CLO(aside)。
  Oh,wondrouschance——orwondrousProvidence!
  TheswordthatImyselfinMuscovy,Whenthesewhitehairswereblack,forkeepsakeleftOfobligationforalikereturnTohimwhosavedmewoundedasIlayFightingagainsthiscountry;tookmehome;
  Tendedmelikeabrothertillrecover'd,PerchancetofightagainsthimonceagainAndnowmyswordputbackintomyhandByhis——ifnothisson——still,assoseeming,Byme,asfirstdevoirofgratitude,Toseembelieving,tillthewearer'sselfSeefittodroptheill—dissemblingmask。
  (Aloud。)
  Well,astrangeturnoffortunehasarrestedThesharpandsuddenpenaltythatelseHadvisitedyourrashnessormischance:
  Inpart,yourtenderyouthtoo——pardonme,Andtouchnotwhereyourswordisnottoanswer——
  Commendsyoutomycare;notyourlifeonly,Elsebythismisadventureforfeited;
  Butev'nyourerrand,which,byhappychance,ChimeswiththeverybusinessIamon,Andcallsmetotheverypointyouaimat。
  ROS。
  Thecapital?
  CLO。
  Ay,thecapital;andev'nThatcapitalofcapitals,theCourt:
  Whereyoumayplead,and,Imaypromise,winPardonforthis,yousayunwilling,trespass,Andprosecutewhatelseyouhaveatheart,WithmetohelpyouforwardallIcan;
  ProvidedallinloyaltytothoseTowhombynaturalallegianceIfirstamboundto。
  ROS。
  Asyoumake,ItakeYouroffer:withlikepromiseonmysideOfloyaltytoyouandthoseyouserve,UnderlikereservationforregardsNeareranddearerstill。
  CLO。
  Enough,enough;
  Yourhand;abargainonbothsides。Meanwhile,Hereshallyourestto—night。ThebreakofdayShallseeusbothtogetherontheway。
  ROS。
  ThusthenwhatIformisadventureblamed,Directlydrawsmewheremywishesaim'd。
  (Exeunt。)
  SCENEII。
  ThePalaceatWarsawEnterononesideAstolfo,DukeofMuscovy,withhistrain:and,ontheother,thePrincessEstrella,withhers。
  ASTOLFO。
  Myroyalcousin,ifsonearinblood,Tillthisauspiciousmeetingscarcelyknown,TillallthatbeautypromisedinthebudIsnowtoitsconsummateblossomblown,Wellmetatlast;andmay——
  ESTRELLA。
  Enough,myLord,OfcomplimentdevisedforyoubysomeCourttailor,and,believeme,stilltooshortTocoverthedesignfulheartbelow。
  AST。
  Nay,butindeed,faircousin——
  EST。
  Ay,letDeedMeasureyourwords,indeedyourflowersofspeechIllwithyourironequipageatone;
  Ironyindeed,andwordycompliment。
  AST。
  Indeed,indeed,youwrongme,royalcousin,Andfairasroyal,misinterpretingWhat,evenfortheendyouthinkIaimat,Iffalsetoyou,werefataltomyself。
  EST。
  Why,whatelsemeanstheglitteringsteel,myLord,Thatbristlesintherearofthesefinewords?
  Whatcanitmean,but,failingtocajole,Tofightorforcemefrommyjustpretension?
  AST。
  Nay,mightInotaskev'nthesameofyou,Thenoddinghelmetsofwhosemen—at—armsOut—cresttheplumageofyourladycourt?
  EST。
  Buttodefendwhatyourswouldforcefromme。
  AST。
  MightnotI,lady,saythesameofmine?
  Butnottocometobattle,ev'nofwords,Withafairlady,andmykinswoman;
  Andasaversetostandbeforeyourface,Defenceless,andcondemn'dinyourdisgrace,Tillthegoodkingbeheretoclearitall——
  Willyouvouchsafetohearme?
