_Chorus of Pirates, Police, and General Stanley’s Daughters._ THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE; OR, THE SLAVE OF DUTY. ACT I. SCENE.--_A rocky sea-shore on the coast of Cornwall. Under the rock is a cavern. In the distance is a calm sea, on which a schooner is lying at anchor. As the curtain rises groups of _Pirates_ are discovered--some drinking, some playing cards. SAMUEL, the pirate lieutenant, is going from one group to the other, filling the cups from a flask. FREDERIC is seated in a despondent attitude at the back of the scene. RUTH kneels at his feet._ OPENING CHORUS. _All._ Pour, oh, pour the pirate sherry; Fill, oh, fill the pirate glass; And, to make us more than merry, Let the pirate bumper pass. _Solo._} For to-day our pirate ’prentice _Sam._ } Rises from indenture freed; Strong his arm and keen his scent is, He’s a pirate now indeed! _All._ Here’s good luck to Frederic’s ventures! Frederic’s out of his indentures. _Solo._} Two and twenty now he’s rising, _Sam._ } And alone he’s fit to fly, Which we’re bent on signalizing With unusual revelry. _All._ Here’s good luck to Frederic’s ventures! Frederic’s out of his indentures, So pour, oh, pour the pirate sherry, etc. [_FREDERIC rises and comes forward with PIRATE KING._ _King._ Yes, Frederic, from to-day you rank as a full-blown member of our band. _All._ Hurrah! _Fred._ My friends, I thank you all, from my heart, for your kindly wishes. Would that I could repay them as they deserve! _King._ What do you mean? _Fred._ To-day I am out of my indentures, and to-day I leave you for ever. _King._ But this is quite unaccountable; a keener hand at scuttling a Cunarder or cutting out a White Star never shipped a handspike. _Fred._ Yes, I have done my best for you. And why? It was my duty under my indentures, and I am the slave of duty. As a child I was regularly apprenticed to your band. It was through an error--no matter, the mistake was ours, not yours, and I was in honour bound by it. _Sam._ An error? What error? _Fred._ I may not tell you; it would reflect upon my well-loved Ruth. [_RUTH comes down to FREDERIC._ _Ruth._ Nay, dear master, my mind has long been gnawed by the cankering tooth of mystery. Better have it out at once. SONG.--RUTH. When Frederic was a little lad he proved so brave and daring, His father thought he’d ’prentice him to some career seafaring. I was, alas, his nursery-maid, and so it fell to _my_ lot To take and bind the promising boy apprentice to a _pilot_-- A life not bad for a hardy lad, though certainly not a high lot. Though I’m a nurse, you might do worse than make your boy a pilot.