“I’m
sure I’m no ascetic: I’m as pleasant as can be;
You’ll
always find me ready with a crushing repartee;
I’ve
an irritating chuckle; I’ve a celebrated sneer;
I’ve
an entertaining snigger; I’ve a fascinating leer;
To
everybody’s prejudice I know a thing or two;
I
can tell a woman’s age in half a minute–and I do–
But
although I try to make myself as pleasant as I can,
Yet
everybody says I’m such a disagreeable man!
And
I can’t think why!”— King Gama in “The
Disagreeable Man,” from the operetta Princess Ida (1884), lyrics by W. S.
Gilbert (1836–1911), music by Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900)
The
photo accompanying this post shows actor John Reed, in costume as King Gama, in
a 1965 D'Oyly Carte Opera Company production of Princess Ida.