  EST。
  Asyouwill。
  AST。
  Youknowthat,whenabouttoleavethisworld,Ourroyalgrandsire,KingAlfonso,leftThreechildren;oneason,Basilio,Whowears——longmayhewear!thecrownofPoland;
  Anddaughterstwain:ofwhomtheelderwasYourmother,Clorilena,nowsomewhileExaltedtoamorethanmortalthrone;
  AndRecisunda,mine,theyoungersister,Who,marriedtothePrinceofMuscovy,GavemethelightwhichmayshelivetoseeHerselfformany,manyyearstocome。
  Meanwhile,goodKingBasilio,asyouknow,Deepinabstruserstudiesthanthisworld,Andbusierwiththestarsthanlady'seyes,HasneverbyasecondmarriageyetReplaced,asPolandask'dofhim,theheirAnearlymarriagebroughtandtookaway;
  Hisyoungqueendyingwiththesonsheborehim;
  AndinsuchalienationgrownsooldAsleavesnootherhopeofheirtoPolandThanhistwosisters'children;you,faircousin,Andme;forwhomtheCommonsoftherealmDividethemselvesintotwoseveralfactions;
  Whetherforyou,theeldersister'schild;
  Orme,bornoftheyounger,but,theysay,MynaturalprerogativeofmanOutweighingyourpriorityofbirth。
  Whichdiscordgrowingloudanddangerous,Ouruncle,KingBasilio,doublysageInprophesyingandprovidingforThefuture,astodealwithitwhencome,Bidsusheremeetto—dayinsolemncouncilOurseveralpretensionstocompose。
  And,butthemartialout—burstthatproclaimsHiscoming,makesallfurtherparleyvain,Unlessmybosom,bywhichonlywiseIprophesy,nowwronglyprophesies,BysuchahappycompactasIdareButglanceattilltheRoyalSagedeclare。
  (Trumpets,etc。EnterKingBasiliowithhisCouncil。)
  ALL。
  TheKing!GodsavetheKing!
  ESTRELLA(Kneeling。)
  Oh,RoyalSir!——
  ASTOLFO(Kneeling。)
  GodsaveyourMajesty——
  KING。
  Risebothofyou,Risetomyarms,AstolfoandEstrella;
  Asmytwosisters'childrenalwaysmine,Nowmorethanever,sincemyselfandPolandSolelytoyouforoursuccessionlook'd。
  Andnowgiveear,youandyourseveralfactions,Andyou,thePeersandPrincesofthisrealm,WhileIrevealthepurportofthismeetingInwordswhosenecessarylengthItrustNounsuccessfulissueshallexcuse。
  Youandtheworldwhohavesurnamedme"Sage"
  KnowthatIowethattitle,ifmydue,TomylongmeditationonthebookWhicheverlyingopenoverhead——
  Thebookofheaven,Imean——sofewhaveread;
  Whosegoldenlettersonwhosesapphireleaf,Distinguishingthepageofdayandnight,Andalltherevolutionoftheyear;
  SowiththeturningvolumewheretheylieStillchangingtheirpropheticsyllables,Theyregisterthedestiniesofmen:
  Untilwitheyesthat,dimwithyearsindeed,Arequickertopursuethestarsthanrulethem,IgetthestartofTime,andfromhishandThewandoftardyrevelationdraw。
  Oh,hadtheself—sameheavenuponhispageInscribedmydeathereIshouldreadmylifeAnd,byfore—castingofmyownmischance,PlaynotthevictimbutthesuicideInmyowntragedy!——Butyoushallhear。
  Youknowhowonce,askingsmustfortheirpeople,Andonlyonce,aswisemenforthemselves,Iwoo'dandwedded:knowtoothatmyQueenInchildingdied;butnot,asyoubelieve,Withher,thesonshediedingivinglifeto。
  For,asthehourofbirthwasonthestroke,Herbrainconceivingwithherwomb,shedream'dAserpenttoreherentrail。Andtoosurely(Forevilomenseldomspeaksinvain)
  Theman—childbreakingfromthatlivingtombThatmakesourbirththeantitypeofdeath,Man—grateful,forthelifeshegavehimpaidBykillingher:andwithsuchcircumstanceAssuitedsuchunnaturaltragedy;
  Hecomingintolight,iflightitwereThatdarken'dathisveryhoroscope,Whenheaven'stwochampions——sunandmoonImean——
  SuffusedinblooduponeachotherfellInsucharagingduelofeclipseAshathnotterrifiedtheuniverseSincethatwhichweptinbloodthedeathofChrist:
  Whenthedeadwalk'd,thewatersturn'dtoblood,Earthandhercitiestotter'd,andtheworldSeem'dshakentoitslastparalysis。
  InsuchaparoxysmofdissolutionThatsonofminewasborn;bythatfirstactHeadingthemonstrouscatalogueofcrime,Ifoundfore—writteninhishoroscope;
  Asgreatamonsterinman'shistoryAswasinnaturehisnativity;