rebel chieftain's life.
MANHEIM
Nearer with ev'ry breath.
The icy hand of death.
My heart doth chill.
CROSBY
'Tis fit our host who hath suffered most,
Should this traitor kill.
MANHEIM
No, no! My cause no greater than your own.
CROSBY
It must be done by one alone.
CROSBY, MANHEIM, LAJEUNNESE & COREY
While he is wrapt in slumber,
One from out our number
Shall for our King unsheath his knife,
And end this rebel chieftain's life.
MARION
Father.
MANHEIM
Has he retired for the night?
MARION
Full clothed upon the couch himself he threw,
Then bade me take away the light,
Then fell asleep, ere I withdrew.
MANHEIM
'Tis well.
MARION
Nay, 'tis ill.
MANHEIM
Peace be still, to thy chamber go.
MARION
Unutterable woe.
Shall be thing,
Shall be thine if thou dost harm him,
Made by will divine
The bulwark of our land.
Raise against him the sacrilegious hand.
In endless sorrow you shall rue the day.
MANHEIM
You will speak to him?
MARION
I will nothing say,
but him you shall not harm, come what may.
MANHEIM
To your room,
To you room,
My will obey!
MARION
There for his safety and God's mercy on they soul to pray.
(Exit Marion.)
CROSBY
If we would rid ourselves of Washington
'Twere well the deed were quickly done.
COREY
His friends know not that he is here.
LAJEUNESSE
The reward soon ours,
The British camp is near.
MANHEIM
(aside)
What fear I know not.
CORSBY
We will decide by lot.
MANHEIM
Aye, each the dice once shall throw,
The loser to his room shall go.
LAJEUNESSE
The first be mine.
(He throws dice.)
My throw is nine.
COREY
Now I tempt fate.
My throw is eight.
CROSBY
Manheim.
MANHEIM
No you throw first.
CROSBY
My number is ten.
MANHEIM
Fir his life I thirst.
CROSBY
A tie,
Throw again,
It is between you an me.
MANHEIM
Five!
The deed falls not to me.
CRSOBY
What will be, will be.
MANHEIM
Look, Crosby, three.
The joy is mine.
His life belongs to me!
Within me all is dead.
CROSBY, LAJEUNNESE & COREY
His courage fails
And fear prevails
MANHEIM
My feet like unto lead.
(Thunder and lightning.)
Rage, ye elements, do your worst, do your worst.
Manheim fears ye not,
Though by man and God accurst.
(Exit.)
CROSBY, LAJEUNNESE & COREY
With bated breath we await the passing of the Angel Death.
Did'st hear?
Our fears and troubles now have eased,
With the sttorm his life hath ceased.
(Pause.)
MANHEIM
'Tis done!
Ha, haq, ha, ha.
Look! See, his life's blood from my knife doth run.
CROSBY, LAJEUNNESE & COREY
You have slain him?
This is true?
MANHEIM
True, the reward is mine.
Come, let us seek the British line.
COREY
Hither let us leave in haste.
CROSBY
There is not time to waste.
LAJEUNESSE
There is no time to waste.
CROSBY
In flight we now must safety seek.
(Enter Washington.)
The trumpet calls,
'Tis break of day.
CROSBY & MANHEIM
Washington!
LAJEUNESSE & COREY
Washington!
WASHINGTON
Good-bye, my friends,
I must away.
Hear the music of the drums.
Soldiers, your Gen'ral comes.
(Exit.)
(Long pause.)
MANHEIM
(sotto voce)
He lives!
Whose blood then stain my knife?
(Enter Marion.)
MARION
Mine!
MANHEIM
Ah!
MARION
For Washing ton I gave my life,
Within my chamber he in safety slept,
While to your brother's room in pray'r I crept.
Grieve not for me,
I bless the day
I for him died.
Father, pray for me
As I have prayed for thee.
MANHEIM
Marion, I cannot pray.
MARION
My country 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of--Ah!
(Dies.)
MANHEIM
In endless sorrow I shall rue the day,
(parlante)
Marion! Marion! Marion!
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