Enter little b***ercup, with large basket on her arm
RECITATIVE
Hail, men-o'-war's men -- safeguards of your nation
Here is an end, at last, of all privation;
You've got your pay -- spare all you can afford
To welcome Little b***ercup on board.
ARIA
For I'm called Little b***ercup -- dear Little b***ercup,
Though I could never tell why,
But still I'm called b***ercup -- poor little b***ercup,
Sweet Little b***ercup I!
I've snuff and tobaccy, and excellent jacky,
I've scissors, and watches, and knives;
I've ribbons and laces to set off the faces
Of pretty young sweethearts and wives.
I've treacle and toffee, I've tea and I've coffee,
Soft tommy and succulent chops;
I've chickens and conies, and pretty polonies,
And excellent peppermint drops.
Then buy of your b***ercup -- dear Little b***ercup;
Sailors should never be shy;
So, buy of your b***ercup -- poor Little b***ercup;
Come, of your b***ercup buy!
BOAT. Aye, Little b***ercup -- and well called -- for you're
the rosiest, the roundest, and the reddest beauty in all
Spithead.
BUT. Red, am I? and round -- and rosy! Maybe, for I have
dissembled well! But hark ye, my merry friend -- hast ever
thought that beneath a gay and frivolous exterior there may lurk
a canker-worm which is slowly but surely eating its way into
one's very heart?
BOAT. No, my lass, I can't say I've ever thought that.
Enter d*** Deadeye. He pushes through sailors, and comes down
d***. I have thought it often. (All recoil from him.)
BUT. Yes, you look like it! What's the matter with the
man? Isn't he well?
BOAT. Don't take no heed of him; that's only poor d***
Deadeye.
d***. I say -- it's a beast of a name, ain't it -- d***
Deadeye?
BUT. It's not a nice name.
d***. I'm ugly too, ain't I?
BUT. You are certainly plain.
d***. And I'm three-cornered too, ain't I?
BUT. You are rather triangular.
d***. Ha! ha! That's it. I'm ugly, and they hate me for
it; for you all hate me, don't you?
ALL. We do!
d***. There!
BOAT. Well, d***, we wouldn't go for to hurt any fellow-
creature's feelings, but you can't expect a chap with such a name
as d*** Deadeye to be a popular character -- now can you?
d***. No.
BOAT. It's asking too much, ain't it?
d***. It is. From such a face and form as mine the noblest
sentiments sound like the black utterances of a depraved
imagination. It is human nature -- I am resigned.
RECITATIVE
BUT. (looking down hatchway).
But, tell me -- who's the youth whose faltering feet
With difficulty bear him on his course?
BOAT. That is the smartest lad in all the fleet--
Ralph Rackstraw!
BUT. Ha! That name! Remorse! remorse!
RECITATIVE
Hail, men-o'-war's men -- safeguards of your nation
Here is an end, at last, of all privation;
You've got your pay -- spare all you can afford
To welcome Little b***ercup on board.
ARIA
For I'm called Little b***ercup -- dear Little b***ercup,
Though I could never tell why,
But still I'm called b***ercup -- poor little b***ercup,
Sweet Little b***ercup I!
I've snuff and tobaccy, and excellent jacky,
I've scissors, and watches, and knives;
I've ribbons and laces to set off the faces
Of pretty young sweethearts and wives.
I've treacle and toffee, I've tea and I've coffee,
Soft tommy and succulent chops;
I've chickens and conies, and pretty polonies,
And excellent peppermint drops.
Then buy of your b***ercup -- dear Little b***ercup;
Sailors should never be shy;
So, buy of your b***ercup -- poor Little b***ercup;
Come, of your b***ercup buy!
BOAT. Aye, Little b***ercup -- and well called -- for you're
the rosiest, the roundest, and the reddest beauty in all
Spithead.
BUT. Red, am I? and round -- and rosy! Maybe, for I have
dissembled well! But hark ye, my merry friend -- hast ever
thought that beneath a gay and frivolous exterior there may lurk
a canker-worm which is slowly but surely eating its way into
one's very heart?
BOAT. No, my lass, I can't say I've ever thought that.
Enter d*** Deadeye. He pushes through sailors, and comes down
d***. I have thought it often. (All recoil from him.)
BUT. Yes, you look like it! What's the matter with the
man? Isn't he well?
BOAT. Don't take no heed of him; that's only poor d***
Deadeye.
d***. I say -- it's a beast of a name, ain't it -- d***
Deadeye?
BUT. It's not a nice name.
d***. I'm ugly too, ain't I?
BUT. You are certainly plain.
d***. And I'm three-cornered too, ain't I?
BUT. You are rather triangular.
d***. Ha! ha! That's it. I'm ugly, and they hate me for
it; for you all hate me, don't you?
ALL. We do!
d***. There!
BOAT. Well, d***, we wouldn't go for to hurt any fellow-
creature's feelings, but you can't expect a chap with such a name
as d*** Deadeye to be a popular character -- now can you?
d***. No.
BOAT. It's asking too much, ain't it?
d***. It is. From such a face and form as mine the noblest
sentiments sound like the black utterances of a depraved
imagination. It is human nature -- I am resigned.
RECITATIVE
BUT. (looking down hatchway).
But, tell me -- who's the youth whose faltering feet
With difficulty bear him on his course?
BOAT. That is the smartest lad in all the fleet--
Ralph Rackstraw!
BUT. Ha! That name! Remorse! remorse!