ROSAURA(without)。
ThePrince!ThePrince!
CAPT。
Whocallsforhim?
SOL。
ThePagewhospurr'dushither,Andnow,dismountedfromafoaminghorse——
(EnterRosaura)
ROSAURA。
Whereis——butwhereIneednofurtheraskWherethemajesticpresence,allinarms,Mutelyproclaimsandvindicateshimself。
FIFE。
MydarlingLady—lord——
ROS。
MyowngoodFife,Keeptomyside——andsilence!——Oh,myLord,ForthethirdtimebeholdmeherewherefirstYousawme,byahappymisadventureLosingmyownwayheretofinditoutForyoutofollowwiththeseloyalmen,AddingthemomentofmylittlecauseToyours;which,somuchmightierasitis,Byastrangechancerunshandinhandwithmine;
Theself—samefoewhonowpretendsyourright,Withholdingmine——that,ofitselfalone,IknowtheroyalbloodthatrunsinyouWouldvindicate,regardlessofyourown:
Therightofinjuredinnocence;and,more,Spiteofthisepiceneattire,awoman's;
AndofanoblestockIwillnotnameTillI,whobroughtit,haveretrievedtheshame。
WhomDukeAstolfo,PrinceofMuscovy,Withallthesolemnvowsofwedlockwon,Andwouldhavewedded,asIdobelieve,HadnotthecryofPolandforaPrinceCall'dhimfromMuscovytojointheprizeOfPolandwiththefairEstrella'seyes。
I,followinghimhither,asyousaw,Wascastupontheserocks;arrestedbyClotaldo:who,foranolddebtofloveHeowesmyfamily,withallhismightServed,andhadservedmefurther,tillmycauseClash'dwithhisdutytohissovereign,Which,asbecamealoyalsubject,sir,(Andneversovereignhadaloyaller,)
Wasstillhisfirst。HecarriedmetoCourt,Where,forthesecondtime,Icrossedyourpath;
Where,asIwatch'dmyopportunity,Suddenlybrokethispublicpassionout;
Which,drowningprivateintopublicwrong,Yetswiftliersweepsittorevengealong。
SEG。
OhGod,ifthisbedreaming,chargeitnotToburstthechannelofenclosingsleepAnddrownthewakingreason!NottodreamOnlywhatdreamtshallonceortwiceagainReturntobuzzaboutthesleepingbrainTillshakenoffforever——
Butreassailingonesoquick,sothick——
TheveryfigureandthecircumstanceOfsense—confess'drealityforegoneInso—call'ddreamsopalpablyrepeated,Thecopysoliketheoriginal,Weknownotwhichiswhich;anddreamso—call'dItselfinweavingsoinextricablyIntothetissueofacknowledgedtruth;
TheveryfiguresthatempeopleitReturningtoassertthemselvesnophantomsInsomethingsomuchlikemeridianday,AndintheveryplacethatnotmyworstAndveriestdisenchantershalldenyForthetoowell—remember'dtheatreOfmylongtragedy——Strikeupthedrums!
IfthisbeTruth,andallofusawake,Indeedafamousquarrelisatstake:
IfbutaVisionIwillseeitout,And,drivetheDream,Icanbutjointherout。
CAPT。
Andingoodtime,sir,forapalpableTouchstoneoftruthandrightfulvengeancetoo,HereisClotaldotaken。
SOLDIERS。
Inwithhim!
Inwiththetraitor!
(Clotaldobroughtin。)
SEG。
Ay,Clotaldo,indeed——
Himself——inhisoldhabit——hisoldself——
What!backagain,Clotaldo,forawhileToswearmethisfortruth,andafterwardsAllforadreaminglie?
CLO。
Awakeordreaming,Downwiththatsword,anddownthesetraitorstheirs,Drawninrebellion'gainsttheirSovereign。
SEG。(abouttostrike)。
Traitor!Traitoryourself!——
Butsoft——soft——soft!——
Youtoldme,notsoverylongago,Awakeordreaming——Iforget——mybrainIsnotsoclearaboutit——butIknowOnetestyougavemetodiscernbetween,Whichmadanddreamingpeoplecannotmaster;
Orifthedreamercould,sobestsecureAcomfortablewaking——Was'tnotso?
(ToRosaura)。
Needsnotyourintercessionnow,yousee,Asinthedreambefore——
Clotaldo,rougholdnurseandtutortooThatonlytraitorwert,tomeiftrue——
Givehimhissword;sethimonafreshhorse;
Conducthimsafelythroughmyrebelforce;
AndsoGodspeedhimtohissovereign'sside!
Givemeyourhand;andwhetherallawakeOralla—dreaming,ride,Clotaldo,ride——
Dream—swift——forfearwedreamsshouldovertake。
(ABattlemaybesupposedtotakeplace;afterwhich)
ACTIII。
SceneI。——Awoodedpassnearthefieldofbattle:drums,trumpets,firing,etc。Criesof'GodsaveBasilio!Segismund,'etc。
(EnterFife,running。)
FIFE。
Godsavethemboth,andsavethemall!sayI!——
Oh——whathotwork!——WhicheverwayoneturnsThewhistlingbulletatone'sears——I'vedriftedFarfrommymadyoung——master——whomIsawTossingupontheverycrestofbattle,BesidethePrince——Godsaveherfirstofall!
WithallmyheartIsayandpray——andsoCommendhertoHiskeeping——bang!——bang!——bang!
Andformyself——scarceworthHisthinkingof——
I'llseewhatIcandotosavemyselfBehindthisrock,untilthestormblowsover。
(Skirmishes,shouts,firing,etc。AftersometimeenterKingBasilio,Astolfo,andClotaldo)
KING。
Thedayislost!
AST。
Donotdespair——therebels——
KING。
Alas!thevanquish'donlyaretherebels。
CLOTALDO。
Ev'nifthisbattlelostus,'tisbutoneGain'dontheirside,ifyounotlostinit;
Anothermomentandtoolate:atonceTakehorse,andtothecapital,myliege,WhereinsomesafeandholysanctuarySavePolandinyourperson。
AST。
Bepersuaded:
Youknowyourson:havetastedofhistemper;
AthisfirstonsetthreateningunprovokedThecrimepredictedforhislastandworst。
Howwhettednowwithsuchatasteofblood,Andthusfarconquest!
KING。
Ay,andhowhefought!
Ohhowhefought,Astolfo;ranksofmenFallingasswathesofgrassbeforethemower;
Icouldbutpausetogazeathim,although,LikethepalehorsemanoftheApocalypse,Eachmomentbroughthimnearer——YetIsay,Icouldbutpauseandgazeonhim,andprayPolandhadsuchawarriorforherking。
AST。
ThecryoftriumphontheothersideGainsgrounduponushere——there'sbutamomentForyou,myliege,todo,formetospeak,Whobackmusttothefield,andwhatmanmayDo,toretrievethefortuneoftheday。
(Firing。)
FIFE(fallingforward,shot)。
Oh,Lord,havemercyonme。
KING。
Whatashriek——
Oh,somepoorcreaturewoundedinacausePerhapsnotworththelossofonepoorlife!——
Soyoungtoo——andnosoldier——
FIFE。
Apoorlad,Whochoosingplayathideandseekwithdeath,Justhidwheredeathjustcametolookforhim;
Forthere'snoplace,Ithink,cankeephimout,Oncehe'shiseyeuponyou。Allgrowsdark——
Youglitterfinelytoo——Well——wearedreamingButwhenthebullet'soff——Heavensavethemark!
Sotellmymister——mastress——