SCENE I.
The royal Castle of Belmadhu in Scota. King Hector is seated in a garden tent facing some high heathery hills. Close to him his little son Bernis, Prince of Scota, is playing. The King is reading a letter from Isola.
Prince Bernis. “Papa, where is Mamma? Bernis wants her, Papa, Nurse says Mamma has gone away. Where is she gone to? Bernis wants Mamma. Papa! send for Mamma. Tell her to come. Tell her, Papa, that ‘Bernis is so dull.’ He wants Mamma to come and play with him. Papa! (wistfully). Will you please tell Mamma to come? Papa, Mamma loves Bernis very much; Papa, Bernis loves Mamma so so much. Papa, please give him his Mamma again.”
King Hector (wearily and aside): “Poor child, what can I say? What have I done? Brought thee, unasked, into a world of pain; To act the puppet of a gaping crowd, Who nurture thee to be their gaudy toy. Born to the slavery of a royal crown, Thou must indeed learn to forego thy will.” (To the child) “Mamma’s away. Gone to see Uncle Shafto. Bernis must be a big boy. Play alone. He should not want Mamma to play with him. Bernis must learn to be a Prince indeed, And just forget he is a human being.”
Prince Bernis. “What is a Prince, Papa? Is it a thing? And what’s a Hooman Being? Please tell me.”
King Hector. “A Prince is just a man turned inside out, He’s just a man but made to look unlike one; A human being feels, and speaks, and acts; A Prince is merely an Automaton.”
Prince Bernis (earnestly): “I don’t want to become a Prince, Papa; I won’t let them pull Bernis inside out. I want to be a hooman being please. Bernis shan’t be a nasty Tumaton.”
King Hector. “Fie, Bernis, you are not a Prince at all; A little gutter snipe, that’s what you are.” (Aside) “Spit of Isola, every inch of him, A most unorthodox, unroyal slave; Wants to be human! Not a People’s toy. Oh! Isola, why have you bred this thing?”
Prince Bernis (clapping his hands): “A gutter snipe, Papa? What fun! what fun! Am I a gutter snipe, really, Papa? Then I may make mud pies and play leap frog, And pull these stiff clothes off and wear nice rags. Oh! yes, I know the gutter snipes do that, Because I’ve seen them. Yes, I have, Papa. I’m going to look for Nurse and tell her so. Nursie, dear Nursie, I’m a gutter snipe!”