[Caspar moves to and fro, places faggots on the coals, blows the fire, which blazes and fumes. In the smoke certain cabalistic letters appear.
Now for it! Every moment is precious. "Every bullet hath its billet," saith the old saw. Rather! Black C-c-l, beware! Bland William H., look out! Brutal B-lf-r, mind your eye! Shrewish G-sch-n, be warned! Haughty H-rt-ngt-n, take care! Perfidious J-s-ph, watch it! That accounts for Six out of the fatal Seven. 'Twill suffice, even if the seventh—bah! that's silly superstition. Here goes! First this lead—heavy as Sm-th's speeches; then this glass, brittle as the bond between the Unionists; some quicksilver of Randolphian shiftiness; three charmed balls which have already hit their mark. See, they are marked. "P-g-tt," "P-rn-ll," "C-mm-ss-n"!!! Probatum est! Now for the blessing of the balls.
[Caspar bowing down his head three separate times (as to three Judges) before he commences his incantation.
Thou who hast Fate's mystic dower,
Zamiel, Zamiel, work thy power!
Spirit of the evil dead
(At Madrid), bless, bless the lead!
May they be as featly sped
As the one that pierced his head.
I am sick of shilly-shally,
May they—metaphorically,
For, of course, I don't mean murder,
Nothing could be—well, absurder—
May they spifflicate our foes.
Neither progress nor repose,
On Bench or in Cabinet,
May they any of them get
Till they get their last quietus
From these bullets (That will seat us
Comfortably in their places,
To the rapture of three races)
How the fire fumes! There'll be ruction.
Characters look like Obstruction!
But they mean—and that's their beauty!—
Merely, simply, purely Duty!
Therefore, 'tis my occupation
So at present, Incantation!
G. O. M. won't take a part;
He objects to the Black Art.
Though he rather shirks my cult,
He will relish the result.
Zamiel! you're the chap I like,
Charm the bullets that they strike.
Zamiel, lend thy might to kill
To each burning drop we spill!
Now then for it! Out on fear!
Zamiel, Zamiel, be thou near!
[Sets to work at—The Casting of the Bullets. Music.
THE "INCANTATION."
(Scene from the Very Latest Version of "Der Freischütz.")